Standard Lemma guide

Sumerian

adj · name · noun · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /s(j)ʊˈmɪəɹiən/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /səˈmɪəɹiən/
  • General-American: /sʊˈmɛɹiən/
  • General-American: /səˈmɛɹiən/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • homophone: Samarian (some accents)
  • rhymes with -ɪəɹiən
  • rhymes with -ɛəɹiən

1

adj

Meaning 1

Of, from or pertaining to Sumer.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Of, from or pertaining to lower Babylonia, which was anciently called Šumer in Akkadian.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

name

Meaning 3

The ancient language spoken in Sumer, a language isolate.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: human-sciences, linguistics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A person of Sumer.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A native of lower Babylonia, called Šumer in Akkadian.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

adjective

Meaning 6

of or relating to ancient Sumer or its inhabitants

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

a member of a people who inhabited ancient Sumer

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: Babylonian

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Akkadian 𒋗𒈨𒊒 (Šumeru)lbor. English Sumer Proto-Indo-European *-nós Proto-Italic *-nos Latin -nus Latin -ānus Latin -iānusbor. English -ian English Sumerian From Sumer + -ian.

Across languages

Translations

94 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Belarusian: шуме́рскі (šumjérski) — pertaining to Sumer
  • Catalan: sumeri — pertaining to Sumer
  • Czech: sumerský — pertaining to Sumer
  • Danish: sumerisk — pertaining to Sumer
  • Dutch: Soemerisch — pertaining to Sumer
  • Faroese: sumeriskur — pertaining to Sumer
  • Finnish: sumerilainen — pertaining to Sumer
  • French: sumérien — pertaining to Sumer
  • Galician: sumerio — pertaining to Sumer
  • German: sumerisch — pertaining to Sumer
  • Greek: σουμερικός (soumerikós) — pertaining to Sumer
  • Hindi: सुमेरी (sumerī) — pertaining to Sumer
  • Marathi: सुमेरियन (sumeriyan) — pertaining to Sumer
  • Persian: سومری (sumeri) — pertaining to Sumer
  • Polish: sumeryjski — pertaining to Sumer
  • Polish: sumerski — pertaining to Sumer
  • Portuguese: sumério — pertaining to Sumer
  • Portuguese: sumérico — pertaining to Sumer
  • Portuguese: sumeriano — pertaining to Sumer
  • Russian: шуме́рский (šumérskij) — pertaining to Sumer
  • Serbo-Croatian: сумерски — pertaining to Sumer
  • Serbo-Croatian: sumerski — pertaining to Sumer
  • Swedish: sumerisk — pertaining to Sumer
  • Ukrainian: шуме́рський (šumérsʹkyj) — pertaining to Sumer
  • Catalan: sumeri — language
  • Chinese Mandarin: 蘇美爾語 /苏美尔语 (Sūměi'ěryǔ) — language
  • Chinese Mandarin: 蘇美語 /苏美语 (Sūměiyǔ) — language
  • Czech: sumerština — language
  • Danish: sumerisk — language
  • Dutch: Soemerisch — language
  • Esperanto: sumera lingvo — language
  • Estonian: sumeri keel — language
  • Faroese: sumeriskt — language
  • Finnish: sumerin kieli — language
  • Finnish: sumeri — language
  • French: sumérien — language
  • Galician: sumerio — language
  • German: Sumerisch — language
  • Greek: σουμεριακή γλώσσα (soumeriakí glóssa) — language
  • Hindi: सुमेरी (sumerī) — language
  • Hungarian: sumer — language
  • Icelandic: súmerska — language
  • Italian: sumero — language
  • Japanese: シュメール語 (shumēru-go) — language
  • Korean: 수메르어 (Sumereueo) — language
  • Central Kurdish: سۆمەری (somerî) — language
  • Limburgish: Soemerisch — language
  • Marathi: सुमेरियन (sumeriyan) — language
  • Norwegian: sumerisk språk — language
  • Persian: سومری (sumeri) — language
  • Polish: język sumeryjski — language
  • Portuguese: língua suméria — language
  • Portuguese: sumério — language
  • Portuguese: sumérico — language
  • Portuguese: sumeriano — language
  • Russian: шуме́рский язы́к (šumérskij jazýk) — language
  • Serbo-Croatian: сумерски — language
  • Serbo-Croatian: sumerski — language
  • Slovak: sumerčina — language
  • Spanish: sumerio — language
  • Sumerian: 𒅴𒂠 (eme-gir) — language
  • Swedish: sumeriska — language
  • Tamil: சுமேரிய மொழி (cumēriya moḻi) — language
  • Turkish: Sümerce — language
  • Arabic: سُومْرِيّ (sūmriyy) — person
  • Catalan: sumeri — person
  • Chinese Mandarin: 蘇美爾人 /苏美尔人 (Sūměi'ěrrén) — person
  • Chinese Mandarin: 蘇美人 /苏美人 (Sūměirén) — person
  • Czech: Sumer — person
  • Danish: sumerer — person
  • Dutch: Soemeriër — person
  • Faroese: sumeri — person
  • Finnish: sumeri — person
  • Finnish: sumerilainen — person
  • French: Sumérien — person
  • French: Sumérienne — person
  • Galician: sumerio — person
  • German: Sumerer — person
  • Greek: Σουμέριος (Soumérios) — person
  • Hindi: सुमेरी (sumerī) — person
  • Italian: sumerico — person
  • Japanese: シュメール人 (shumērujin) — person
  • Korean: 수메르 (sumereu) — person
  • Central Kurdish: سۆمەری (somerî) — person
  • Marathi: सुमेरियन (sumeriyan) — person
  • Persian: سومری (sumeri) — person
  • Polish: Sumer — person
  • Polish: Sumeryjczyk — person
  • Polish: Sumeryjka — person
  • Portuguese: sumério — person
  • Russian: шуме́р (šumér) — person
  • Spanish: sumerio — person
  • Sumerian: 𒌦 𒊕 𒈪 𒂵 (ùĝ saĝ gíg-ga) — person
  • Turkish: Sümer — person
Real reading context

Sumerian in complete knowledge articles