Customer Reviews

Key to a Grammar of Akkadian (Harvard Semitic Monographs)

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John Huehnergard's 'Grammar of Akkadian' is an excellent book for learning a difficult ancient language, made much better with this key to the exercises. Akkadian is not a language most schools (even most seminaries) offer as part of the curriculum; hence, many people who learn this language do so via self-study -- a key to the exercises is crucial in this event. Huehnergard's Grammar is divided into 38 lessons (with sub-parts), with exercises for translation. Almost all the exercises are listed here -- because of variations in the langauge, different 'correct' translations exist for some texts, and not every variant could be included.

The one drawback of this key is that everything is done in transliteration, and none in the cuneiform script. However, this is a minor criticism.

Huehnergard's text here includes a listing of errata for earlier editions of the main Grammar; the key applies to all editions.

This book is a companion volume to John Huehnergard's A Grammar of Akkadian. As I said in the review on Huehnergard's Grammar, don't buy it without this key. Having the key will help you see whether you are gaining those Akkadian concepts we all treasure so dearly(and by we I mean Akkadian nerds like myself), because it of course has all the answers to the exercises of the Grammar. With this book and the Grammar you can even teach yourself Akkadian(which I am currently trying to do). It's challenging, to be sure, but possible. Holy Moly, I'm sure glad guys like John Huehnergard are out there to make books like this. I love you John Huehnergard!!!!