Professional Documents
Culture Documents
The following listing of Sumerian occupational terms is based upon a detailed prosopographic database
of some 26700 entries which is designed to identify unique individuals found recorded in extant texts
from the First Dynasty of Lagash, primarily around 1800 administrative texts, but also legal texts,
letters, and royal inscriptions from the same period. Most texts record the regular economic activity of
the households of the royal consorts of the three kings Enentarzi, Lugalanda, and Urukagina the socalled -m (or -munus) Womans House over a period of around 20 years. The bulk of the texts
utilized come from the capital city Girsu (modern site name Telloh); a much smaller number were
found in the older city Lagash (modern site name Al-Hiba) after which the state of Lagash (ki-lagas) was
named. A third major town in the Lagash state, Niinx or conventionally NINA (modern site name
Surghul), appears in some of the terms below but has not yet yielded any tablets from this period.
It must be emphasized that the administrative texts from the -m document primarily the economics
of the queens households. As will be seen from a number of references below, a half dozen adult
royal children kept in some sense separate households, as did, apparently, the kings themselves.
Thanks to the theocratic reorganization of the economy under king Urukagina, these separate
establishments are occasionally mentioned directly and also revealed indirectly by reference to
corresponding members of the divine family of the chief deities of the Lagash pantheon: the kings
household by the city god Ninirsu, the queens household by his consort Bau, and the household of
one royal prince by Igalima, the divine son of Ninirsu and Bau. These other households, however, are
not documented with the richness of the -m archive. Finally, it seems likely that several royal
princesses maintained administratively separate establishments within the -m complex itself.
The scribal bureaucracy revealed in this corpus was intense. Rations of all sorts, commodity allotments,
and labor and field assignments, in particular, were recorded in great detail for regular periods over
multiple years. Persons often appearing repeatedly in these accounts were more closely identified for
accounting purposes by their occupations, titles, or activities. It is these bureaucratic occupational
terms in the main that have been assembled below, although the standard Sumerian kinship terms
have been added for completeness.
The source database employed here identifies unique named individuals where possible, in great part
by their occupational titles, also by kinship and other filiation remarks. Some individuals or work-gangs,
on the other hand, are frequently found identified only by their titles. By computerized sorting on this
terminology against indices of unique individuals, it is possible to obtain a rough count of the number
of persons practicing each occupation or profession throughout this 20 year period. In parentheses
following each occupation listed can be found counts of:
N: named individuals
U: unnamed individuals or work-gangs identified by occupation or title
C: young child(ren) listed alongside the mother, single or multiple
O: orphans or waifs so identified in addition to occupation (few in number)
1
While the counts are necessarily rough and approximate in certain cases, especially for groups of
unnamed persons or multiple same-named persons for whom secure prosopographic links are lacking,
still this list of occupations with counts offers one kind of view into the structure of Sumerian society in
this time and place. This society was complex and stratified, with the division of labor carefully
mapped out and controlled. The comprehensiveness of this bureaucratic archive reveals much about
