Sumerian Language
The Sumerian language was spoken in ancient Mesopotamia, primarily in what is now southern Iraq, around 3100 BCE. It is one of the oldest known written languages and was initially used for record-keeping, legal documents, and literature. Sumerian is unique as it is a language isolate, meaning it has no known relatives. It was written using cuneiform script, which involved pressing a stylus into clay tablets. Sumerian gradually fell out of everyday use around 2000 BCE but remained important in religious and scholarly contexts for many centuries thereafter. Its study provides valuable insights into early human civilization and culture.
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The Sumerian language is one of the earliest known written languages, originating in ancient Mesopotamia around 3100 BCE. It was spoken by the Sumerians, who developed one of the world's first civilizations. Sumerian is unique because it is a language isolate, meaning it has no known relatives. It uses cuneiform writing, which consists of wedge-shaped marks pressed into clay tablets. Initially used for record-keeping, Sumerian evolved to encompass literature, law, and science. Although the language fell out of everyday use by the end of the 2nd millennium BCE, it continued to be used in religious and scholarly contexts for centuries.