Chinese and Sumerian

PRELIMINARY LIST OF SIMILAR WORDS

INITIAL AND FINAL SOUNDS—THEIR CORRESPONDENCE AND PARALLEL CHANGES

Tuat Chinese is related to the old Sumerian language of Babylonia is a conclusion which appears inevitable, when we notice the great similarity of the two

vocabularies.

list does not, of course, pretend to be exhaustive.

This may perhaps be best exhibited in tabular form. The following

Its purpose is merely to weaken

any presumption of antecedent improbability; and so to bespeak an unprejudiced consideration for the arguments and comparisons to follow.

CHINESE an, ang, yen, a clear sky. ang, high. pa, pat, pal, to draw water. pan, ban, comrade; p‘éng, p‘en, bang, friend; pair. pi, pét, pit, but, writing-brush ; pen.

pit, pieh, p‘et, biet, to separate; to part. pien, pin, bin, carriage (for women). ping, bing, disease; sick.

ping, pen, bing, pin, ice; cold; frost.

pang, pong, bang, a heavy fall, of snow or rain, See also méng.

han, eifi, kan, gan, cold; han-tung, zd. yin-tung, to freeze.

hei, he, hék, hik, koku, black; dark.

hien, keing, gan, salt; bitter.

hien, ham, kan, gan, all.

ho, ha, ka, ga, to bear; to carry.

hing, kiang, ying, gid, walk; kien, kin, zd.

hiien, ngien, gen, black.

huk, hu, uk, koku, dawn; sunrise. -

kai, ka, kie, street.

k‘ai, ho, k‘ae, kai, to open.

kan, kon, ktie, stem; rod; cane; pole, &c. kwan, kun, kon, kiie, kou, reed; bamboo tube.

k‘an, kan, look at; see; examine.

ki, the earth (fersonzfied).

1601

SUMERIAN AN, AM, EN, the sky; heaven. AN, high. BAL, to draw water. MAN, comrade ; friend; two.

MUATI, PATI, PA(?), stylus or writingreed. BAD, to remove; distant.

DUB-BIN, covered car ; litter.

PIG (also SIG), weak ; weakness.

GAL-BI(N) ; GAL-BA(N), z¢@. MAM (A-MAM), cold weather.

MAM, MAMMI, storm of snow or cold rain.

EN-TEN, cold weather.

GE, GIG, KUKKU, night ; black. GIN, bitter (C. T. xii. 30).

GANA, all.

GA, to lift, bear, carry.

GIN, to walk ; GIM, zd.

GIN, black (C. T. xii. 30); KAN, zd. UG, day (C. T. xii. 6): from GUG, KAS-KAL, road.

GAL, to open.

GIN, GI, reed; stem, &c.

IGI-GAN, to see; behold ; inspect. KI, the earth.