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A new phonological difference between Babylonian and (Neo-)Assyrian

Published/Copyright: June 18, 2010
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Zeitschrift für Assyriologie und Vorderasiatische Archäologie
From the journal Volume 100 Issue 1

Babylonian and Neo-Assyrian differ over how (i. e. plene vs. non-plene) they spell contracted u before ventive/allative -nim (and its allomorphs) in III-weak verbal forms. This difference is demonstrated quantitatively, using large assemblages of sources. It emerges that the principles governing the distribution of plene spellings in Neo-Assyrian are not simply ‘watered down’ (i. e. orthographically economical) equivalents of the corresponding principles in Babylonian. This situation argues for a phonological difference or differences between Babylonian and Neo-Assyrian over and above those currently recognised. Several possibilities arise for the nature of the difference(s). There are signs that the difference(s) also apply to earlier periods of Assyrian.

Published Online: 2010-06-18
Published in Print: 2010-June

© Walter de Gruyter 2010

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Die marû-Basen der sumerischen Verben túm „hin-, wegführen“ und r̂e6/de6 „bringen, liefern“
  2. Enmerkar und Sulge als sumerische Muttersprachler nach literarischen Quellen
  3. Sumerian Literary Catalogues and the Scribal Curriculum
  4. The Expedition of Ebla against Ašdar(um) and the Queen of Ḫarran
  5. A new phonological difference between Babylonian and (Neo-)Assyrian
  6. Die Goldschale der Iabâ – eine levantinische Antiquität
  7. Buchbesprechungen
https://doi.org/10.1515/za.2010.005

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Die marû-Basen der sumerischen Verben túm „hin-, wegführen“ und r̂e6/de6 „bringen, liefern“
  2. Enmerkar und Sulge als sumerische Muttersprachler nach literarischen Quellen
  3. Sumerian Literary Catalogues and the Scribal Curriculum
  4. The Expedition of Ebla against Ašdar(um) and the Queen of Ḫarran
  5. A new phonological difference between Babylonian and (Neo-)Assyrian
  6. Die Goldschale der Iabâ – eine levantinische Antiquität
  7. Buchbesprechungen
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