Insult in Sumerian Writing: Reconsideration to Two Insult Texts (ETCSL 5.4.11 and 5.4.12)

Year 2019, Volume: 7, 41 - 58, 30.06.2019

Gökhan Kağnıcı

https://doi.org/10.13113/CEDRUS.201903

Abstract

This study is concerned with the analysis of
insulting statements in two Sumerian diatribe texts known as “He is a good seed
of a dog” and “Engardug the fool”. Insults are frequently mentioned in the
Sumerian disputation and diatribe texts. These two texts are dated to the Old
Babylonian period and are thought to be school texts. In these texts in
question there are a number of insulting statements directed by someone against
some­one else. In this study, it will be mentioned that what kind of insults
are used and what the insults mean and also will be focused on the relationships
between the abusive language used in these texts and some social, cul­tural and
individual elements in the ancient Mesopota­mia. And some remarks on the
etymology of the insult­ing statements in question will be emphasized. As a mat­ter
of fact, the both texts consist of the intense and harsh criticism accompanied
by insults that seems to be di­rected to a certain individual from the first
lines to the last lines, and that actually targets a more general human ty­pology.

Keywords

Sumerian Literature, Insulting Statements, Abuse Texts, Diatribes, Lexical Lists

Sumer Yazınında Hakaret: İki Sumer Metninde (ETCSL 5.4.11 VE 5.4.12) Geçen Hakaret İfadeleri Üzerine Bazı Etimolojik Düşünceler

Abstract

Bu çalışma, “O, bir köpeğin kaliteli bir
tohumudur” ve “Ahmak Engardug” başlıklarıyla bilinen iki Sumer
tartışma metninde geçen hakaret ifadelerinin analiziyle ilgilidir. Ha­karet
içerikli söylemlere Sumer tartışma ve diyalog me­tin­lerinde sıklıkla yer
verilmiştir. Eski Babil dönemine ta­rih­lendirilen ve büyük olasılıkla okul
metinleri olduğu dü­şünülen bu iki metinde, birisinin bir başkasını hedef
aldığı çok sayıda hakaret ifadesi geçmektedir. Makalede bu haka­ret
ifadelerinin neler olduğu ve ne anlama geldiği üzerinde durulacaktır. Ayrıca bu
kötü ifadelerin hangi toplumsal, kül­türel ve bireysel unsurlarla ilişkili
oldukları tespit edil­meye çalışılacaktır. Çalışmada büyük oranda söz konusu
ifadelerin etimolojilerine dair birtakım düşünceler üzerin­de durulacaktır.
Nitekim metinler ilk satırlarından son sa­tır­larına kadar bütünüyle belirli
bir insana yöneltilmiş gibi gözüken ve aslında daha genel bir insan
tipolojisini hedef alan hakaret içerikli ifadelerle dolu yoğun eleştirilerden
oluş­maktadır.  

Keywords

Sumer Edebiyatı, Hakaret İfadeleri, Tartışma ve Diyalog Metinleri, Sözcük Listeleri

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