Vladimir EMELIANOV
(St-Petersburg State University)
The "Swadesh list" is actively used by comparative linguists to establish phonological and morphological isoglosses within a single language group or family [Burlak, Starostin, 2001, 50, 86-87]. Drawing up such a list for the Sumerian language can cause surprise and even bewilderment, as the Sumerian relatives are not found. Our task is to determine in advance whether there are obviously borrowed words in the list (first of all, Semitic words). The further task of researchers is to select words that structurally resemble words from different language families. As the comparative etymology develops, the list will speak more than one can find now.
Literature
Dolgopolsky – Dolgopolsky A. Nostratic Dictionary. Cambridge, 2008. https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/196512
Emelianov, 2013 Емельянов В.В. Ветхозаветный Эдем по данным клинописных текстов (к этимологии термина ‘eden) / Manifesta Memorabilia. Сборник памяти В.Р.Арсеньева. СПб., 2013. С. 106-113. https://www.academia.edu/32808145/%D0%92%D0%B5%D1%82%D1%85%D0%BE%D0%B7%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%B9_%D0%AD%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BC_%D0%BF%D0%BE_%D0%B4%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%BC_%D0%BA%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%BF%D0%B8%D1%81%D0%BD%D1%8B%D1%85_%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%81%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%B2_%D0%BA_%D1%8D%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B3%D0%B8%D0%B8_%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%BC%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B0_Eden_
ePSD – The Pennsylvania Sumerian Dictionary https://psd.museum.upenn.edu/epsd/index.html
[SED 2] - Militarev A., Kogan L. Semitic Etymological Dictionary. Vol. 2. Animal Names. Münster, 2005.
[TB] - The Tower of Babel. Databases https://starling.rinet.ru/cgi-bin/main.cgi?flags=eygtnnl
Burlak, Starostin, 2001 - Бурлак С.А; Старостин С.А. Введение в лингвистическую компаративистику. М; 2001
Stolbova, 2002 - Столбова О.В. Аккадско-чадские лексические параллели // История и языки Древнего Востока. Памяти И.М.Дьяконова. СПб; 2002
Color designations:
Nostratic Dictionary (with Afrasian words)
Akkadian Loanword
Proto-Sino-Tibetan
1. ALL
teš [UNITY] (222x: Old Akkadian, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian, unknown) wr. teš2 "unity"
[[teš2]] = = = iš #-[ te - ni - iš ] ‘together’ MSL 09, 124-137 vii 471,
du [ALL] (14x: Lagash II, Ur III, Old Babylonian) wr. du3 "all" LEX/Ur III/Nippur ul du3-a = şi2 - a - tum PBS 05, 136 [OBGT XI] v 14',
gu'anše [TOTAL] wr. gu2-an-še3 "total" (< gu2 ‘neck’ + an-eše ‘to heaven’),
dur [TOTALITY] (29x: ED IIIb, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian) wr. dur "totality",
dagan [TOTALITY] (2x: Ur III, Early Old Babylonian) wr. da-gan "totality; assembly; band"
kilib [TOTAL] (445x: Ur III, Old Babylonian) wr. kilib; kilib3 "total, sum; (the) whole, entirety; assembly"; connection with Dravidian kalappu and Akkadian kalāma, see Dolgopolsky, No. 873: *kalwV 'together, whole'),
šuniĝin [TOTAL] (18294x: ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian) wr. šu-niĝin2; šu-niĝin; ŠU "total, sum",
šar [3600] (245x: ED IIIa, Ur III, Old Babylonian) wr. šar2; šar; šar2-šar2 "totality, world; (to be) numerous; 3600"
2. ASHES
didal [ASHES] wr. didalx(NE); de3-dal "ashes" (de3 < ne ‘brazier’ + dal ‘to fly’),
nimur [ASHES] (26x: Ur III, Old Babylonian, unknown) wr. ne-mur; nimur "alkali, potash; coal; ashes; charcoal" (< ne ‘brazier’ + mur ‘to get dressed’)
3. BARK
su [FLESH] (495x: ED IIIa, ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian) wr. su "flesh; body; entrails (omen); body",
ĝešbargana [BARK] wr. ĝeš-bar-kin2 "the inner bark of the ĝešgana-tree" Akkadian sihpu
4. BELLY
šag [HEART] (10808x: ED IIIa, ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian, uncertain, unknown) wr. šag4; ša; ša3-ab "inner body; heart; in, inside",
hašbar [BELLY] wr. haš2-bar "belly; womb" (haš2 “lower body; thigh” + bar “outside”)
5. BIG
gal [BIG] (6612x: ED IIIa, ED IIIb, Ebla, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian, unknown) wr. gal; gu-la; gu-ul; gal-gal; ku-ul "(to be) big, great; (to be) retired, former; (to be) mature (of male animals)" Akk. rabû,
mah [GREAT] (3271x: ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian, unknown) wr. mah; mah2 "(to be) great" (see Dolgopolsky, No. 1387: *mEkʕæ (or *mEʕkæ) 'big')
6. BIRD
mušen [BIRD] (454x: ED IIIa, ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Old Babylonian, Middle Babylonian, unknown) wr. mušen; mu-ti-in; mu-tin "bird" (< muš-an(-na) ‘serpent of the heaven’?)
