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The term "Sumerian" is the common name given to the ancient non-Semitic inhabitants of [[Mesopotamia]], Sumer, by the Semitic [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akkadian_Empire Akkadians]. The Sumerians referred to themselves as ùĝ saĝ gíg-ga, phonetically uŋ saŋ giga, literally meaning "the black-headed people", and to their land as ki-en-gi(-r) ('place' + 'lords' + 'noble'), meaning "place of the noble lords". The Akkadian word ''Shumer'' may represent the geographical name in dialect, but the phonological development leading to the Akkadian term ''šumerû'' is uncertain. Hebrew ''Shinar'', Egyptian Sngr, and Hittite Šanhar(a), all referring to southern Mesopotamia, could be western variants of ''Shumer''.

The term "Sumerian" is the common name given to the ancient non-Semitic inhabitants of [[Mesopotamia]], Sumer, by the Semitic [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akkadian_Empire Akkadians]. The Sumerians referred to themselves as ùĝ saĝ gíg-ga, phonetically uŋ saŋ giga, literally meaning "the black-headed people", and to their land as ki-en-gi(-r) ('place' + 'lords' + 'noble'), meaning "place of the noble lords". The Akkadian word ''Shumer'' may represent the geographical name in dialect, but the phonological development leading to the Akkadian term ''šumerû'' is uncertain. Hebrew ''Shinar'', Egyptian Sngr, and Hittite Šanhar(a), all referring to southern Mesopotamia, could be western variants of ''Shumer''.

==Definition==

==Definition==

*1: an [[ancient]] region in southwestern Asia, in present-day [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Iraq], comprising the southern part of [[Mesopotamia]]. From the 4th millennium bc it was the site of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sumer#City-states_in_Mesopotamia city states] that became part of ancient [[Babylonia]].

*1: an [[ancient]] region in southwestern Asia, in present-day [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Iraq], comprising the southern part of [[Mesopotamia]]. From the 4th millennium bc it was the site of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sumer#City-states_in_Mesopotamia city states] that became part of ancient [[Babylonia]].

==Description==

==Description==

'''Sumer''' was one of the ancient civilizations and historical regions in southern Mesopotamia, modern-day southern Iraq, during the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chalcolithic Chalcolithic] and the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_Bronze_Age Early Bronze ages]. Although the earliest specimens of [[writing]] in the region do not go back much further than c. 2500 BC, modern historians have suggested that Sumer was first permanently settled between c. 5500 and 4000 BC by a non-Semitic people who spoke the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sumerian_language Sumerian language] (pointing to the names of cities, rivers, basic occupations, etc., as evidence).

'''Sumer''' was one of the ancient civilizations and historical regions in southern Mesopotamia, modern-day southern Iraq, during the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chalcolithic Chalcolithic] and the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_Bronze_Age Early Bronze ages]. Although the earliest specimens of [[writing]] in the region do not go back much further than c. 2500 BC, modern historians have suggested that Sumer was first permanently settled between c. 5500 and 4000 BC by a non-Semitic people who spoke the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sumerian_language Sumerian language] (pointing to the names of cities, rivers, basic occupations, etc., as evidence).