the working lives of the over 3000 persons employed as part of the royal establishments mentioned in
these texts. Terminological categories include:
Agriculture
Field Owners
Renters
Farmers
Plowmen
Orchardmen
Gardeners
Irrigators
Woodsmen
Animal Husbandry
Herders, Drivers, Grooms
Fishermen
Bird Catchers
Craftsmen
Service Workers
Musicians and Entertainers
Boatmen
Cult Personnel
Important Priests
Other temple personnel
Lamentation singers, cantors
Nane cult personnel
Mourners
Diviners
Legal
Military and Guards
Officials
Foremen
Slaves
Female Servants and Workers
General
Servants of the Womans House under Enentarzi, summary (totals) rubrics
Servants of the Womans House, summary rubrics, end of Lug and before Ukg year 2
Servants of King Urukaginas Queen Sasas household, summary rubrics
Servants of temple households
Linen workers
Wool workers
2
Agriculture
Field Owners
lugal aa5(-k) owner of a field (N:29) (Lummatur texts 1-2, BM 3, 10)
dumu aa5(-k) child of a field owner (N:27) (Lummatur 1-2)
Renters
l aa5 apin-l-ke4-ne persons of leased fields (N:10) Contra ePSD apin-l tiller, planter see
C. Wilcke, SBAW 2003/2 34 field on lease, R. de Maaijer, Landless and Hungry? (1998)
55 field leased out
Farmers
engar farmer, cultivator, planter, farm supervisor (mid-level functionary responsible for more
than one field) (N:20, U:2). Cf. G. Selz, FAOS 15/2, 89-90 Pflanzherr, Pflanzer;
R. Englund, Fischerei 61: Feldbesteller in Neo-Sumerian
engar -M farmer of the Womans Household (N:1)
engar g-eden-na farmer of the Deserts Edge (district) (N:1 l-dba-, also called
engar-mah)
engar uru-ne(-k) farmer of the adult workmen (N:5)
engar ki-gub(-k) farmer stationed on site (N:7, U:2 under foremen) Discussion Selz, FAOS
15/2, 89-90 literally Bauer des Standortes/des Dienstortes ... die vor Ort Dienst taten
engar PN(-k) farmer of the person PN (N:1, -ki-b-gi4 engar -me-lm-s AWL 7 iv 1)
3
engar-mah chief farmer (N:2 l-dba- the engar g-eden-na & en-ig-gal the nu-bnda
engar-s assistant(?) farmer (N:3) See discussion of P. Steinkeller, Sale Documents 101f.
The concensus reading is engar rather than apin. See Selz, FAOS 15/2 p. 83
nachfolgend, zweiter im Rang; J. Bauer, AfO 36/37 (1989/90) 84. In Bauer, AWL 7 ii
2-11 ur-sa is the engar-s of the important engar ur-dam. Wilcke, SBAW 2003/2 p. 82
understands this as a neighbor farmer (reading ABSIN-s). Grammatically the writing
must represent engar+ra+s one who follows the farmer, cf. Ur III lugal-ra-s-sa one
who follows the king.
Plowmen
sa-apin(-na) plowman, head of the plow (N:47, U:1). Selz, FAOS 15/2 p. 85, 575 Pflugfhrer.
Uses a mule (knga) or an ass (durx-ul-gi, ane-ul-gi)
sa-apin gu4 ox plowman (N:4)
sa-apin dba--ka/ke4-ne plowmen of Bau (N:5 all also with other occupations, U:1)
sa-apin gme-dba--ka plowman of (princess) Geme-Bau (daughter of Ukg) (N:1 silim-utu )
sa-apin gme-tar-sr-sr-ka plowman of (princess) Geme-Tarsirsir (daughter of Ukg)
(N:1 lugal-kki)
sa-apin-na dumu-dumu-ke4-ne plowmen of the (royal) children (Ukg) (N:2 = the same silimutu & lugal-kki as above) Written sa-apin dumu-dumu-ne in VAT4726 rev ii 1)
Orchardmen
nu-kiri6(-k) orchardman, often heading gangs of 2-11 igi-nu-du8 and 1-2 kak-a-du5 (N:28, U:2-3)
nu-kiri6 dba-(-ke4-ne) orchardman of the goddess Bau (N:8 all also called just nu-kiri6
including ur-p below)
nu-kiri6 diir-ra(-me) orchardmen of a god (U:1 group ITT9243 ii 2, reign of Enentarzi)
nu-kiri6 nsi-ka(-me) orchardmen of the ruler (U:1 group ITT9243 iii 1)
nu-kiri6 nam-dumu orchardman of the (royal) children (N:2 ur-anun & ur-p)
kiri6 gurx-gurx(E.KIN) orchard reaper (N:2)
igi-nu-du8 i blind orchard (tree) workers (N:13, U: multiple groups, possibly as many as 9)
Most often in groups of 5-6 unnamed men with 1-2 kak-a-ku5 and 1 nu-kiri6 (e.g. DP 113)
See Cooper, CDLN 2010/5 for meaning.
