How to Classify Pigs: Old Babylonian and Middle Babylonian Lexical Texts (original) (raw)

This paper examines the classification of pigs in Old Babylonian and Middle Babylonian lexical texts. It highlights the distinction made between domestic and wild animals in ancient Mesopotamian lexical tradition, particularly focusing on the unique challenges posed by the classification of pigs due to the absence of separate terminology for wild and domestic variants. The study explores various versions of the thematic lexical lists, illustrating how cultural and linguistic principles influenced animal categorization, ultimately revealing insights into ancient Sumerian language and practices.