An Elementary Grammar with Full Syllabary and Progresssive Reading Book, of the Assyrian Language, in the Cuneiform Type

by A.H. Sayce

Archibald Henry Sayce (1845 1933) became interested in Middle Eastern languages and scripts while still a teenager. Old Persian and Akkadian cuneiform had recently been deciphered, and in the early 1870s the translation of part of the epic tale of Gilgamesh attracted considerable publicity. Based at Oxford, the young philologist Sayce published several books on Assyrian in quick succession. In the preface to this 1875 teaching grammar/reader, he notes that in just three years since the publication of his grammar for specialists (also reissued in this series), Assyrian had become a 'popular' subject, with students 'flocking in from all sides'. His book was written in response to the demand for beginners' books that were similar to those available for Greek or Hebrew. The texts that follow the syllabary and outline grammar are accompanied by transliterations and translations, with substantial accompanying notes on vocabulary, grammar points, and Hebrew cognates."

150 pages, Paperback

First published April 22, 2010

About the author

The Rev. Archibald Henry Sayce (A.H. Sayce) (25 September 1846 – 4 February 1933), was a pioneer British Assyriologist and linguist, who held a chair as Professor of Assyriology at the University of Oxford from 1891 to 1919.

Reviews

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably the cheapest way to acquire material and dive into the Akkadian language, is it hamstrung by its age and the older methodology/lack of explicit method.

Self learners without much experience in learning languages (especially ancient ones) will find it extremely challenging, considering the lack of method or general instruction. However, considering the size and cost, the amount of material as well as included exercises are pretty impressive.

Personally, I’ve paired this with a Grammar of Akkadian - it functions well as a quick reference for cuneiform characters as well as additional exercises on noun and verb paradigms.