c-SUMERIAN-5_table.htm

TABLE
OF
PL / IE / SUMERIAN /EGYPTIAN
CORRESPONDENCES

by Patrick C. Ryan
3/4/2008

number+i=(word) initial; number+m=medial (non-initial); number+f=(word) final
#=unattested (as yet); *=systematically irregular; :=long vowel; &=modified in combination.

FOR EXAMPLES, SEE NUMBER IN Proto-Language Phonemes in IE and Sumerian

PROTO- LANGUAGE

INDO- EUROPEAN

SUMERIAN

EGYPTIAN

may be used
for annotation

He⁽¹⁾

He:⁽¹⁾

i (#)

*î, (written) i (#)

Ha⁽¹⁾

Ha:⁽¹⁾

a (#4,5)

*â, (written) a (#)

Ho⁽¹⁾

Ho:⁽¹⁾

u (#)

*û, (written) u (#)

¿E

HHE

yV⁽¹⁾

He:⁽¹⁾

*yi (*î, written) i (#3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 15, 16, 18, 19)

*î, (written) i (#3)

¿A

HHA

yV⁽¹⁾ / Ha(:)/V⁽⁷⁾
+
Ha:⁽¹⁾

*y(a), (written) i(a)/*î, written i (#)

*â, (written) a (#8, 10, 19)

¿O

HHO

yV⁽¹⁾

Ho:⁽¹⁾

*yu (**ü , written) u (#)

*û, (written) u (#)

P[?]E

P[H]E

b(h)/wV^(1),⁽³⁾

pV⁽¹⁾

bi (#)

pi (#)

P[?]A

P[H]A

b(h)/wV^(1),⁽³⁾

pV⁽¹⁾

ba (#17)

pa (#)

P[?]O

P[H]O

b(h)/wV^(1),⁽³⁾

pV⁽¹⁾

bu (#)

pu (#)

P[?]FE

PF[H]E

bhV⁽¹⁾

p[h]e(:)⁽¹⁾

pi (#)

P[?]FA

PF[H]A

bhV⁽¹⁾

final bh/b⁽²⁾

p[h]a(:)⁽¹⁾

pa (#)

P[?]FO

PF[H]O

bhV⁽¹⁾

p[h]o(:)⁽¹⁾

pu (#)

pu (#11)

F[H]E

wV:

Emesal: (all positions) mi (#)

Emegi: initial and medial positions g[~]²i)⁽⁶⁾ (#)

final *ü, (written) u (#)

Emesal: (all positions) mi (#)

Emegi: initial and medial positions g[~]²+i⁽⁶⁾ (#)

final *ü (written) u (#)

F[H]A

wV:

u (#6, 20)

*û, (written) u (#)

F[H]O

wV:

*û, (written) u (#)

T[?]E

T[H]E

di (#)

ti (#)

rare, tV+'wV became dotted t (*Ti [retroflex?]) (#)

T[?]A

T[H]A

da (#)

ta (#)

rare, tV+'wV became dotted t (*Ta [retroflex?]) (#)

T[?]O

T[H]O

du (#)

tu (#)

rare, dotted t (*Tu [retroflex?]) (#)

rare, tV+'wV became dotted t (*Tu [retroflex?]) (#)

T[?]SE

TS[H]E

dhV

t[h]e(:)

initial, rarely:
t[h]ye(:)⁽⁸⁾

zi (#)

D (bar-d)

D .

T[?]SA

TS[H]A

dhV

final dh/d⁽²⁾

t[h]a(:)

za (#)

za (#)

T[?]SO

TS[H]O

dhV/dhwV⁽⁴⁾

initial, rarely: dwo:⁽⁵⁾

t[h]/t[h]wo(:)⁽⁴⁾

Emesal: (all positions) t(u) (#)

Emegi: (all positions) t(u) (#17)

Emegi rare, dotted t (*T(u) [retroflex?]) (#)

Emegi rare, tV+'wV became dotted t (*Tu [retroflex?]) (#)

Emesal: (all positions) t(u) (#)

Emegi: (all positions) t(u) (#17)

Emegi rare, dotted t (*T(u) [retroflex?]) (#)

Emegi rare, tV+'wV became dotted t (*Tu [retroflex?]) (#)

S[H]E

sV:

ši (#2, *20)

ši (#19)

S[H]A

sV:

sa (#9, 16)

sV+'wV became ša (#)

rare, sV+'wV became dotted s (*Sa [retroflex?]) (#)

sa (#11)

sV+'wV became ša (#)

rare, sV+'wV became dotted s (*Sa [retroflex?]) (#)

S[H]O

sV:

su (#)

rare, dotted s (*Su [retroflex?]) (#)

sV+'wV became šu (#)

rare, sV+'wV became dotted s (*Su [retroflex?]) (#)

final, 'su+î became š (#)

su (#14)

rare, dotted s (*Su [retroflex?]) (#)

sV+'wV became šu (#)

rare, sV+'wV became dotted s (*Su [retroflex?]) (#)

K[?]E

K[H]E

g[^]V⁽⁴⁾

k[^]V⁽⁴⁾

gi (#15)

ki (#12)

kV+'wV became hi (#)

k

k + w becomes š

K[?]A

K[H]A

ga (#)

ka (#)

kV+'wV became ha (#)

k

k + j becomes H (dotted-h)

K[?]O

K[H]O

gu (#)

ku (#)

kV+'wV became hu (#)

T (bar-t)

T .

