Mesopotamian
3
7.7
- adjective
- /ˌmɛsəpəˈteɪmiən/
:
mesopotámico
- In Mesopotamian culture, writing was developed using cuneiform script on clay tablets.
- ancient Mesopotamian
- Mesopotamian archaeology
- Mesopotamian city
Examples
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If there is a dramatic reduction in violence, international tourism revenues from Mesopotamian archaeology could be substantial.
Academic text (2011) -
During this period, Mesopotamian writing became intelligible; the language was Sumerian, an agglutinative language of unknown origin.
Academic text (1993) -
So this guy's name is constructed like many Mesopotamian names, with such and such a God did such and such a thing.
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This would be the Mesopotamian angle.
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And we found a Mesopotamian pyramid down here, Frank.
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If one were to attempt to encapsulate this particular aspect of Mesopotamian history, one might suggest the following rule:
Academic text (2007) -
I had been trained in Mesopotamian archaeology and had directed excavations in Syria.
Academic text (2009) -
In Mesopotamian religion, Tammuz is the god of fertility, who embodies the power of new life in nature and spring.
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The heroic god of the cylinder is doubtless Ninurta, an ancient Mesopotamian god of war and agricultural fertility.
Academic text (1993) -
Consequently, many prominent Mesopotamian deities, such as Enlil, the chief God of the pantheon, were related to wind, air and storms.
Surface Forms
Morphology
Mesopotamian = Mesopotamia (transparent) = Mesopotamia + ian
The adjective is formed by adding the productive place-name suffix '-ian' to 'Mesopotamia', so if a learner knows the place name the relation is clear.
Etymology
The word Mesopotamian comes from the Greek parts meso- 'middle' and potamos 'river', meaning 'between rivers'. So Mesopotamian describes things from the land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, which is why it refers to that ancient region, its people, and its culture.