Re: Origin of the Sumerian language

On Tue, 17 Jun 2003 21:42:27 +0000, Gerry <waluk@...> wrote:

>??? Is it not a language or does it not have an alphabet.
>
>Please explain this:
>
>>>Bruce Lee rejected Christianity to embrace Zen Buddhism and Taoism.

I'm afraid Bruce Lee, Christianity, Zen Buddhism and Taoism are beyond my
sphere of competence...

>It is generally supposed that the teachings of Jesus Christ derive
>from Judaism. Judaism was engendered by promises made to Abraham by a
>god. Biblical tradition indicates that the god of Abraham promised
>kings and nations would come out of Abraham, and that the land
>between the Nile and the Euphrates would be given to him and his
>progeny. Revered writings of Judaism record that Abraham came from
>the city of Ur in Sumer. The people of Sumer produced the first
>written language. Sumerian literature influenced Akkadian, Hittite,
>Canaanite, and biblical literature. Under Sargon, the first Semitic
>empire builder (reigned circa 2334 BC - 2279 BC), the Akkadian
>language became adapted to the Sumerian `alphabet'.

Note `alphabet' in quotation marks. The writer of this piece was
apparently aware of the fact that something is very wrong with that, but
didn't take the trouble to search for a more appropriate term. Shame on
him (her).

>This clearly states that the people of Sumer produced the first
>written Language. What are you trying to say?

The Sumerians were, as far as we know, the first people to device a writing
system for their language. It was emphatically *not* an alphabet.
Sumerian writing is logographic, as is well known.


=======================
Miguel Carrasquer Vidal
mcv@...