Difference between revisions of "Sumerian"
From NSwiki, the NationStates encyclopedia.
| Line 30: | Line 30: | ||
| − | == | + | =History= |
| + | ==Beginnings== | ||
| + | ==Evolution== | ||
| + | ==Contemporary Usage== | ||
| + | ==Regulation== | ||
| + | =Phonetics= | ||
Spoken Sumerian is a very simple language in initial structure and pronounciation. This section will give a basic overview of Sumerian sounds and the formation of simple words. Knowledge of the International Phonetic Alphabet will be useful in learning the sounds. | Spoken Sumerian is a very simple language in initial structure and pronounciation. This section will give a basic overview of Sumerian sounds and the formation of simple words. Knowledge of the International Phonetic Alphabet will be useful in learning the sounds. | ||
| − | + | ==Consonants== | |
Sumerian comprises of fourteen phonemic consonants: | Sumerian comprises of fourteen phonemic consonants: | ||
* /b/ Initial consonant sound in 'bike' (Voiced Bilabial Plosive) | * /b/ Initial consonant sound in 'bike' (Voiced Bilabial Plosive) | ||
| Line 51: | Line 56: | ||
* /x/ Final consonant sound in Scottish 'Loch' (Voiceless Uvular Plosive) | * /x/ Final consonant sound in Scottish 'Loch' (Voiceless Uvular Plosive) | ||
| − | + | ==Vowels== | |
Sumerian has only four phonemic vowels, with plenty of allophonic variation (see below) between speakers. | Sumerian has only four phonemic vowels, with plenty of allophonic variation (see below) between speakers. | ||
* /i/ As in 'hip' (Close Front Lax Unrounded) | * /i/ As in 'hip' (Close Front Lax Unrounded) | ||
| Line 58: | Line 63: | ||
* /a/ As in 'father' (Open-mid back unrounded) | * /a/ As in 'father' (Open-mid back unrounded) | ||
| − | == | + | ==Allophonics== |
| − | Allophonic variation in spoken Sumerian is tied exclusivly to the production of vowel sounds. The seperate allophonic variants are all considered the same distinct sound in the spoken language and are treated equal to that base phoneme that they replace. Variation exists | + | Allophonic variation in spoken Sumerian is tied exclusivly to the production of vowel sounds. The seperate allophonic variants are all considered the same distinct sound in the spoken language and are treated equal to that base phoneme that they replace. Variation exists primarily within the individual speaker and is not strongly tied to regional or social differences. |
The fllowing chart can help distinguish allophonic variations: | The fllowing chart can help distinguish allophonic variations: | ||
* /e/ is considered allophonic with all Close-mid Front and Central vowels, rounded or unrounded, as well as the central vowel (schwa). | * /e/ is considered allophonic with all Close-mid Front and Central vowels, rounded or unrounded, as well as the central vowel (schwa). | ||
| Line 65: | Line 70: | ||
* /a/ is allophonic with all Open and Open-mid vowels. | * /a/ is allophonic with all Open and Open-mid vowels. | ||
| − | == | + | =Morphology= |
| + | In spoken Sumerian words are formed by the combination of several morphemes into a word-phrase. The word-phrase in Sumerian is the basis of sentence structure and is thus equated as a word in refrence to other languages or contemporary linguistic descriptions. | ||
| + | What one may notice about quickly is that Sumerian words are spawned from a simple root, and then inflected as required to give the appropriate meaning before being placed within a sentence. Sumerian word roots act as verbal, nominal, and adjectival roots derived from the same basic morpheme. Determining the form which the root has taken is done through the inflection order and process of the specific word class. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==Morpheme Structure== | ||
Simple morphological structures in Sumerian are listed using Consonant (C), and Vowel (V): | Simple morphological structures in Sumerian are listed using Consonant (C), and Vowel (V): | ||
* V | * V | ||
| Line 75: | Line 84: | ||
* CVCVC | * CVCVC | ||
| − | + | ==Nouns== | |
| − | + | Sumerian nouns, as stated above, are derived from word roots. Sumerian nouns are created through the addition of various suffixed inflections of case, number, and gender. | |
| − | + | ||
| + | Typical Sumerian noun-phrase structure is as follows: | ||
| + | Root-Gender-Number-Case | ||
| + | |||
| + | Case inflections being ordered as follows: | ||