K[?]XE

KX[H]E

g[^]hV⁽⁴⁾

k[^][h]e(:)⁽⁴⁾

ki (#1)

kV+'wV became hi (#)

ki (#)

kV+'wV became hi (#)

H(dotted-h)

K[?]XA

KX[H]A

ghV

final gh/g⁽²⁾

k[h]a(:)

ka (#)

kV+'wV became ha (#)

final: h(a) (#)

ka (#)

kV+'wV became ha (#)

final: h(a) (#)

K[?]XO

KX[H]O

ghV

k[h]o(:)

Emesal (all positions): p(i) (#)

Emesal (medial) n +: (~)pi (#)

Emegi (initial and medial): ku (#6)

Emegi (medial) n +: (n)ku, written gu (#)

Emegi kV+'wV became hu (#)

Emegi (final): h(u) (#)

(initial and medial): ku (#)

kV+'wV became hu (#)

final: h(u) (#)

x (hook-h)

X[H]E

g[^]^wV

k[^]^wV

š²i (#)

š²i+'wV became *hü, (written) hu (#)

š²i (#)

X[H]A

g^wV

k^wV

ha (#)

Emesal: (medial and final) ba [for pa {?}] (#)

Emegi: (initial) ha (#)

Emegi: (medial and final) g[~]⁴a [for k³a {?}] (#)

X[H]O

g^wV and gw

k^wV

hu (#)

X (bar-h)

M[H]E

me(:)

mi (#7)

mi (#8)

M[H]A

ma(:)

ma (#13)

ma (#)

M[H]O

mo(:)

mu (#)

N[H]E

l[^]V

l[^]e(:)

li (#)

N[H]A

la(:)

na (#1,7,8,9)

*La, (written) la (#)

N[H]O

Lo(:)

nu (#)

*Lu, (written) lu (#)

Q[H]E

(n)g[^]V⁽⁴⁾

(n)k[^]e(:)⁽⁴⁾

(n)g[~]³i (#)

(n)k²i (#)

initial n²i {ñi} (#)

q (dotted-k)

Q[H]A

(n)gV

(n)ka(:)

(n)g[~]³a (#)

Emesal: final n²(a) {ñ(a)} (#)

Emegi (initial): n²a {ña} (#18)

Emegi (medial and medial): (n)k²(a) (but transcribed as (n)g[~]³(a)) (#)

Q[H]O

(n)gV

initial, rarely: (n)g^wo(:)⁽⁴⁾; n(g)o(:)

initial, + ‘s: a(:)n'sV
+
(n)ko(:)

(n)g[~]³u (#)

(n)k²u (#)

initial n²u {ñu} (#)

R[H]E

re(:)

ri (#5, 10, 16)

Li, (written) li (#)

R[H]A

ra(:)

r (#2, 3, 13, 18)

La, (written) la (#)

R[H]O

Lo(:)

Indic, initial: r

Lu, (written) lu (#4)

unidentified dialectal ru (#)

Lu, (written) lu (#)

Emesal Equivalents
to
Emegi Vowels

EG i

ES e

EG a remains as ES a

EG u

ES i

EG *ê (written e)

ES â (written a)

SUMERIAN VOWELS IN COMBINATION

VOWEL	+ i	+ a	+ u
i	î [i:] written i	ê [e:] written e	ü [ü:] written u
a	ê [e:] written e	â [a:] written a	U [o:] written u
u	ü [ü:] written u	û [u:] written u	û [u:] written u

What will surprise many readers, are the conspicuous

**similarities in correspondences to Proto-Language**

phonemes displayed by Basque and Sumerian.

A Sumerian Comparison essay is currently being developed.

Those interested in Sumerian may also be interested in viewing
the Sumerian Lexicon (Version 3.0)
on John A. Halloran's interesting website, arranged according to syllable shape.
Additional resources are the Sumerian Glossary at this website, which is arranged alphabetically;
and the Sumerian Dictionary at the University of Pennsylvania, with cuneiform, and offering flexible search methods.

NOTATIONAL CONVENTIONS

For an explanation of the Proto-Language and Indo-European notational conventions used in these essays, press here.

Summary of Phonological Changes

from Proto-Language to Sumerian

Combinatory Modifications

for modifications of the vowels and consonants in combination, see the

Table of Modifications

currently not available

PROTO-LANGUAGE MONOSYLLABLES

In order for readers to judge the semantic plausibility of the analysis of Proto-Language (PL) compounds suggested here, I am including access to a table of Proto-Language monosyllables and the meanings I have provisionally assigned.

Most assignments can be exhaustively supported by data from actually attested forms but a few animates are very doubtful; and this list does not represent the "final" solution of these questions, which will only be approached when other scholars assist in refining it.

Patrick C. Ryan

Summer 1998