Notes on Archaic Writing
Aug 19, 2008 10:55:39 GMT -5
Post by us4-he2-gal2 on Aug 19, 2008 10:55:39 GMT -5
Inverted Syllable Order
"at this early time it made no difference in what order the syllables of a word were written, provided they were all put down."
At some point Sheshki had asked me about an example of an early text in which the syllables in a word seem inverted, I can't remember what the example was - Was is GAL + LU for Lugal Sheshki? I thought I'd remembered reading about this principal in some experts comment here or there, and that basically it amounted to the fact that, especially in early texts, words and word-order were just not that definitely set and defined.. Which is part of what makes them such a challenge to read.
Recently I have been reading of G. A Barton's PBS 9 2, which is a tablet from Lagash in the FARA type archaic script I believe. It is even in recent times considered a difficult text to read, and interpretations of the early "king" mentioned in it (Enhegal) vary widely. Interesting to us here are some of Bartons comments on the archaic text, which feature inverted syllable order in places:
Some of the lines might be translated in more than one way, but a discussion of the technical reasons for the renderings adopted is hardly necessary. A few general point of interest can be noted. The reader will observe that at this early time it made no difference in what order the syllables of a word written down, provided they were all put down. Mana, for example, is sometimes spelled MA-NA, and sometimes NA-MA. A similar freedom was exercised in the order of sentences. The phrase "of the royal standard of purity" is sometimes far removed from the grain to which it applies."