| + | Core:Ablative:Comitative:Dative:Locative:Locative-Terminative:Terminative:Equative:Genetive | ||
| + | |||
| + | Gender is added to a noun through the use of the word for either man ''nitax'', and woman ''munus'', suffixed to the noun root to give the gender of the specific noun. However, gender is not obligational and is normally only included for specificity. The lack of gender within the noun keeps the noun in the genderless form. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Number in Sumerian expresses only the singular and the plural. Pluralised nouns are specified by the suffix '''-ene''', while singular nouns are left without this suffix. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Case is one of the defining features of Sumerian, refrencing the noun-phrase to the verb-phrase within a sentence to provide meaning agreement within the sentence. | ||
| + | * The Core Case inflection of the Ergative ''e'' is applied to the noun phrase when it occupies the Agent (Or Subject) place within a sentence only. The lack of the Ergative inflection indicates that the noun phrase is occupying the Patient (Or Object) postsion within a sentence. | ||
| + | * The Ablative inflection relates the nouns within a sentence, equivilant to English ''from'' and ''by''. | ||
| + | * The Comitative inflection relates nouns within a sentence together, equivilant to English ''with''. | ||
| + | * The Dative inflection distinguishes the recipient of something, equivilant to English ''to'' or ''for''. | ||
| + | * The Locative inflection indicates that the subject is within the object, equivilant to English ''in''. | ||
| + | * The Locative-Terminative inflection indicates subject proximity to the object, equivilant to | ||
| + | English ''by'' and ''at''. | ||
| + | * The Terminative inflection indicates subject direction (Possibly of movement) towards the object, equivilant to English ''to'' and ''toward''. | ||
| + | * The Equative inflection indicates equation between subject and object, equivilant to English ''like''. | ||
| + | * The Genitive inflection indicates posession, equivilant to English ''of''. | ||
| + | |||
| + | It must be included that case inflection is specific to where the noun sits within a sentence. A noun in the Subject postsion has the Ergative inflection, while a noun in the Object postsion may have all other inflections except the Core inflection, as required for meaning. | ||
| + | |||
| + | The following is the list of Case Inflections: | ||
| + | *Core -- ''/e/'' | ||
| + | *Ablative -- ''/ta/'' - Or ''/t/'' after a vowel. | ||
| + | *Comitative -- ''/da/'' - Or ''/d/'' after a vowel. | ||
| + | *Dative -- ''/ra/'' - Or ''/r/'' after a vowel. | ||
| + | *Locative -- ''/a/'' | ||
| + | *Locative-Terminative -- ''/e/'' | ||
| + | *Terminative -- ''/she/'' | ||
| + | *Equative -- ''/gin/'' | ||
| + | *Genetive -- ''/ak/'' - Or ''/k/'' after a vowel. | ||
| − | + | ===Abstract Nouns=== | |
| + | ===Compound Nouns=== | ||
| + | ===Concrete Nouns=== | ||
| + | ===Pronouns=== | ||
| + | ====Posessive==== | ||
| + | ====Independant==== | ||
| + | ===Nominal Lexicon=== | ||
| + | ==Demonstratives== | ||
| + | ==Numbers and Numeration== | ||
| − | == | + | ==Verbs== |
| + | =Grammar= | ||
| + | ==Word Order== | ||
| − | === | + | =Writing and Orthograpgy= |
| + | ==Scripts== | ||
| + | ===Logographic=== | ||
| + | ====Traditional==== | ||
| + | ====Modern==== | ||
| + | ===Alphabetic=== | ||
| + | ====Traditional==== | ||
| + | ====Roman==== | ||
| − | |||
| − | |||
[[category:Languages]][[Category:Sumer]] | [[category:Languages]][[Category:Sumer]] | ||
Revision as of 23:29, 15 November 2005
| Sumerian Emegir | |
|---|---|
| Spoken in: | Sumer, The Macabees, Small groups of speakers in 12 to 15 countries. |
| Total declared fluent or learning speakers: | 2,040,643,790 (Estimate) |
| Genetic classification: | Language Isolate: No known relations. |
| Official language of: | Sumer |
| Regulated by: | Kalam Sajar Emegir National Counsel on the Sumerian Language |
| Language Community | |
| Sumer: | 2,009,150,000 (Last count) |
| The Macabees: | 17,530,000 (Estimate) |
History
Beginnings
Evolution
Contemporary Usage
Regulation
Phonetics
Spoken Sumerian is a very simple language in initial structure and pronounciation. This section will give a basic overview of Sumerian sounds and the formation of simple words. Knowledge of the International Phonetic Alphabet will be useful in learning the sounds.
