Assyrian, Babylonian, Sumerian Translator Created

DrJackson writes "A new online translator that can translate Assyrian, Babylonian, Sumerian and Egyptian hieroglyphics (1 of the 3 types anyway) has been developed. This is the first time I ever saw a translator for cuneiform. Something like this would be great for translating interesting historical records like the Amarna Letters."

bo-ring

[heptapod]

wake me when they can do pnakotic

Oh Great!

[Anonymous Coward]

This will be most useful in my efforts to summon Gozer!

yes, but

[Anonymous Coward]

Does it support UTF-8? :)

Monty Python

[JoshWurzel]

Now I can finally find out what the capital of Assyria is! I hope its not "aaaarrrrhhhh"

coincidentally

[WwWonka]

"Something like this would be great for translating interesting historical records like the Amarna Letters."

God, I was just telling my friend Akakakakallatatatmah the exact same thing today! weird.

I can not wait...

[orionop]

for the unfortunate translations of the Epic of Gilgamesh that rival the hilarity of the google translation of the japanese amazon site.

But does it

[Anonymous Coward]

do Åncient? If so then Daniel Jackson is out of a job...

This could really hurt...

[WormholeFiend]

Zecharia Sitchin's money making scheme...

Translation Test

[eric2hill]

Will it translate casting liquified limestone [slashdot.org] correctly?

I swear, that was the funniest damn thing I've seen on slashdot.

Oh good!

[Chairboy]

I've been meaning to write a 'Hello world' Nam-shub...

Re:Monty Python

[tepples]

Now I can finally find out what the capital of Assyria is!

The capital of Assyria is Addamascus [wikipedia.org].

Re:Submission is completely bogus and hasn't read

[Anonymous Coward]

IMPORTANT, can somebody translate this for me, A.S.A.P.??

"Good evening. As a duly designated representative of the City, County, and State of New York, I order you to cease any, and all, supernatural activity and return forthwith to your place of origin, or to the nearest convenient parallel dimension."

Re:You Idiotic American Bible-Belt Pussy!

[AgentOJ]

You idiotic anonymous coward!

The Pnakotic Manuscripts were an invention of H.P. Lovecraft and factor into the Cthulhu Mythos. Besides, everyone knows the origin of Mankind lies within the information from the Elder Gods.

Re:Uh...right.

[Rebelgecko]

As a technologist who also reads ancient Egyptian (from college) as well as Akkadian (== Assyrian & Babylonian, with slightly different scripts over the years) and Sumerian, I can fairly readily call shenanigans on this one. The sophistication of translation here is about as deep as the 'your name in hieroglyphs' stuff you find in museum stores and the horrid Dover reprints of Budge's books.

And don't even get me started on Sumerian. Professional Sumerologists still can't render half of the agglutinative morphemes that appear in Sumerian verbs.

I definitely agree with you on translating difficulties. When your last sentence was translated into English, most of it came out as gibberish!

Re:Oh Great!

[skoaldipper]

Did someone say Sumerian?

I hear they recently translated a speech by some Governor, addressing a San Francisco parade during a recent California primary election stop...
[...]
Candidate - Open immigration, mass transit, relief of property taxes at your doorstep, and windmills instead of coal.
Mayor - Wrong! Governor! What is best in life?
Governor - To brush your enemies, see them drivel before you, and to wear the garmentation of the women.

Now I can send my Christmas cards out!

[noewun]

"It says, 'bird, camel, Horus, snake, bundle of reeds!' "

Re:Uh...right.

[SlowMovingTarget]

And don't even get me started on Sumerian. Professional Sumerologists still can't render half of the agglutinative morphemes that appear in Sumerian verbs.

Pffft. That's because they don't have DirectX 10 on Vista, which has had agglutinative morpheme rendering for like forever already.

Re:I didn't think they'd cracked modern languages.

[megaditto]

I hardly ever get to speak English with real people.

Welcome to slashdot. Do not worry, you'll fit right in here.

Re:I didn't think they'd cracked modern languages.

[Anonymous Coward]

What do you mean? I can speak fluently in several ancient languages. I happen to be an expert at COBOL.

Cthulhu is real!

[Steve Furlong]

You insensitive clod! All I wanted for Christmas was for Cthulhu to awaken and eat my boss. I didn't get it, and now you call Him a myth!

Re:Uh...right.

[alexj33]

Indiana Jones: Dad, Professional Sumerologists still can't render half of the agglutinative morphemes that appear in Sumerian verbs!

Jones Sr.: Indiana, let it go. By the way a big rock is rolling towards us.

Completely useless

[davidc]

It doesn't even have a translation for "cheezburger", let alone "bukkit"...

Re:You Idiotic American Bible-Belt Pussy!

[Anonymous Coward]

Wait - the bible belters believe in an ancient starfaring race of extradimensional telepathic squid monsters? Perhaps I should give this fundie thing a try.

Re:I didn't think they'd cracked modern languages.

[Nazlfrag]

Bird bird eye feather snake bird squiggly, you insensitive clod!

Coolio - this will come in handy

[STDK]

in my everyday life. Now if they one day invent one that can translate nonsense english into real english I'd be in heaven.

Cool idea though. Wonder if it works, all my texts are in living langaguges. STDK

Re:Uh...right.

[Bastard of Subhumani]

there are so many words that are actually complete sentences

Ah. So it's like German, then?

Re:Uh...right.

[Anonymous Coward]

If you're American, why don't you do what all Americans do in this situation:

1) Say 'gee, we have a bigger artificial hill at the ski-slope on my ranch'

2) stack some beer cans on it

3) open fire with AP and HE from an Abrams

4) Profit!!

Translators are great

[TheSciBoy]

I translate all my witnesses with the aid of google. It works large! I do not see that what the problem is. Nobody can dreaming that I am using a translator less that says they.

Re:I didn't think they'd cracked modern languages.

[MindKata]

I knew someone would have to translate it. :) ... its like waving a red rag in front of a bull ;)