Some Remarks on Language Usage in Late Babylonian Letters

Abstract

This paper deals with language usage in private and institutional letters from the Neo-Babylonian and Achaemenid periods. It analyses the usage of terms of address, greeting formulae and direct and indirect phrasing, drawing on notions of politeness developed by Brown and Levinson. Of particular interest are questions of usage within a temple hierarchy and its implications for professional relationships. For private letters, the case for the appellation of ‘lord’ for women as previously claimed by the author is further substantiated.

Keywords

• akkadian
• letters
• politeness
• formality
• address terms
• directness
• bureaucracy