Most Probably: Epistemic Modality in Old Babylonian by Nathan Wasserman.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Wasserman, Nathan.

Series:

Languages of the ancient Near East ; 3.

Languages of the ancient Near East ; 3

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Akkadian language--Verb.

Akkadian language.

Akkadian language--Modality.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (260 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Winona Lake, Ind. : Eisenbrauns, 2012.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

The system that any language uses to express evaluations, judgments, estimations, and non-real situations tends to be complicated and poorly understood, and this has certainly been the case, historically, for Akkadian. In this study, Nathan Wasserman presents the fruit of 15 years of study of the epistemic modal system of Old Babylonian, which represents one of the better-known and best-documented periods of the Akkadian language.As Wasserman notes, the interplay of philology, linguistics, and psychology that are involved in understanding any modal system make coming to conclusions a difficult enterprise. And though many questions remain unanswered, in this clearly organized and presented monograph, he guides the reader through a study of each modal word/particle, its etymology, syntax, and usage, on the basis of an examination of most of the Old Babylonian examples published thus far. He thus arrives at a general view of epistemic modality in Old Babylonian.Wasserman’s monograph is a work that will add significantly to our understanding of Old Babylonian language and the interpretation of texts and will become the benchmark for further study of verbal modality in Akkadian and other Semitic languages.

Contents:

The Modal Particle pīqat in Old Babylonian

The Modal Particle midde

The Modal Particles wuddi and anna

The Modal Expression lū ittum

The Modal Particle tuša 6. The Modal Particle -man and the Irrealis Constructions ibašši, lū, and ašar

The Modal Particle kīša and the Expressions kī ša and kīma ša

The Modal Particle assurrē

The Modal Particle -mi.

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9781575066646

1575066645

OCLC:

922991825