7. TO BITE
zu kud [BITE] (11x: Old Babylonian) wr. zu2 kud "to bite" (‘tooth – to cut’),
zu du [BITE] wr. zu2 du3 "to bite" Akk. gaşāşu (“tooth – to erect”),
zu rah [BITE] (9x: Old Babylonian) wr. zu2 ra "to bite" (“tooth – to beat”),
zu sud [BITE] wr. zu2 sud2 "to bit («tooth – to grind»)
8. BLACK
giggi [BLACK] (941x: ED IIIa, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian, 1st millennium) wr. giggi; gi6-gi6 "(to be) black" (‘dark-dark’)
9. BLOOD
mud [BLOOD] (14x: Old Babylonian) wr. mud; mud2 "blood" Akk. dāmu,
umun [BLOOD] (14x: Old Babylonian) wr. u3-mun; u3-mu-un; umun "blood" Akk. dāmu,
urin [BLOOD] (5x: Old Babylonian) wr. urin; u3-ri2-in "blood" Akk. damu,
uš [BLOOD] (50x: Old Babylonian) wr. uš2 "blood, gore" Akk. dāmu
10. BONE
ĝiripadra [BONE] (28x: Old Babylonian) wr. ĝiri3-pad-ra2 "bone" (‘foot’ + ‘to break’)
11. BREAST
gaba [CHEST] (821x: ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian, Middle Babylonian, 1st millennium, unknown) wr. gaba "breast, chest; frontier" (ga “milk” + ba “to allot”),
ubur [BREAST] (42x: ED IIIb, Old Babylonian) wr. ubur; ubur2; u3-bur; u2-bi-ur "female breast", see Dolgopolsky, No. 107: *ʕ[æ]bU 'female breast, bosom'
12. TO BURN
bil [BURN] (50x: Ur III, Old Babylonian) wr. bil2; bil3; bil "to burn" (see Dolgopolsky, No. 195: *bilV 'be warm, burn; warm'),
bar [BURN] (20x: Ur III, Old Babylonian) wr. bar7 "to burn; to fire (pottery)" (Dolgopolsky, 207: *bEĺV 'boil, cook')
13. CLAW
umbin [NAIL] (45x: Old Babylonian) wr. umbin "(finger/toe-)nail; claw; hoof; finger, toe",
gag/kak [NAIL] (304x: ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Ur III, Old Babylonian) wr. ĝešgag; gag; urudgag "arrowhead; peg, nail" (see Dolgopolsky, No. 1019: *qaqU (or *qoqU?) 'hook', 'tooth, fang')
14. CLOUD
dungu [CLOUD] (24x: Old Babylonian) wr. dungu "cloud" Akk. erpetu,
tilhar [CLOUD] wr. tilhar "cloud",
zela [CLOUD] (1x: Ur III) wr. ze2-la "cloud",
muru [RAINSTORM] (21x: Old Babylonian) wr. muru9; muru3 "rainstorm; mist; drizzle" (see Dolgopolsky, No. 1461: *moRE (= *moRi?) 'body of water'))
15. COLD
eš [COLD] wr. eš13 "(to be) cold",
sed [COLD] (89x: Old Babylonian) wr. sed4; sed; sed6; še12; še18; še11; še15; še5; šed5 "(to be) cold; to cool; winter";
šeg [FROST] (11x: ED IIIb, Lagash II, Ur III, Old Babylonian) wr. šeg9; šeg4 "snow; sleet; cold weather; frost, ice; burning, incineration; chills, shivers" (Dolgopolsky, No. 392: *čaĺUgV 'snow' or 'hoarfrost'; 2161: *šünigo (or *süŋo?) 'snow'),
halba [FROST] (5x: Old Babylonian) wr. halba2; halba6; halba; halpi "frost, ice, cold weather; (to be) cold" (No. 2582: *XaLbV (= *XalbV?) 'white')
16. TO COME
kur [ENTER] (2366x: ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian, Middle Babylonian) wr. kur9; kurx(DU); kurx(LIL) "to enter",
teĝ [APPROACH] (454x: ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian) wr. teĝ3; teĝ4 "(to be) near to; to approach" Akk. ţehû (< ṭehû “to approach”),
gana [COME ON!] (25x: ED IIIb, Ur III, Old Babylonian) wr. ga-na; gana “come on!" Akk. gana
17. TO DIE
uš [DIE] (3556x: ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian) wr. uš2 "blood; to die; to be dead; to kill; death",
ug [DIE] (259x: ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Ur III, Old Babylonian) wr. ug7; ug5; ugx(|BAD.BAD|) "plural and imperfect singular stem of uš[to die]"
18. DOG
ur [DOG] (485x: ED IIIa, ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian, 1st millennium) wr. ur; ĝešur "dog; ~ figurine; ~ toy; lion" Akk. kalbu; labbu (see also SED 2, 60, No. 41: *‘ rVrw/y- 'kind of wild cat')
19. TO DRINK
naĝ [DRINK] (400x: ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian, unknown) wr. naĝ "to drink"
20. DRY
