Sumerian
/suːˈmɪəriən/noun
Relating to the ancient civilization, language, or people of southern Mesopotamia.
Did you know?The people we call Sumerians likely called their homeland Kengi(r), while “Sumer” is the later Akkadian name for the region; its ultimate meaning remains uncertain.
Etymological Timeline
Late 3rd millennium BCE
Sumerian
Kengi(r)
“A native Sumerian name for southern Mesopotamia, commonly contrasted with the northern land of Uri.”
2nd millennium BCE
Akkadian
Šumeru
“The Akkadian name for Sumer, the southern part of Mesopotamia.”
1st millennium BCE
Biblical Hebrew
Šinʿar
“A biblical geographical name traditionally associated with southern Mesopotamia; its identification with Sumer is probable but not linguistically certain.”
Classical antiquity
Greek and Latin
Sumer
“Later scholarly and historical forms referring to the ancient southern Mesopotamian civilization.”
19th Century
English
Sumerian
“English adjective and noun formed from Sumer plus the suffix -ian, referring to the people, language, or culture of Sumer.”
Modern English
English
Sumerian
“Relating to the earliest known urban civilization of southern Mesopotamia or its language and culture.”
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