Cf. later in this corpus igi-nu-du8 i-k-ti blind crafts workers
Gardeners
l-nisi vegetable gardener (N:3) Written l-nisi-ga in Ur III
zz-d wheat planter(?) (or read -d with unknown meaning) (N:1 CT 50, 26)
Irrigators
kak-a-ku5 sluice-gate opener (one who cuts a water/canal plug) (N:14, U:2)
CAD mupett, adj., regulating irrigation, lit. opener, a person opening a
sluice-gate(?). Cf. Hh VI 131f. gikak-du8/ku5 = sikkatu mupett, describing a plug for
regulating a sluice gate(?). In Ur III the term occurs with a-bala water drawer
4
a-nin reservoir/pond (worker) (N:3) Cf. Ur III: a-nin-na gub-ba (men) stationed at the
reservoir
igi-nu-du8 sightless/blinded (slave) (N:18 including 12 called dumu uru-azki citizens of Uruaz,
U: multiple groups of 2-13. Cf. J. Cooper, CDLN 2010/5 for meaning.
igi-nu-du8 dub-didli blind workers, (recorded) on various tablets (U: a group designation in
totals, for example HSS III 3 or 4, DP 154)
Woodsmen
l-tir forester (N:1, U:1 group)
l-(gi)inig tamarisk man (N:3, U:1)
Animal Husbandry
ane-GAM donkey breaker(?) (N:1) Cf. GAM-GAM in Unclear
kuruda animal fattener (mr) (N:9 including mu-ni below)
kuruda -M-ka animal fattener of the Womans House (N:1 mu-ni)
l-ane-gu7!(KA) donkey feeder (U:1 DP 130 ii 5)
zur-zur(-k) animal caretaker(?) (kunn) (N:1 sheep PN zur-zur-ka-kam Nik 1, 152 i 5)
dal-muen bird chaser (N:17, U:1 at least once a group of 7 persons)
Selz, FAOS 15/2. 85 Vogelverscheucher; see Civil, Farmers Instructions 87
Herders, Drivers, Grooms
gb-kas4 coachman(?), carter(?) (lit. I will make them run) (N:13 primarily r-nun-ki-du10,
U:2 underlings) Selz, FAOS 15/2 128f. Kutscher or Fuhrman (?). r-nun-ki-du10
deals with ane mar wagon donkeys, e.g. Nik 1, 311 ii 1
gb-ra animal driver, herder (lit. I will drive them) (N:15, U:12). FAOS 15/2 86 Viehtreiber
gb-ra h pig herder (N:2)
gb-ra h (-k) herder of free-range pigs (N:3 including the two preceding gb-ra h)
CT 50, 34 rev. vi 13/15 PNN gme h n-gu7-a-me followed by PN gb-ra h -ka-kam
ASJ 11 328 (Ur III), 27:6-7 h-niga, h-, same opposition, thus fed, fattened versus
free-range. Owen "Pigs and Pig By-Products at Garana in the Ur III Period" (2006)
78-80: niga fattened with barley, versus with free-range on grass
gb-ra -M animal driver of the Womans House (N:1)
gb-ra gu4 cattle driver (U:1)
gb-ra gu4 tur-tur(-ra) driver of young cattle (N:2 -ra in HSS 3, 16 rev ii 10-11)
gb-ra KU driver connected with pigs(?) (N:2 both also working among gb-ra h -ka and
gme h-n-gu7-a)
gb-ra ma(-k) goat driver (N:1 e-ta-e11)
gb-ra ma gal-gal driver of big goats (U:3 probably including preceding e-ta-e11)
gb-ra udu sheep driver (U:1)
gb-ra udu n-gu7-a driver of fattened sheep (N:1)
gb-ra udu siki-ka driver of wool sheep (U:2)
5
gu4-lah5 cattle bringer (N:2) cf. gu4-ra ox-driver, drover; Bauer, AWL p. 507 Ochsentreiber
cf. Nik 1, 161 ii 2: 2 rams udu ur4-ra-ta udu n-gu7-a e-ma-lah5 brought from the
sheep-plucking shed into the fattened sheep (flock)
gu4-lah5 nsi-ka cattle bringer of the ruler (N:1 ur- of Babylonica 8, HG 12 vi 5 is the same as
ur-ku7-dba- the nu chief cow-herder of TSA 30 ii 8)
ku7 equerry, groom (?) (N:2 amar-ezem & ur-du6, the equerry of the king and queen
respectively; see the following). The reading is not certain, in some cases one must read
sahar; is now considered less likely for this period.
