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The National Library at the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH) has announced publishing an Akkadian-Arabic dictionary, in a bid to fill the gap of information in that department.
The dictionary, whose compiling was part of ADACH’s strategy to promote heritage and support cultural initiatives, is prepared by Dr. Ali Yassin Al Jubouri.
In its introduction, the dictionary addresses issues such as the history of writing Akkadian dictionaries, the language’s phonology, and the process of using of Latin script following the deciphering of cuneiform writing in the middle of the nineteenth century.
The Akkadian language derived from the name of the city "Akkad" the ancient capital of the dynasty founded by Sargon of Akkad (2250 - 2100 BC). Evidence suggests the city was placed on the Tigris River in the outskirts of Baghdad.
Modern-day dictionaries have benefited much from linguistic studies and information technology.
The Akkadian language is classified within the group of eastern Semite languages. It appeared in Mesopotamia in the middle of the third millennium BC, and spread to become, in the middle of the second millennium BC, the language of diplomatic and official correspondence in the ancient Near East.
The language has been influenced by the Sumerian language, which was spoken in addition to the Akkadian. Then Akkadian replaced Sumerian at the beginning of the second millennium BC. Following Akkadian, Aramaic became the language of the ancient Near East until Arabic replaced it with Muslim conquest.
Akkadian was written in cuneiform on clay tablets, despite the use of other materials like stone, metal and precious stones. The Akkadian language was divided into two major dialects: Babylonian and Assyrian. This remained the case until Aramaic became the official language, leaving Akkadian to be used only by priests in temples for religious matters.
The dictionary is part of a series of books of the National Library, published in commemoration of the centenary of the death of Sheikh Zayed the First, in a campaign to honor his memory, launched by ADACH in May 2009.
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