Akkadian language

Akkadian
Babylonian or Assyrian
𒀝𒅗𒁺𒌑(𒌝) Akkadû(m)
Akkadian language inscription on the obelisk of Manishtushu
Region	Mesopotamia
Era	c. 2600–500 BC; academic or liturgical use until AD 100[1]
Language family	Afroasiatic Semitic East Akkadian
Dialects	Old Akkadian[2][3] Assyrian Babylonian[4] Canaano-Akkadian[5][6]
Writing system	Sumero-Akkadian cuneiform
Official status
Official language in	Initially Akkad (central Mesopotamia); lingua franca of the Middle East and Egypt in the late Bronze and early Iron Ages.
Language codes
ISO 639-2	akk
ISO 639-3	akk
Linguist List	akk
Glottolog	akka1240

Akkadian (llišānum akkadītum) or Assyro-Babylonian^[7] was a Semitic language, part of the Afro-Asiatic language family, spoken in ancient Iraq.^[8] The first-known Semitic language, it used the cuneiform writing system from ancient Sumer.^[8][9]

The earliest known Akkadian inscription was found on a bowl at Ur. It was addressed to a very early pre-Sargonic king of Ur by his queen Gan-saman, who is thought to have been from Akkad. The Akkadian Empire, established by Sargon of Akkad, introduced the Akkadian language, i.e. the "language of Akkad", as a written language. It used Sumerian cuneiform orthography (writing method) for the purpose.^[8][9]

During the middle Bronze Age (Old Assyrian and Old Babylonian period), the language displaced Sumerian. Sumerian probably became extinct as a living language by the 18th century BC.^[8][9]

Akkadian is divided into several varieties based on geography and historical period:^[8][9]

• Old Akkadian, 2500–1950 BC
• Old Babylonian/Old Assyrian, 1950–1530 BC
• Middle Babylonian/Middle Assyrian, 1530–1000 BC
• Neo-Babylonian/Neo-Assyrian, 1000–600 BC
• Late Babylonian, 600 BC–100 AD