ku7 dnin-gr-su(-ka) equerry of Ningirsu (N:1 amar-ezem)
ku7 nsi-ka equerry of the ruler (N:1 amar-ezem)
ku7-mah chief equerry (N:1 amar-ezem)
ku7 -M equerry of the Womans House (N:1 ur-du6)
ku7 d[ba- (?)] equerry of Bau(?) (U:1 perhaps ur-du6)
l ane surx(ERIN2)-ka man of team donkeys (U:1)
l surx(ERIN2) z-s-sa men of assembled teams (N:31, U:6 groups?))
Wengler 2 (Ukg 1) lists a total of 100 such men with various occupations
bd-da n-a-am6 who were camped on the wall
l gu4 man of oxen (U:1)
l gu4-du7-du7 man of unblemished oxen (N:1 ur-dba-) =
l gu4 du7-r(-k) man of unblemished oxen (N:1 ur-dba-)
mu6-sb (or mu6mnsub) shepherd, herdsman (N:1)
na-gada herder, shepherd-boy (N:2 en-ku4 in Enz 5-Lug1, then later promoted to sipa
aganx(AMA)a:gan & ur-u-ga-lam-ma in Enz 4, then later promoted to nu)
sipa shepherd (a middle-ranking functionary) (N:50)
sipa amar-ku5 shepherd of castrated calves (N:1 ur-ddumu-zi)
sipa amar-ru-ga shepherd of trained(?) calves (N:3 including preceding ur-ddumu-zi)
Function: training of (castrated) calves to be work-oxen, Selz, FAOS 15/1, 438
sipa ane(-k) donkey shepherd (N:21, U:1+ ?)
sipa ane surx(ERIN2)-ka shepherd of team donkeys (N:19 & 3 slaves, U:3 elsewhere called
gb-kas4 coachman, carter)
d
sipa nane shepherd of Nane (N:1)
sipa dnin-r-su shepherd of Ninirsu (N:2)
sipa -gibil shepherd of the New Temple (N:1)
sipa gu4 shepherd of cattle (N:5 including two otherwise called sipa gu4 tur-tur, U:1)
sipa gu4 tur-tur shepherd of young cattle (N:2 also called just sipa gu4, U:1)
sipa ki-siki-ka shepherd for the wool-site (N:4, U:1)
sipa ma shepherd of goats (N:4 including following ur-dba-, U:1)
6
sipa ma gal-gal shepherd of big goats (N:1 = preceding ur-dba-, U:2 probably two of
the preceding four named shepherds)
sipa nam-dumu shepherd for all the (royal) children (N:3)
sipa pa5-sr-raki(-k) shepherd from Pasira (N:1)
sipa aganx(AMA)a:gan shepherd of pregnant animals (N:21 including en-ku4 of the two
following, U:3+)
sipa aganx(AMA)a:gan dba- shepherd of pregnant animals, of Bau (N:1 en-ku4) =
sipa aganx(AMA)a:gan dnin-r-su shepherd of pregnant animals, of Ninirsu (N:1 en-ku4 )
sipa h pig herder (N:2 mostly lugal-pa-)
sipa u8(-k) shepherd of ewes (N:2)
sipa ud5(-da-k) shepherd of goats (N:11, U:1)
sipa udu n-gu7-a shepherd of fattened sheep (N:1)
sipa udu siki-ka shepherd of wool sheep (N:7, U:1 = a group of 8 probably the named 7 plus 1)
sipa nu shepherds and herders (totaled together) (U:1)
-du(l) chief herdsman (N:1 - ) =
-du ane(-k) chief donkey herdsman (N:1 - = same as the previous )
-du udu chief sheep herdsman (N:4)
nu(d) chief cow herder (N:14, U:3) FAOS 15/2 86f Rinderhirt, vermutlich von gehobener
sozialer Stellung < *udu-n(d) die Tiere (auf) der Weide / (im) Grase liegen oder
lagern lsst, just as /udul/ < *udu-lu sheep pasturer (so van Dijk, RA 83 [1989] 11)
nu b-1 chief herdsman of yearling cows (N:3 all three also called just nu)
Fishermen
Many fishermen had slightly different job descriptions at different times, so many of the same
individual fishermen are tallied in more than one sub-category below.
