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A Manual of Sumerian Grammar and Texts
Hayes, John L.
- GenresLinguisticsLanguage
311 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 20, 2013
The only realistic way to learn Sumerian by yourself. The author has written an in-depth text explaining pretty much everything you need to know to start learning what is the oldest writing system in the world.
The book is divided in to 26 lessons which progressively introduce you to the signs, their meanings and the grammar that unites it all.
There are many useful discussions on the historical and cultural context of the inscriptions used. All in all, a very practical guide. Moving on from this, try Konrad Volk's 'A Sumerian Reader'.
The book is divided in to 26 lessons which progressively introduce you to the signs, their meanings and the grammar that unites it all.
There are many useful discussions on the historical and cultural context of the inscriptions used. All in all, a very practical guide. Moving on from this, try Konrad Volk's 'A Sumerian Reader'.
August 24, 2020
One of the ways I've occupied myself during the COVID-19 era is to gain facility with Sumerian, something I started a few years back but was drawn away from by other, more pressing topics and projects. Now that I have the time ...
Hayes is perfect for this and there a number of reasons why:
1) Clear explanations: Hayes understands the grammar and always, always explains what's going on with the script and grammar, as well as what was likely happening with the spoken language.
2) A solid introduction to Sumerology: Integral to learning the language is learning about the frame work from which the current body of knowledge was generated and in which it resides. Hayes takes time to discuss this. Connections to Akkadian, who's who in Sumerology and who can be trusted for what, an awesome bibliography, and clear explanations as to why there's such a huge variance in the exemplars are some of the things contained in the book.
3) Well chosen and presented exemplars: It's a dead language with a relatively limited literature, so thorny problems get presented right from the start. However, the order of the exemplars and the specific texts selected truly do soften the blow, with enough repetition between the examples to ensure that the student doesn't get overwhelmed. They're not the most exciting texts (the first ten or so inscriptions are short dedications on bricks and cylinders from Ur Nammu and Shulgi), but they're more than enough to expose the language to the student.
4) Unknowns and points of contention well fleshed out: There's still a lot that's not known about Sumerian, and the student is introduced to these lacunae right from the start. Hayes does an outstanding job of pointing these aspects out and, where appropriate, providing solid presentations of what the current scholarship says on the point. An example is the conjugation prefix in the verb: Sumerian verbs include affixes that convey meaning and/or recapitulate cases. One of these affixes, the conjugational prefix, is a mystery as no one really knows what it does and unlike the other affixes, it doesn't seem to have any impact on how the verb is translated. Hayes makes a special effort to make the various hypotheses about the function of these things clear, and allows the student to mull the issue with enough pertinent information to at least begin formulating an informed opinion.
It's not all a pleasure garden:
1) Learning the signs requires real effort: The signs are limited (I'm on chapter 10, and there are about 80 or so signs and sign combinations), but the variance of presentation and the formulaic nature of the inscriptions (one sees the same signs in the same context) hinder mastery, and a special effort needs to be made. For example there have been instances where I've run into signs from an earlier chapter in a new context where I did not immediately recognize the sign. My solution is index cards for the signs with cross-references for values, meanings, variant readings, etc., making it easier (a lot easier, actually) to quiz myself and detach the signs from their context. It's involved, it's work-intensive, but it does work.
2) The material is tough: There's only so much sting good presentation can take out of tough material, and make no mistake, Sumerian is tough. Between the gaps in knowledge and the gulf between Sumerian and most modern Western languages, most students will struggle earnestly sooner or later.
3) Leaps: My first time through, I stalled out right around the introduction of the maru form (chapter 11) of the verb, which is a huge leap and it takes a lot of discipline, diligence, and time to follow through.
4) Availability: It shouldn't come as a surprise that materials surrounding this field of study are expensive. The price of this book should give you some insight into what's in store should one move on to other sources after this. Naturally, one would be inclined to mitigate expenses by using library materials, but be warned: these materials will in all likelihood only be available through inter-library loan.
5) A background in linguistics and Akkadian can help: Before the hate mail starts, let me say that Sumerian is a linguistic isolate: no one knows where it came from, and it didn't seem to go any place. It did however exist for sometime side by side with Akkadian, and even though Sumerian is not of the same linguistic family as Akkadian, a lot of our knowledge of the former comes from word lists written in the latter. Hayes does a great job of making the connections between the two languages, but having at least a bit of knowledge of Akkadian has definitely helped shine the apple. Too there are grammatical features of Sumerian that one doesn't see in most European languages, and a bit a linguistics background can at least give one a leg up.
If you're serious about studying Sumerian and you're willing to put in the time and effort required, this is the place start.
A final word: there are three editions: 1st edition 1990, 2nd edition 2000, and 3rd edition 2019. I've glanced at the first and have the third on order, but the above review is based on the 2nd edition.
A final final word: The author of this work is not John Lord Hayes, 1812-1887, rather John Lewis Hayes, 1946- (LCCN n 90716805).
Addendum: I've got the new edition (3rd), so I'm switching over to that.
Hayes is perfect for this and there a number of reasons why:
1) Clear explanations: Hayes understands the grammar and always, always explains what's going on with the script and grammar, as well as what was likely happening with the spoken language.
2) A solid introduction to Sumerology: Integral to learning the language is learning about the frame work from which the current body of knowledge was generated and in which it resides. Hayes takes time to discuss this. Connections to Akkadian, who's who in Sumerology and who can be trusted for what, an awesome bibliography, and clear explanations as to why there's such a huge variance in the exemplars are some of the things contained in the book.
