Course Description
Introduction to one of the written languages from Old World Bronze Age empires, for example, hieroglyphic Egyptian, Sumerian, or Hittite. Texts reflect the conduct of administration, political relations, propaganda, and religion. Study of their grammar affords primary access both to the languages as such and to these ancient cultures.
Additional Requirements for Graduate Students:
Examinations for graduate students will be more intense, and more extensive reading in original texts will be required. Each graduate student will be assigned to present a segment of the day's lesson at least twice in the semester in addition to the exercises. In addition to the texts, a short paper on some specific aspect of morphology or syntax will be required.
Athena Title
Early Written Languages
Semester Course Offered
Not offered on a regular basis.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
Equips students to tackle translation in the given language as an entry to the culture in question, or to locate the language in its historical and comparative contexts.
Topical Outline
Example only, for Sumerian I. The Writing System and its History II. Resources for Sumerian and its Linguistic History and Influences III. The Noun and its Case Affixes and Gender/Number IV. The Pronouns: Independent and Affixed V. The Verb and its Affixes and Conjugations VI. Correspondence between Nominal and Verbal Affixes VII. Ergativity in Sumerian and Elsewhere VIII. Prepositions IX. Adjectives X. Adverbs XI. Conjugations XII. Subjunction and Syntactic Peculiarities