u-ku6 fisherman (N:70 , U:5)
gal- u-ku6-e-ne(-k) personnel chief of fishermen (N:1 en-zi)
u-ku6 a-ses(-k) fisherman of brackish water (N:16)
u-ku6 a-du10-ga(-k) fisherman of fresh water (N:40, U:3)
u-ku6 a-dun(-k), a-dun-a fishermen of the dug-water (canals) (N:8, U:1)
Six of these men are also u-ku6 a-du10-ga(-k) sweet-water fishermen
Var. omits u-ku6. Cf. a-dun Ummaki -kam (they are) dug-water (men) of Umma
(e.g. HSS 3, 20 rev 4:8-9); a-nin pond/reservoir (worker)
Cf. Ur III Princeton 1, 477:5 kb{ab}-ku5 en-du8-du a-dun gub-ba
stationed at water-digging at the Endudu reservoir
u-ku6 ab-ba(-k) sea fisherman (N:67, U:3)
u-ku6 ab-ba dba--ke4-ne / -rum dba- sea fisherman of Bau (N:6)
u-ku6 sa-u-bad-(r) casting-net fisherman (N:14)
7
Boatmen
m-lah5 boatman, sailor (N:24, U:1 group of 2-5)
l-m-lah5(-da) ... boatman (N:1, U:1) Form with -da unclear
m-lah5 -M boatman of the Womans House (N:1)
m-lah5 m-gur8-ra barge boatman (N:2)
m-lah5 m-si-lu-b-ka boatman of sack-filled boats (N:1)
m-gal-gal big-boats (sailor) (N:23, U:3 at least one group of 2-5 men)
gal- m-gal-gal personnel chief of big-boats (sailors) (N:2, U:1)
ugula m-gal-gal(-k) foreman of big-boats (sailors) (N:1)
l-m-gur8(-ra) barge boatman (N:3 including following foreman ur-dnin-marki)
ugula m-gur8 barge foreman (N:2 including ur-dnin-marki)
m-gur8-si barge loader (U:1) FAOS 15/1 p. 109 Schauerleute
nsi m-gur8 governor of barges (N:1 in Urn 51; Cooper, SARI: supervisor)
l-m-addirx(PAD.GISAL+SI)(-ra) ferry-boat man (N:2 ur-i, lugal-(x)-y)
addirx(GISAL+SI.KAL.RU) ferry (man) (N:1 ur-ri-ru-a)
m-gi4(GIN2) boat builder (so ePSD) (N:4, U:2)
l-u5 akakki shipper(?), hauler(?) (lit. riding man), from Akak (N:1 BM3 10, EnI 4)
l-u5 uru-azki shipper(?) from Uruaz (U:1, 4 instances in Lugalanda years 2-6)
Cult Personnel
Important priests
en en-priest(ess), high-priest(ess) (U:1)
cf. en-en-KU-KU-ne under Ancestors
en kalam-ma en-priest of the nation (N:1 en-u DP 92 v 5, Enentarzi year 4)
ere-diir goddess-lady (N:1) Possibly a priestess of Ninirsu, in view of her name:
diir-a-mu God is My Father
ere-diir dba- goddess-lady of Bau (U:1 alongside the en named diir-a-mu in DP 127)
ere-diir d-tm-du10 goddess-lady of atumdug (U:1 VS 14, 180)
ere-diir dhendur-sa goddess-lady of Hendursa (U:1 VS 14, 180)
ere-diir dnin-a-su goddess-lady of Ninazu (U:1 DP 51 v 4)
l ere-diir personnel of the goddess-lady (N:2)
lukur lukur-priestess (N:5, U:1)
nu-gig a consecrated woman (tabood person) (N:2)
nu-sa dnin-a-su head man of the god Ninazu (U:1) (wr. nu-sa <dnin>-a-su in VS 25, 72)
Precedes ere-diir dnin-a-su in DP 51; both officiate in ki-en-gi4ki, i.e. Ennegi-state.
