Sumerian
/suːˈmɪəriən/
noun
Origin
Sumerian
ki-en-gi — land of the civilized kings
Overview
Meaning Now
- The extinct language spoken by the ancient Sumerians, considered a language isolate.
- A member of the ancient civilization of Sumer in southern Mesopotamia.
Language path
Sumerian → Akkadian → English
Earliest form
ki-en-gi
Earliest period
3rd millennium BCE
Journey
Sumerian is one of the oldest recorded languages in human history, known for being the first to employ the cuneiform writing system. It ceased to be a living spoken language around 2000 BCE, though it remained in use as a scholarly and religious language for millennia similar to the status of Latin in Europe.
Evolution
- c. 3000 BCE
ki-en-gi
“Land of Sumer”
Original self-designation
- c. 2000 BCE
šumerû
“Sumerian”
Akkadian adaptation of the earlier name
- 17th century
Sumerian
“Pertaining to Sumer”
English adoption via Latin and scholarly research
Connections
Word parts
Sumer
root
Region in ancient Mesopotamia
-ian
suffix
pertaining to
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Related to Sumerian
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.