abal [DRY] (38x: ED IIIb, Ur III, Old Babylonian) wr. a-ba-al "to be dry" (< Akk. abālu)
ah [DRY] (506x: ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian, unknown) wr. ah3 "(to be) dried (out), dry; to dry"
21. EAR
ĝeštug [EAR] (269x: ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Old Babylonian) wr. ĝeštug2; ĝešĝeštug; ĝeštug; ĝeštug3; muštug2; mu-uš-tug2; mu-uš-tug "reason, plan; (to be) wise; wisdom, understanding; ear",
ĝizzal [EAR] (50x: Old Babylonian) wr. ĝizzal; gizzal2 "wisdom; understanding; ear; hearing" Akk. hasīsu; uznu; uznu; nešmû
22. EARTH
ki [PLACE] (32379x: ED IIIa, ED IIIb, Ebla, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian, 1st millennium, unknown) wr. ki "place; ground, earth, land; toward; underworld; land, country; lower, down below",
sahar [DUST] (982x: ED IIIa, ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian) wr. sahar "earth, soil; dust" (Dolgopolsky, No. 2125: *śihaŕu 'dirt, earth':),
uraš [EARTH] (10x: Old Babylonian) wr. uraš "earth; crooked furrow" < Akkadian erşetu?,
kindu [EARTH] (19x: Old Babylonian) wr. ki-in-du "earth",
ganzer [EARTH] (3x: Old Babylonian) wr. ganzer; ganzer3 "earth, land; underworld, door to the underworld"
23. TO EAT
gu [EAT] (1672x: ED IIIa, ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian, unknown) wr. gu7 "to eat, consume" gu7 (Dolgopolsky, 975: *käywV 'to chew'),
zu gub [EAT] (11x: ED IIIb, Old Babylonian) wr. zu2 gub "to eat" (zu[tooth] + gub[stand])
24. EGG
nunuz [EGG] (130x: ED IIIa, ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Ur III, Old Babylonian) wr. nunuz; na4nunuz "ovoid bead; egg"
25. EYE
igi [EYE] (1133x: ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian, unknown) wr. igi; i-bi2; i-gi "eye; carved eye (for statues)" (Dolgopolsky, 124: *ʕuqa 'see', 'eye', cf. Proto-Sino-Tibetan mjVk ‘eye’ (TB))
26. FAR
sud(r) [DISTANT] (488x: ED IIIa, ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Old Babylonian) wr. sud; su3-ud "(to be) distant; (to be) remote, long-lasting; (to be) profound"
27. FAT
i [OIL] (8654x: ED IIIa, ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian, unknown) wr. i3; ia2; u5; u2 "oil; butter; container for oil" (Dolgopolsky, 118: *ʕæ[ya]gV 'fat'),
lib [FAT] (10x: ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Ur III) wr. libx(|NI.LU|) "sheep fat"
28. FEATHER
-----
29. FIRE
izi [FIRE] (257x: ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Old Babylonian, unknown) wr. izi; izi2 "fire; brazier" (Dolgopolsky, 86: *’üsV 'fire')
30. FISH
kud [FISH] (2760x: ED IIIa, ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian, unknown) wr. ku6 "fish"
31. FLY
dal [FLY] (59x: Ur III, Old Babylonian) wr. dal; dalx(HU) "to fly" (Dolgopolsky, 529: *deL[V]PV 'to flap, to wave', 'to fly' (“ 'to flap wings'?)),
baraš [FLY] (1x: Ur III) wr. ab-ra-aš; ba-ra-aš; bar-ra-aš; ib2-ra-aš "to fly" (= naprušu) (Dolgopolsky, 1758: *parV 'to fly, to jump')
32. FOOT
ĝiri [FOOT] (10822x: Lagash II, Ur III) wr. ĝiri3; me-ri; ĝiri16 "via, by means of, under the authority of someone; foot; path"
33. FULL
si [FILL] (401x: ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Old Babylonian) wr. si "to draw water; to brew beer; to fill, load up",
šudu [EQUIPPED] (53x: ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Ur III, Old Babylonian) wr. šu-du7; šita4 "fully equipped, in full working order"
34. TO GIVE
šum [GIVE] (1656x: ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian) wr. šum2; ze2-eĝ3 "to give",
ba [ALLOT] (839x: ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian, unknown) wr. ba "to divide into shares, share, halve; to allot",
sag rig [BESTOW] (131x: Old Babylonian) wr. sag rig7 "to bestow" (< šarāku)
35. GO