11
gme dumu igi-nu-du8 dub didli female servants and children, blinded workers, on
individual tablets (U:1 group)
gme dumu l igi-nu-du8 female servants and children, porters, and blinded workers
(U:1 group)
gme bar-bi-l extra female servants (N:12-15, C:3-4, O:2-3)
Servants of King Urukaginas Queen Sasas household, totals rubric
gme dba- female servants, of Bau (U:36 TSA 9 ii 6 among mourners at the funeral of
the ex-queen Baranamtara)
gme dumu dba- female servants and children, of Bau (U:1 group e.g. HSS 3, 4, AWL 45)
gme dumu -rum dba- female servants and children, property of Bau (N:483 in one
particular textual example)
gme s-du11 female regular-provisions recipient, sub-division of gme dumu -rum dba-
type ration lists (N:19 of which six are also found with another title, C:5) Translation
follows Selz, who assumes no connection with later religious use of term s-du11 .
Alternately perhaps regular-offering preparer? Usually follows linen workers.
Servants of King Urukaginas personal household totals rubric
gme dnin-r-su female servants, of Ninirsu (U:112 TSA 9 ii 5 among mourners at the funeral
of the ex-queen Baranamtara)
gme dumu dub didli dnin-r-su-ka female servants and children, individual tablets, of
Ninirsu (U:1 group)
Servants of temple households
gme dnin-r-su female slave of Ninirsu (N:1 RTC 16 i 3: Zanini, bought by Dimtur, consort of
Enentarzi)
gme -du10 ddumu-zi female servants and infants of Dumuzi (U:16, C:6 mourners in DP 159)
gme -du10 dnane female servants and infants of Nane (U:105, C:51 mourners in DP 159)
gme -du10 dnin-dar female servants and infants of Nindara (U:10, C:3 mourners in DP 159)
gme -du10 dnin-marki female servants and infants of Ninmar (U:14, C:7 mourners in DP 159)
gme dumu diir-ne female servants and children of the gods (U:145 total summary in DP 159,
U:2 other groups)
Linen workers
gme ki-gu-ka female servants of the linen/flax workplace (N:1)
ki-gu (ones) of the linen workplace (N:33, U:2, C:3 groups) Cf. gme ki-gu, engar ki-gu
ki-gu u4-bi-ta (ones) formerly of the linen workplace (N:22, C:2)
Wool workers
gme ki-siki-ka female servant of the wool workplace (N:1) =
ki-siki(-k) (ones) of the wool workplace (N:229, U:5, C:39 single or multiple children)
cf. nu-siki munus/nita
ki-siki u4-bi-ta (ones) formerly of the wool workplace (N:57,C:15, O:1)
20
Wengler 2 lists a total of 100 such men with various occupations bd-da n-a-am6
camped on the wall
