UCL - Languages in Cuneiform Writing I (Akkadian, Hittite)

[GLOR1612]

[30h] 6 credits

This two-yearly course is taught in 2011-2012, 2013-2014,...

Teacher(s): Jan Tavernier

Language: French

Level: First

Aims
Main themes
Content and teaching methods
Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Aims

Akkadian and Hittite belong to different language families but were both used in the Hittite Empire, one as the language of Diplomacy, the other as the administrative and national language. Both were used to describe the same political, cultural and religious phenomena and it was possible to have the same text written in the two languages. Both used the same cuneiform writing system. The aim of both courses (GLOR 1611 and GLOR 1612) is thus to introduce students to the cuneiform writing system and to give them the basic tools which will enable them to translate Akkadian and Hittite texts of basic and intermediate difficulty.

Main themes

The key aim of the course GLOR 1611, in combination with the course GLOR 1612, is to study Akkadian and Hittite through the cuneiform texts of the 14th and 13th centuries B.C. Extracts from the Code of Hammurabi will also be studied. Students will have the opportunity to compare the linguistic systems of Hittite (an Indo-European language) and Akkadian (a Semitic language) and will gain an understanding of the morphological and syntactic structures of the two languages. Students will also be expected to carry out some philological work individually.

Content and teaching methods

Akkadian and Hittite belong to different language families (Semitic and Indo-European respectively) but were both used in the Hittite Empire, one as the language of Diplomacy, the other as the administrative and national language. The key aim of this course is to study Akkadian and Hittite through the archive cuneiform texts from the 14th and 13th centuries B.C. found in Turkey and Syria.
For each language, students will be required to: learn cuneiform (the cuneiform notation is the same for both languages) ; study morphology, syntax and lexis ; read original texts.
The relative importance attributed to one or the other language in the course will vary according to the particular interests of the students.

Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Course entry requirements: none, but a knowledge of Latin is an asset.
Evaluation: continuous assessment. The oral examination at the end of the year involves reading and translating a test and providing grammatical justifications.
Course material: lecture notes will be provided; a course manual is recommended.