du [GO] (5868x: ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian) wr. du "imperfect singular stem of ĝen[to go]",
ĝen [GO] (2789x: ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian, unknown) wr. ĝen; ma "to go; to flow"
36. GOOD
dug [GOOD] (1613x: ED IIIa, ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian, unknown) wr. dug3; ze2-eb; du-uq "(to be) good; (to be) sweet; goodness, good (thing)" (Dolgopolsky, 503: *d[ü]ga 'suitable, fit, good'),
sag [GOOD] (2955x: ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian) wr. sag8; sag9; sag10; šeg10; sag12 "(to be) good, sweet, beautiful; goodness, good (thing)",
mu [GOOD] (135x: ED IIIb, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian) wr. mu5 "good, beautiful",
zil [GOOD] (23x: Old Babylonian) wr. zil2 "(to be) good; (to be) benificent"
37. GREEN
sissi [GREEN] (160x: Ur III, Old Babylonian) wr. si12-si12; sissix(GI) "(to be) green-yellow, pale",
nisig [GREENERY] (26x: Old Babylonian) wr. nisig "greenery, vegetable(s)" (< nig2-sig7?)
38. HAIR
dilib [HAIR] (3x: Old Babylonian) wr. dilib; dilib3; dilib2; dilib4; dilib5; dilib6 "hair",
munsub [HAIR] (5x: ED IIIb, Old Babylonian) wr. munsub; munsub2; munsubx(|KA×SUHUR|); sumunsub; sumunsub2; u2-šu-p? "hair; barber"
39. HAND
šu [HAND] (2785x: ED IIIa, ED IIIb, Ebla, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian, 1st millennium, unknown) wr. šu; sum5; šu-x "hand",
a [ARM] (6115x: ED IIIa, ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian) wr. a2 "arm; labor; wing; horn; side; strength; wage; power",
zag [SIDE] (902x: ED IIIa, ED IIIb, Ebla, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian, unknown) wr. zag "arm; shoulder; side; border, boundary, district; limit; right side, the right"
40. HEAD
saĝ [HEAD] (3582x: ED IIIa, ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian, unknown) wr. saĝ "head; person; capital"
41. HEAR
ĝeš tuku [LISTEN] (77x: ED IIIb, Old Babylonian) wr. ĝeš tuku "to listen, to hear" (“tree + to possess”; perhaps, haplology of ĝeštu2…tuku “ear + to possess”)
42. HEART
šag [HEART] (10808x: ED IIIa, ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian, uncertain, unknown) wr. šag4; ša; ša3-ab "inner body; heart; in, inside" (Dolgopolsky, 2176: *šawV '(in the) middle'; cf. Proto-Sino-Tibetan *siǝm (TB)),
lib [HEART] (3x: ED IIIa) wr. lib "inner body; heart" (Dolgopolsky, 1257: *LibV 'heart' ([in descendant lgs.] ‘ 'life', 'middle')),
lipiš [INNARDS] (40x: ED IIIb, Old Babylonian) wr. lipiš; lipišx(|AB2.ŠA3|) "inner body; heart; anger, rage" (< libbu)
43. HEAVY
dugud [HEAVY] (124x: ED IIIa, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Old Babylonian, Middle Babylonian) wr. dugud "(to be) heavy; (to be) important",
dilmun [IMPORTANT] (11x: ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Ur III, Old Babylonian) wr. dilmun "(to be) made manifest; (to be) heavy; (to be) important; ritually unclean, impure person; instruction" Akk. kabtu; musukku; têrtu; šûpû,
aratta [IMPORTANT] (5x: Old Akkadian, Ur III, Old Babylonian) wr. aratta "heavy; important; praise, glory" Akk. kabtu; tanattu,
idim [HEAVY] (12x: Old Babylonian) wr. idim "(to be) heavy; (to be) important" Akk. kabtu
Dilmun (i.e. Bahrain) and Aratta are two places of the world origin. The first meaning of idim is nagbu ‘underground spring’. Also Dilmun, according to ‘Enki and Ninhursag’, is the place of the eight prohibited plants formed from the semen of Enki after his intercourse with his grand-daughter (Emelianov, 2013, 106-113). Thus, from all words only dugud means ‘heavy’ in physical sense, but three other words connected ‘heavy’ with ‘important’ and associated importance with two places of origin and first taboos.
