1. Ur-Nammu (Volk no. 1)


transliteration                                    transcription
grammatical analysis


1.  ^dinanna                                           /inanna
{(n)in-an+a(k)

2.  nin-a-ni                                          ninani(r^?)
nin+ani+ra

3.  ur-^dnammu                                     urnammu
ur-nammu+a(k)

4.  nita-kala-ga                        nitakalaga                                nita-kalag+a

5.  lugal-uri[5]^ki-ma                                 lugalurima
lugal-urim+a(k)

6.  lugal-ki-en-gi-ki-uri-ke[4                        ]lugalkengikiurike
lugal-keĝi(ř)-uri+ak+e

7.  é-a-ni                                             e’ani
e’+ani+Ø

8.  mu-na-dù                                       munandu/
m+na+n+du-Ø}


In the transliteration syllabic signs are underscored, in the grammatical analysis grammatical
elements are underscored. The remaining elements are lexical elements, which appear in the
vocabulary (Volk 78ff.; ibid. 100ff. for names of deities, places, temples, and persons).


Translation: For Inanna, his mistress, Ur-Nammu, the strong man, the king of Urim (= Ur), the king
of Sumer and Akkad, has built her (Inanna’s) house (temple)


1. ^d for  ^diĝir , determinative for the names of deities.

Inanna(k) or better Inana(k) is a composite word spelled with one sign: {nin-an+a(k)} “mistress of
Heaven” (mistress-heaven+genitive).

2. {nin+ani}, substantive + possessive pronoun. Inanna and nin-a-ni (apposition) together form one
complex, at the end of which (in conformity with the majority of this type of inscriptions) one
expects the dative element {-ra}.

3. Ur-Nammu (2112-2095) is the name of the first king of the 3rd Dynasty of Ur (2112-2095); the
name consists of two lexical elements plus the genitive element: {ur-nammu+a(k)} > /ur-nammu(k)/),
in which {ur} means “dog, servant” and {nammu} is a goddess representing the primeval ocean. The
name of the king is followed by three appositions, “strong, man”, “king of Ur”, and “king of Sumer
and Akkad”; at the end of the complex the ergative element {–e} is suffixed, which gives the whole
complex its function in the sentence.

4. nita-kala-ga (better transliterated as nita-kalag-ga): “strong man”, kalag-ga (hook-on spelling)
is an adjective with the untranslatable ending {–a}.

5. lugal “king”, uri[5]^ki “(the city) Urim”, better known as Ur, {-a(k)} genitive element spelled
hook-on (better transliterated as lugal-urim[5]^ki-ma). The /–k/ of the genitive element is dropped
because no vowel is following. ^ki is the determinative for geographical names.

6. lugal “king”, ki-en-gi “Sumer”, ki-uri “Akkad”, {-a(k)} genitive element, {-e} ergative element.
In this case the /–k/ of the genitive is visible because a vocalic grammatical element follows. A
word for “and” (spelled ù) does exist, but is used only sporadically; normally two words are simply
juxtaposed (Sumer (and) Akkad).

7. é “house”, {-ani} “his/her”. Normally the /a/ of {-(a)ni} is absorbed by a preceding vowel
(é-a-ni for expected *é-ni). Possibly the word for house was not really {e} but {haj} of {ha’}.

8. mu-na-dù zie § 7.


2. Gudea (Volk no. 2)


Transliteration                                   Transcription                         Grammatical
Analysis


1.  ^ddumu-zi-abzu(ZU.AB)                  /dumuziabzû
{dumu-zi-abzu+a(k)

     nin-a-ni                                          ninani(r^?)
nin+ani+ra

     gù-dé-a                                          gudea
gu-de+a

     énsi(PA.TE.SI)-                             ensi-
ensi(g)-

 5.  lagaš(ŠIR.BUR.LA)^ki-ke[ 4] lagašake                                  lagaš+ak+e

      é-ĝír-su^ki-ka-ni                              eĝirsûkani
e-ĝirsu+ak+ani+Ø

      mu-na-dù                                      munandu/
m+na+n+du+Ø}


Vertaling: for Dumuziabzu, his mistress, Gudea, the city ruler of Lagaš, has built her temple in
(lit. of) Girsu


1. /Dumuziabzu(k)/ is a goddess whose names means “True ({zid}) child ({dumu}) of the Abzu”. The
Abzu is the subterranean abode of the water god Enki. The word {abzu} is spelled in the reverse
(zu-ab), perhaps for graphic reasons.

3. {gu-de+a}  is the name of a city ruler of Lagaš whose reign started  just before the beginnig of
the Ur III period. The name is a passive verbal form (with ending {-a}) consisting of two lexical
elements, {gu} “voice” and {de} “to pour out”, together “the called one” (lit. “the one over whom
the voice was poured out”)

4. The local rulers of Lagaš in this period were called {ensig}, which means as much as “main
tenant farmer (of the city/city god)”.