ama surx(ERIN2)(-k) main (elite) troops (N:173) (ummt bi)
ses brother (= abbr. of ses surx(ERIM2)-ra below)
ses gub-ba serving brother, member of a regular work group for irrigation and cultivation
(so Maeda, ASJ 5, 72f.) (N;8,U:8)
ses surx(ERIM2)-ra team brother (abbr. ses) (N:48, U:1 5 herders, rest fishermen)
ses tu-a/a4 seated brother, member of a special work group for occasional projects ( so
Maeda) (N:9 foremen, U:11 mostly also elsewhere with different job descriptions)
ses tu-a4 surx-ra(-k) special work group team (N:8 foremen)
min-uru paired workers (N:42 Ukg year 6)
Merchants and Traders
dam-gr merchant (N:31, U:1 foreman of 9 l)
dam-gr <?>-AN-kal-ga-ka merchant of ... ANkalaga (N:1)
dam-gr dba- merchant of Bau (N:1 = ur--m)
dam-gr -M merchant of the Womans House (N:2 one of whom is ur--m)
dam-gr nsi-ka merchant of the ruler (U:1 Nik 1, 124)
dam-gr-gal chief merchant (N:1 hur-sa--mh Urn 51 rev v 2) Early Laga orthography =
gal-dam-gr chief merchant (N:3 ur--m , -umbin-ki-du10, lugal-ur(-ra)
Selz, FAOS 15/1. p. 332 preposed gal- vermutlich reine Schreibkonvention; cf. Bauer,
AWL p. 92 to No. 5 iv 7. On ur---m see M. Lambert, OrAnt 20 (81) 175-185
gal-dam-gr dba-(-k) chief merchant of Bau (N:1 ur--m )
gal-dam-gr -M(-k) chief merchant of the Womans House (N:1 ur--m )
gal-dam-gr nsi(-ka) chief merchant of the ruler (N:1 ur--m)
ge long-distance merchant (N:2 amar--gal & gri-n-ba-TUSZ; U:1)
ge-mah chief long-distance merchant (N:1 = U:1 gri-n-ba-TUSZ)
nam-ge im(-k) college of long-distance aromatics merchants (U:1 DP 513)
nam-ge sa-e26-ne(-k) college of long-distance slave merchants (U:1 DP 513)
Kinship terminology
Standard familial terms
a (ya) father (especially in personal names)
ama mother
dumu child, son, daughter
dumu-munus daughter
dumu-nita son
nin sister
ses brother
-du10 infant, young child
22
General
nsi governor, ruler (originally farmer) (N:3 Enentarzi, Lugalanda, Urukagina,
U:3 Lug, Ukg, gan-dba- the sister of the nsi (= Lug?) in VS 14, 106 i 3)
nsi adabki ruler of Adab (U:1 RTC 19, Nik 1, 282)
nsi-gal great ruler (U:1 texts of Ukg years 1/4/6; ex-nsi in DP 33?)
Cooper, SARI 53 translates chief executive
nsi-gal dnin-r-su-ka chief ruler/farmer(?) of Ninirsu (N:1 Enmetena)
nsi-GAR probably variant writing of nsi (U:1)
nsi lagaski (N:6, U: many references)
nsi m-gur8 ruler of barges (N:1 mu-e-[...] Urn 51) Cooper SARI supervisor of m.
Steible understands as a personal name.