44. HORN
si [HORN] (262x: ED IIIa, ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian, Middle Babylonian, unknown) wr. si "horn; finger; fret"
45. I
ĝae [I] (609x: ED IIIb, Ur III, Old Babylonian) wr. ĝa2-e; ĝe26 "I" (= Proto-Sino-Tibetan *ŋā- (TB))
46. TO KILL
saĝ ĝeš ra [KILL] wr. saĝ ĝeš ra "to kill" (< saĝ ‘head’ + ĝeš-ra ‘to thresh’),
gaz [KILL] (402x: ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian, unknown) wr. gaz; gaz2; kaz8 "to kill, slaughter; to grind, grate; to beat; to thresh (grain); to execute, impose a death sentence; to break" (< Akkadian g/kaṣāṣu),
47. KNEE
dub [KNEE] (55x: ED IIIb, Old Babylonian) wr. dub3; ze2-eb "knee"
48. KNOW
zu [KNOW] (964x: ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Ur III, Old Babylonian) wr. zu "to know; to learn"
49. LEAF
pa [BRANCH] (293x: ED IIIa, ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Ur III, Old Babylonian, unknown) wr. pa; pa9 "wing; branch, frond"
50. LIE
nud [LIE] (419x: ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Old Babylonian) wr. nud; nux(|HU.NA2|) "to lie down (of people); to lay down; to be ill" (Dolgopolsky, 1650: *ŋuhy[a] 'to rest, to lie, to repose' (‘ 'to sleep'))
51. LIVER
ur [LIVER] (39x: Old Babylonian) wr. ur5 "liver; main body, bulk" (Dolgopolsky, 74: *’iR[É’]û 'entrails')
52. LONG
gid [LONG] (2252x: ED IIIa, ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian, unknown) wr. gid2 "(to be) long; to tighten; to survey, measure out a field" (long in space),
sud [DISTANT] (488x: ED IIIa, ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Old Babylonian) wr. sud; su3-ud "(to be) distant; (to be) remote, long-lasting; (to be) profound" (long in time)
53. LOUSE
eh [INSECT] (21x: ED IIIa, Old Babylonian, 1st millennium) wr. eh "insect(s), bug(s); moth; head-louse; to have lice"
54. MAN
lu [PERSON] (12429x: ED IIIa, ED IIIb, Ebla, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian, uncertain, unknown) wr. lu2; mu-lu; mu-lu2; lu10; lu6 "who(m), which; man; (s)he who, that which; of; ruler; person",
ili [MAN] (3x: Old Akkadian, Old Babylonian) wr. i3-li2 "man",
na [MAN] (9x: Old Babylonian) wr. na "man"
55. MANY
šar [3600] (245x: ED IIIa, Ur III, Old Babylonian) wr. šar2; šar; šar2-šar2 "totality, world; (to be) numerous; 3600",
i'iz [NUMEROUS] wr. i-iz "(to be) numerous"
56. MEAT
uzu [FLESH] (274x: ED IIIa, Old Akkadian, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian, unknown) wr. uzu; uzu(LAK350) "flesh; body; entrails; omen" (Dolgopolsky, 44: *’omśa ‘flesh, meat’),
su [FLESH] (495x: ED IIIa, ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian) wr. su "flesh; body; entrails (omen); body" (Dolgopolsky, 466: ĉûw’V ‘meat’),
adkin [MEAT] (25x: ED IIIa) wr. adkin "preserved meat”,
mudulum [MEAT] (44x: Ur III, Early Old Babylonian) wr. mu-du-lum; mu-du-li-a "preserved meat" (< muddulu),
KA'izi [BURNING] wr. KA-izi "burning; roasted meat" (‘mouth’ + ‘fire’) Akk. hamāţu; šumû
malaku [~MEAT] wr. ma-la-ku "a cut of meat" (< mālaku)
57. MOON
itud [MOON] (36175x: Lagash II, Ur III) wr. itud; itudx(|UD.AN.ŠEŠ.KI|); i3-ti; iti7; i-ti; itudx(|UD@s|); itudx(|UD×BAD|) "month; moon" (i3 ‘oil’ + tud ‘to give birth’?),
usakar [MOON] (381x: ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Ur III, Old Babylonian) wr. u4-sakar "crescent moon; moon; crescent-shaped object; semi-circular line; half wheel" (sakar < Semitic šahr “месяц”; Dolgopolsky, No. 2114: *[ś]EXaRV 'bright; daybreak')
58. MOUNTAIN
kur [MOUNTAIN] (2494x: ED IIIa, ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian, 1st millennium, unknown) wr. kur; kir5 "underworld; land, country; mountain(s); east; easterner; east wind" (Dolgopolsky, 929: *kur[Vh]V 'hill, mountain'),
