Etymological Dictionary of the Sumerian Language, Part 3: Linguistic Analysis, Addenda and Corrigenda

by Simo Parpola

Part 1 of this dictionary presented Uralic etymologies for 3030 Sumerian words and morphemes corresponding to about two-thirds of the basic vocabulary of Sumerian included in the electronic version of the Pennsylvania Sumerian Dictionary (ePSD). The present volume provides a thorough linguistic analysis of the Sumerian and Uralic data found in Part 1, with particular attention to lexical isoglosses, distinctive features, sound correspondences and word derivation. The phonological analysis of the data and the paralinguistic evidence discussed in the introduction confirm that Sumerian belonged to the Ugric branch of Uralic and is most closely related to Khanty (Ostyak). This ought to put an end to the myth that Sumerian is a language isolate and should encourage Sumerologists and Uralists to take the Uralic affinity of Sumerian seriously, to the mutual profit of their disciplines. The volume adds 135 new lexical entries to those already presented in Part 1 and substantiates the etymologies proposed there by 3402 new Uralic parallels. A list of errara in Part 1 and an Appendix by Peter Revesz presenting an algorithm devised to test the feasibility of the Sumerian-Ugric comparisons and suggesting machine-generated Proto-Ugric reconstructions for 200 Sumerian-Ugric word pairs conclude the volume.

464 pages, Hardcover

Published February 9, 2022

About the author

Simo Parpola is a Finnish archaeologist, currently professor of Assyriology at the University of Helsinki. He specialized in epigraphy of the Akkadian language, and has been working on the Neo-Assyrian Text Corpus Project since 1987. He is also Honorary Member of the American Oriental Society.
Parpola re-interpreted various Assyrian tablets in the terms of these primitive Sephirot, such as the Epic of Gilgamesh, and concluded that the scribes had been writing philosophical-mystical tracts rather than mere adventure stories. Traces of this Assyrian mode of thought and philosophy eventually reappeared in Greek Philosophy and the Kabbalah.
Parpola is a strong advocate of Assyrianism, supporting the link between the modern Assyrians and their ancient ancestors. He argues for a direct link between the ancient Assyrians and those who call themselves and their Aramaic language Assyrian today. He is also the chairman of The Finland Assyria Association (Suomi-Assyria Yhdistys).