Consonants
Sumerian comprises of fourteen phonemic consonants:
- /b/ Initial consonant sound in 'bike' (Voiced Bilabial Plosive)
- /m/ Initial consonant sound in 'map' (Boiced Bilabial Nasal)
- /d/ Initial consonant sound in 'dam' (Voiced Alveolar Plosive)
- /t/ Initial consonant sound in 'tank' (Voiceless Alveolar Plosive)
- /s/ Initial consonant sound in 'stick' (Voiceless Alveolar Fricative)
- /z/ Initial consonant sound in 'zoo' (Voiced Alveolar Fricative)
- /sh/ Final consonant sound in 'dash' (Voiceless Postalveolar Fricative)
- /j/ Final consonant sound in 'sing' (Voiced Palatal Nasal)
- /r/ Final consonant sound in 'car' (Voiced Alveolar Approximant)
- /l/ Initial consonant sound in 'light' (Voiced Alveolar Latteral Approximate)
- /n/ Initial/Final consonant sound in "noun" (Voiced Alveolar Nasal)
- /k/ Initial consonant sound in 'cat' (Voiceless Velar Plosive)
- /g/ Initial consonant sound in 'gun' (Voiced Velar Plosive)
- /x/ Final consonant sound in Scottish 'Loch' (Voiceless Uvular Plosive)
Vowels
Sumerian has only four phonemic vowels, with plenty of allophonic variation (see below) between speakers.
- /i/ As in 'hip' (Close Front Lax Unrounded)
- /e/ As in 'peg' (Close-mid front Unrounded)
- /u/ As in 'pull' (Close back lax)
- /a/ As in 'father' (Open-mid back unrounded)
Allophonics
Allophonic variation in spoken Sumerian is tied exclusivly to the production of vowel sounds. The seperate allophonic variants are all considered the same distinct sound in the spoken language and are treated equal to that base phoneme that they replace. Variation exists primarily within the individual speaker and is not strongly tied to regional or social differences. The fllowing chart can help distinguish allophonic variations:
- /e/ is considered allophonic with all Close-mid Front and Central vowels, rounded or unrounded, as well as the central vowel (schwa).
- /u/ is allophonic with the Close-mid back rounded vowel.
- /a/ is allophonic with all Open and Open-mid vowels.
Morphology
In spoken Sumerian words are formed by the combination of several morphemes into a word-phrase. The word-phrase in Sumerian is the basis of sentence structure and is thus equated as a word in refrence to other languages or contemporary linguistic descriptions.
What one may notice about quickly is that Sumerian words are spawned from a simple root, and then inflected as required to give the appropriate meaning before being placed within a sentence. Sumerian word roots act as verbal, nominal, and adjectival roots derived from the same basic morpheme. Determining the form which the root has taken is done through the inflection order and process of the specific word class.
Morpheme Structure
Simple morphological structures in Sumerian are listed using Consonant (C), and Vowel (V):
- V
- VC
- CV
- VCV
- CVC
- CVCVC
Nouns
Sumerian nouns, as stated above, are derived from word roots. Sumerian nouns are created through the addition of various suffixed inflections of case, number, and gender.
Typical Sumerian noun-phrase structure is as follows: Root-Gender-Number-Case
Case inflections being ordered as follows: Core:Ablative:Comitative:Dative:Locative:Locative-Terminative:Terminative:Equative:Genetive
Gender is added to a noun through the use of the word for either man nitax, and woman munus, suffixed to the noun root to give the gender of the specific noun. However, gender is not obligational and is normally only included for specificity. The lack of gender within the noun keeps the noun in the genderless form.
Number in Sumerian expresses only the singular and the plural. Pluralised nouns are specified by the suffix -ene, while singular nouns are left without this suffix.
Case is one of the defining features of Sumerian, refrencing the noun-phrase to the verb-phrase within a sentence to provide meaning agreement within the sentence.
- The Core Case inflection of the Ergative e is applied to the noun phrase when it occupies the Agent (Or Subject) place within a sentence only. The lack of the Ergative inflection indicates that the noun phrase is occupying the Patient (Or Object) postsion within a sentence.
- The Ablative inflection relates the nouns within a sentence, equivilant to English from and by.
- The Comitative inflection relates nouns within a sentence together, equivilant to English with.
- The Dative inflection distinguishes the recipient of something, equivilant to English to or for.
- The Locative inflection indicates that the subject is within the object, equivilant to English in.
- The Locative-Terminative inflection indicates subject proximity to the object, equivilant to
English by and at.
- The Terminative inflection indicates subject direction (Possibly of movement) towards the object, equivilant to English to and toward.
- The Equative inflection indicates equation between subject and object, equivilant to English like.
- The Genitive inflection indicates posession, equivilant to English of.
It must be included that case inflection is specific to where the noun sits within a sentence. A noun in the Subject postsion has the Ergative inflection, while a noun in the Object postsion may have all other inflections except the Core inflection, as required for meaning.
The following is the list of Case Inflections:
- Core -- /e/
- Ablative -- /ta/ - Or /t/ after a vowel.
- Comitative -- /da/ - Or /d/ after a vowel.
- Dative -- /ra/ - Or /r/ after a vowel.
- Locative -- /a/
- Locative-Terminative -- /e/
- Terminative -- /she/
- Equative -- /gin/
- Genetive -- /ak/ - Or /k/ after a vowel.