nsi ummaki ruler of Umma (N:6 Ent > Ukg: ur-lum-ma, l, en--kal-le, lugal-z-ge-si,
USZ, pa-bl-gal-tuku, U:1 in Ean 1)
nsi uru-azki ruler of Bear City (U:1 texts Ean2-3: city destroyed, nsi killed, Elamite)
nsi uru18(URUxA)ki ruler of Uru (N:1 i4(E3)-ku4 Nik 1, 310 viii 5, U:1)
l lagas Man of Lagash (title) (U:1 Urn 51, king Ur-Nane)
Parallel l uri5 appears in this text in the next line
l ummaki Man of Umma (title) (U:2 Urn 51, DP 143 Ukg 5)
l unugki-ga Man of Uruk (title) (N:1 lugal-?, U:1 Lugalzagesi)
l uri5 Man of Ur (title of Ur-Nane) (U:1 Urn 51, follows l Lagas = Ur-Nane)
l uru18(URUxA)-a Man of Uru (N:1 gu-NI-DU, no date)
lugal king (many references)
lugal Akakki King of Akak (N:1 zu-zu, U:3 same, in Ean texts 2 & 3)
lugal r-suki King of irsu (N:1 Urukagina)
lugal Kiki king of Kish (N:2 en-an-na-tum, me-salim; U:1)
lugal Lagaski king of Laga (N:1 Urukagina)
lugal-mu (speak) to my king! (U:1 letter, Nik 1, 177 ii 4, Enentarzi? year 4)
munus The Woman, Madam (so A. Jagersma) (U:2 queen Baranamtara or queen Sasa)
nin kur dilmunki-na queen of Dilmun (U:1 VAT 4345)
nin Lagaski queen of Lagash (U:1 VAT 4345)
Family of royals
ab-ba nsi-ka father of the ruler (U:1 DP 224)
ab-ba munus father of the Woman (= the queen) (U:1 DP 224)
ama munus mother of the Woman (N:1 = igi-ga, mother of queen Sasa (?) in TSA 2 i 11)
ama nsi(-ka) mother of the ruler (N:1 gi-ri VS 14, 164, U:1 DP 224)
di4-di4-la-ne (and variants) (royal) children (little ones) Cf. e-ba l di4-di4-la-ne in totals,
people of the royal offsprings households, parallel to e-ba l i-kin-ti gme dumu,
etc., all in Ukg texts
dumu (royal) son or daughter (N:17)
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l e a de6-a (persons) who brought grain and water (N:1, U:3 FAOS 15/2, 125)
l ga k munu4 k ba persons who give sacred milk and malt (N:86 all are l-igi-nin)
l is omitted in TSA 5
l ga k de6-a(-ne) persons who brought sacred milk (N:5, U:5)
l ninda-ba persons getting a food ration (N:38 foremen and some U:31 work groups of
varying sizes, mainly irrigation/agriculture) Foods include breads, beer-breads, cake,
fish, barley oil and beer
l ninda aa5 ma ba persons given bread/food for field ... (N:69, U:39)
l iti-da persons receiving rations by the month as opposed to l uku-dab5-ba (N:17, U:5)
l uku dab5-ba persons who take quarterly subsistance rations (N:98, U:39)
l uku dab5-ba (dba-, l--rum dba-) ditto, of Bau/persons belonging to Bau (N:98 mostly
foremen, U:64 many groups of multiple persons, so grand total is higher)
l uku nu-gl-la-ke4-ne persons without quarterly subsistance rations (N:7)
l e-ba e-tag4-a persons who have left behind a barley ration (N:20, U:10 groups of
between 6 and 14 igi-nu-du8 kak-a-ku5 and nu-kiri6 , C:1 HSS 3, 19)
sa-dub tableted head (a classification of overwhelmingly female workers, in sub-totals)
(N:114, C:28+ individual or multiple children)
g-ba ... (a classification of female workers, in sub-totals) (N:122)
Unclear
AH-DU-DU ... (N:1 su4-sar)
GAM-GAM (animal) breaker(?) (N:1 en-DU)
Cf. ane-GAM donkey breaker(?) (N:1 ur-den-ki)
GAR-TIN (N:1 bi-su-g)
LAK312-du8 ... (N:6) LAK312 = RSP194 = SAGxDU3 = muh2/muhim
l-dub(-ba-k) man of the tablet (N:1, U:1 = prossibly the same person but in a legal text)
l-ti (personal name or profession?) (N:2 DP 591 iii 7, v 2)
l-U ... (N:1 sa-dnin-r-su-da, HG 12, rev iii 1)
MI ... (N:1 gissu-na-ni-du10 Eremitage 8067 rev iv 4) Also a profession in Fara.
Perhaps read giggi black?
Guerneville, CA USA
December 2014
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