hursaĝ [MOUNTAIN] (598x: ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Old Babylonian) wr. hur-saĝ; PA.DUN3 "mountain, foothills; steppe" (‘top + head’) [< ur3-sang (Dolgopolsky, 82: *’üŕV or *’uŕ É 'top')?],
satu [MOUNTAIN] (3x: Old Akkadian, Old Babylonian) wr. sa-tu "mountain" (< šadû)
59. MOUTH
kag [MOUTH] (1329x: ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian, unknown) wr. ka "mouth",
pu [MOUTH] (21x: ED IIIb, Old Akkadian) wr. pu3 "mouth" (< pû)
60. NAME
mu [NAME] (2994x: ED IIIa, ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian, unknown) wr. mu "name; line of text; son"
61. NEAR
teĝ [APPROACH] (454x: ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian) wr. teĝ3; teĝ4 "(to be) near to; to approach"; tehi [APPROACH] (6x: Old Babylonian) wr. tehi2; tehi "to approach" (< ṭehû ‘to approach; to be near to’)
62. NECK
gu [NECK] (753x: ED IIIa, ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Old Babylonian, unknown) wr. gu2 "bank, side; neck" (Dolgopolsky, 649: *guŋ[q]É *güŋ[q]V 'nape' (‘ 'neck'), 'rear part of the head'),
meli [NECK] wr. mel3; melix(|KA×GAR+ŠA3+A|); meli2; melix(|KA×U2|) "neck" (< nemlû?)
63. NEW
gibil [NEW] (671x: ED IIIb, Ebla, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian, unknown) wr. gibil; gibil4 "(to be) new" (< gi ‘reed’ + bil “to burn’)
64. NIGHT
ĝi [NIGHT] (835x: ED IIIa, ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian, unknown) wr. ĝi6 "night"
65. NOSE
kiri [NOSE] (72x: Old Babylonian) wr. kiri3 "nose"
66. not
nu [NOT] (785x: ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian, unknown) wr. nu "(to be) not, no; without, un-" (Dolgopolsky, 1524: *ǹi > *ne ‘not’)
67. ONE
aš [ONE] (191x: ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Ur III, Old Babylonian) wr. aš "one",
diš [ONE] (5x: Old Akkadian, Ur III) wr. diš; de-eš-šu2; di-id; di-t- "one",
ešda [ONE] wr. eš3-da "one (< ištēn)
68. PERSON
ni [SELF] (370x: ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Ur III, Old Babylonian) wr. ni2 "self"
69. RAIN
šeĝ [RAIN] (70x: Ur III, Old Babylonian) wr. šeĝ3; šeĝx(|IM.A.A|); šeĝx(|IM.A.AN|) "to (fall as) dew; to rain; rain" (Dolgopolsky, 2140: *süwħâ 'moisture, water, rain'),
im [RAIN] (48x: Lagash II, Old Babylonian) wr. im; me-er "rain, rain storm”
muru [RAINSTORM] (21x: Old Babylonian) wr. muru9; muru3 "rainstorm; mist; drizzle"
70. RED
dara [RED] (43x: ED IIIa, ED IIIb, Ur III, Old Babylonian) wr. dara4 "(to be) red; (to be) brown; blood",
su [RED] (184x: ED IIIa, ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian, unknown) wr. su4; sa5; šu4 "(to be) red, brown",
hibiz [RED] wr. hibiz "red",
huš [REDDISH] (435x: ED IIIb, Lagash II, Ur III, Old Babylonian) wr. huš; huš2 "furious, angry; (to be) reddish, ruddy" (= ruššû “to be red”) (Dolgopolsky, 1964: *račV 'dirt’))
71. ROAD
harran [ROUTE] (72x: Ur III, Old Babylonian) wr. har-ra-an "route, passage; path" (= harrānu),
kaskal [WAY] (705x: ED IIIb, Ebla, Old Akkadian, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian) wr. kaskal "way, road; journey, caravan" (< kas4 “road for running” + gal “big”?),
kiĝiri [ROAD] (16x: Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian) wr. ka-giri3; ki-giri3 "road, path"
72. ROOT
ur [ROOT] (441x: ED IIIa, ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian) wr. ur2; ur5 "root, base; limbs; loin, lap",
arina [ROOT] (42x: Ur III, Early Old Babylonian) wr. e-ri2-na; i3-ri2-na; erina8; ĝešarina; a-i3-ri2-na; ĝešarinax(|UR2×A|)na; a-ri2-na; a-ri8-na; e-ri8-na; i-ri8-na; ĝešarinax(|I.LU2@s.NA|); ĝešarinax(|LU2@s.NA|) "a root"
73. ROUND
niĝin [ENCIRCLE] (214x: ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Old Babylonian) wr. niĝin2; niĝin "to prowl, roam; to enclose, confine; to encircle; to search; to turn; to return; to go around; to tarry" (< niĝ2 “thing” + gin “true” < акк. kên)
šar [3600] (245x: ED IIIa, Ur III, Old Babylonian) wr. šar2; šar; šar2-šar2 "totality, world; (to be) numerous; 3600"
74. SAND
sahar [DUST] (982x: ED IIIa, ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian) wr. sahar "earth, soil; dust" (< Semitic sahrā’u) (Dolgopolsky, 2125: *śihaŕu 'dirt, earth')
75. SALT
mun [SALT] (427x: ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Ur III, Old Babylonian, unknown) wr. mun; mun4; munu3 "(to be) brackish; salt",
dinig [SALT] wr. di-ni-ig "salt; potash"
76. SAY
dug [SPEAK] (3878x: ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian, uncertain) wr. dug4 "to speak, talk, say; to order; to do, perform; to negotiate", di [SPEAK] (59x: ED IIIa, ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian, unknown) wr. di "non-finite imperfect stem of dug[to speak]" (Dolgopolsky, 2288:*teqæ’U 'say, talk to ' > IE *d[h]eh- 'say' > NaIE *d[h]ē- ‘say'),
e [SPEAK] (399x: ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Old Babylonian, unknown) wr. e; na-be2-a; be2; ne; da-me; na-be2; e7 "perfect plural and imperfect stem of dug[to speak]" (Dolgopolsky, 99: *’[a]yV 'say, speak, call’),
gu de [SAY] (306x: ED IIIb, Lagash II, Ur III, Old Babylonian) wr. gu3 de2 "to say (addressing someone); to call; to read out" (gu3 “throat” + de2 “to pour”, “to call”)
77. TO SEE
igi bar [LOOK AT] (1x: Lagash II) wr. igi bar "to look at" (“eye + to open”),
igi ĝal [LOOK AT] (78x: Lagash II, Old Babylonian) wr. igi gal2 "to look at" (“eye + to have”),
igi duh [SEE] (4x: Old Babylonian) wr. igi duh "to see" (“eye + to loose”)
78. SEED
numun [SEED] (1219x: ED IIIa, ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian) wr. numun "seed"
79. SHORT
lugud [SHORT] (115x: ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Old Babylonian) wr. lugud2; lugud3 "(to be) short; (to be) tight; (to be) short of breath"
80. SIT
dur [SIT] (32x: ED IIIb, Ur III, Old Babylonian) wr. dur2 "imperfect singular stem of tuš[to sit (down)]",
tuš [SIT] (836x: ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian) wr. tuš "to sit (down); to dwell"
81. SKIN
kuš [SKIN] (3818x: ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian) wr. kuš "skin; leather; body; person" (Dolgopolsky, 848: *k[ä]ṩU ‘skin’),
su [FLESH] (495x: ED IIIa, ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian) wr. su "flesh; body; entrails (omen); body"
82. TO SLEEP
u ku [SLEEP] (47x: Old Babylonian) wr. u3 ku; u3 ku4 "to sleep",
udi [DAZED] wr. u3-di "(to be) dazed; sleep" (Dolgopolsky, 758: *huodV’V 'be motionless, sleep')
83. SMOKE
ibi [SMOKE] (18x: Old Akkadian, Old Babylonian, unknown) wr. i-bi2; i3-bi2; ibbi; ibbix(NE) "smoke" (“oil” + “to burn”)
84. SNAKE
muš [SNAKE] (192x: ED IIIa, ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Ur III, Old Babylonian, Middle Babylonian) wr. muš "snake" (Dolgopolsky, 1489a?: *mAHVSV 'snake')
85. TO STAND
gub [STAND] (5043x: ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian) wr. gub "to stand; (to be) assigned (to a task)",
sug [STAND] (21x: ED IIIb, Old Babylonian) wr. sug2 "plural stem of gub[to stand]"
86. STAR
mul [SHINE] (129x: ED IIIb, Lagash II, Ur III, Old Babylonian) wr. mul; mul2; mul4 "star; to shine, radiate (light); arrow; to radiate (branches)"
87. STONE
na [STONE] (527x: ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian) wr. na4; na; na4na "stone; stone weight"
88. SUN
ud [SUN] (29106x: Lagash II, Ur III, Old Babylonian) wr. ud "day; heat; a fever; summer; sun" (< u4 “day” + tu(d) “to give birth”?)
89. SWIM
------
90. TAIL
kun [TAIL] (225x: ED IIIa, ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Ur III, Old Babylonian, 1st millennium) wr. kun
91. THAT
ur [HE] (190x: Lagash II, Old Babylonian, unknown) wr. ur5; ur "he; that, this same; maid, female slave; one; corresponding (to one another); like (one another)"
re [THAT] (130x: Ur III, Old Babylonian) wr. re "that",
še [THAT] (5x: Old Babylonian) wr. še "that" (probably, from šū)
92. THIN
sal [THIN] (186x: ED IIIa, ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian, unknown) wr. sal "(to be) thin, fine; to spread"
93. THIS
nen [THIS] (101x: ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Old Babylonian) wr. ne; ne-en; ne-e "this"
94. TONGUE
eme [TONGUE] (178x: ED IIIa, ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian) wr. eme "tongue; language" (possible connection with Berber * im(m)i “tongue”, see Stolbova, 2002, 273)
95. TOOTH
zu [TOOTH] (176x: ED IIIa, ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian, unknown) wr. zu2 "tooth",
gug [TOOTH] (45x: ED IIIb, Ur III, Old Babylonian) wr. gug; gug6 "tooth; blade; beak; dogbite"
96. TREE
ĝeš [TREE] (5552x: ED IIIa, ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian, unknown) wr. ĝeš; mu; u5 "tree; wood; a description of animals"
97. TWO
min [TWO] (959x: ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian) wr. min; min3; min6 "two; ditto"
98. TO WALK
ri [IMPOSE] (475x: ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian) wr. RI; ru "to lay down, cast, place; to set in place, imbue; to lean on; to impose; to throw down; to release, let go; to walk along; to pour out; to lead away"
99. WARM
kum [HOT] (78x: ED IIIb, Ur III, Old Babylonian, unknown) wr. kum2; kum4 "(to be) hot"
100. WATER
a [WATER] (2329x: ED IIIa, ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian, 1st millennium, unknown) wr. a "water; semen; progeny"
101. WE
menden [WE] (49x: Old Babylonian, unknown) wr. me-en-de3-en "we"
102. WHAT?
ana [WHAT?] (566x: ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Ur III, Old Babylonian) wr. a-na; ta; ta-a "what?; as much as (math.)"
103. WHITE
babbar [WHITE] (1109x: ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian) wr. babbar2; babbar "(to be) white" (bar6 “сиять” + bar6) (Dolgopolsky, 235: *bArh[ê] 'to shine')
104. WHO?
aba [WHO?] (326x: ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Old Babylonian, unknown) wr. a-ba "who?"
105. WIND
im [RAIN] (48x: Lagash II, Old Babylonian) wr. im; me-er "rain, rain storm" Akk. zunnu; šāru ‘wind’
106. WOMAN
munus [WOMAN] (3079x: ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian, 1st millennium) wr. munus; nu-nus "woman; female"
107. WORM
mar [PARASITE] (8x: ED IIIa, ED IIIb, Ur III) wr. mar "louse; worm; parasite"
108. YEAR
mu [YEAR] (43667x: ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian, Middle Babylonian, uncertain, unknown) wr. mu "year",
109. YELLOW
sissi [GREEN] (160x: Ur III, Old Babylonian) wr. si12-si12; sissix(GI) "(to be) green-yellow, pale"
110. YOU
zae [YOU] (468x: Ur III, Old Babylonian, unknown) wr. za-e; ze2 "you"
SUMMARY OF THE LIST
Unknown words – 2 (‘feather’, ‘to swim’)
Sumerian words - 52
Akkadian Loanwords – 16
Nostratic and Afrasian roots – 40
List of common Sumerian words for different English lexemes:
šar2 ‘all’, ‘many’, ‘round’
ša3 ‘heart’, ‘belly’
gi6 ‘black’, ‘night’
su ‘flesh’, ‘meat’, ‘skin’
uš2 ‘blood’, ‘to die’
muru ‘cloud’, ‘rain’
teŋ ‘near’, ‘to approach’
sud(r) ‘far’, ‘long’
sissi ‘green’, ‘yellow’
im ‘rain’, ‘wind’
Homonyms:
mu ‘year’, mu ‘name’
In the Sumerian language, the words of the basic vocabulary are predominantly monosyllabic. Disyllabic and polysyllabic words originated from a combination of the Sumerian name and the verb / name and adjective, or represent borrowings.
As a result of the search of corresponding lexemes in databases of other languages and macro-families, it was possible to find only three similar words in Sino-Tibetan languages (‘eye’, ‘heart’ and ‘I’).