3) Well chosen and presented exemplars: It's a dead language with a relatively limited literature, so thorny problems get presented right from the start. However, the order of the exemplars and the specific texts selected truly do soften the blow, with enough repetition between the examples to ensure that the student doesn't get overwhelmed. They're not the most exciting texts (the first ten or so inscriptions are short dedications on bricks and cylinders from Ur Nammu and Shulgi), but they're more than enough to expose the language to the student.
4) Unknowns and points of contention well fleshed out: There's still a lot that's not known about Sumerian, and the student is introduced to these lacunae right from the start. Hayes does an outstanding job of pointing these aspects out and, where appropriate, providing solid presentations of what the current scholarship says on the point. An example is the conjugation prefix in the verb: Sumerian verbs include affixes that convey meaning and/or recapitulate cases. One of these affixes, the conjugational prefix, is a mystery as no one really knows what it does and unlike the other affixes, it doesn't seem to have any impact on how the verb is translated. Hayes makes a special effort to make the various hypotheses about the function of these things clear, and allows the student to mull the issue with enough pertinent information to at least begin formulating an informed opinion.
It's not all a pleasure garden:
1) Learning the signs requires real effort: The signs are limited (I'm on chapter 10, and there are about 80 or so signs and sign combinations), but the variance of presentation and the formulaic nature of the inscriptions (one sees the same signs in the same context) hinder mastery, and a special effort needs to be made. For example there have been instances where I've run into signs from an earlier chapter in a new context where I did not immediately recognize the sign. My solution is index cards for the signs with cross-references for values, meanings, variant readings, etc., making it easier (a lot easier, actually) to quiz myself and detach the signs from their context. It's involved, it's work-intensive, but it does work.
2) The material is tough: There's only so much sting good presentation can take out of tough material, and make no mistake, Sumerian is tough. Between the gaps in knowledge and the gulf between Sumerian and most modern Western languages, most students will struggle earnestly sooner or later.
3) Leaps: My first time through, I stalled out right around the introduction of the maru form (chapter 11) of the verb, which is a huge leap and it takes a lot of discipline, diligence, and time to follow through.
4) Availability: It shouldn't come as a surprise that materials surrounding this field of study are expensive. The price of this book should give you some insight into what's in store should one move on to other sources after this. Naturally, one would be inclined to mitigate expenses by using library materials, but be warned: these materials will in all likelihood only be available through inter-library loan.
5) A background in linguistics and Akkadian can help: Before the hate mail starts, let me say that Sumerian is a linguistic isolate: no one knows where it came from, and it didn't seem to go any place. It did however exist for sometime side by side with Akkadian, and even though Sumerian is not of the same linguistic family as Akkadian, a lot of our knowledge of the former comes from word lists written in the latter. Hayes does a great job of making the connections between the two languages, but having at least a bit of knowledge of Akkadian has definitely helped shine the apple. Too there are grammatical features of Sumerian that one doesn't see in most European languages, and a bit a linguistics background can at least give one a leg up.
If you're serious about studying Sumerian and you're willing to put in the time and effort required, this is the place start.
A final word: there are three editions: 1st edition 1990, 2nd edition 2000, and 3rd edition 2019. I've glanced at the first and have the third on order, but the above review is based on the 2nd edition.
A final final word: The author of this work is not John Lord Hayes, 1812-1887, rather John Lewis Hayes, 1946- (LCCN n 90716805).
Addendum: I've got the new edition (3rd), so I'm switching over to that.
May 7, 2023
Lessons are structured as follows: a short list of pertinent vocabulary (in cuneiform and transliteration) and a Sumerian text (in cuneiform), usually an autograph, sometimes accompanied by a photograph; a transliteration and (an attempt at) a normalized transcription; explanations of salient grammatical features encountered in the aforementioned text; and finally other information relating to Sumerology, from the philological to the historical.
This is not a descriptive or reference grammar so it doesn't go into exhaustive detail about every facet of Sumerian. In fact, a theme that runs through the book is we aren't even close to having an exhaustive understanding of Sumerian! But despite that, this book does give you a good grounding in the fundamentals, as best we understand them (or rather, as best this author understands them), and will allow you to read Sumerian.
And I have to say, it is very gratifying to look at a photograph of an object 4,000 years old, inscribed with what were formerly inscrutable cuneiform signs, and understand it. What an incredible feeling—and a gift! Without this book, this understanding would have remained beyond my grasp. For that, I can't thank the author enough.
This is not a descriptive or reference grammar so it doesn't go into exhaustive detail about every facet of Sumerian. In fact, a theme that runs through the book is we aren't even close to having an exhaustive understanding of Sumerian! But despite that, this book does give you a good grounding in the fundamentals, as best we understand them (or rather, as best this author understands them), and will allow you to read Sumerian.
And I have to say, it is very gratifying to look at a photograph of an object 4,000 years old, inscribed with what were formerly inscrutable cuneiform signs, and understand it. What an incredible feeling—and a gift! Without this book, this understanding would have remained beyond my grasp. For that, I can't thank the author enough.
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December 11, 2019This was very modern.
September 15, 2023
This is a masterpiece of a language textbook in every way. Took 9 years to finish, but I loved every page (many of them, of necessity, multiple times).
Excellent introduction to cuneiform, too.
Excellent introduction to cuneiform, too.
July 28, 2011
Quite good..
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews