- L
3.1 Terminology
The general term for litigation and lawsuit is di.d (“speaking”)^69 in
Sumerian and dìnum in Akkadian. In both languages it also means
judgment. Even more general is the word inim (“word(s),” “affair”)
which may also refer to legal transactions.3.2 Parties
The parties to the lawsuit are called lú-di-da.k^70 (lit., “the person of
the lawsuit”). There is no restriction according to gender. There is
one possible case of a slave contesting his status.^713.3 Procedure
3.3.1 The texts occasionally name the place where the lawsuit was
held. One judgment was rendered in(?) the palace gate,^72 one “at
the place of (the god) Pabilsaºg.” One text speaks of the “place of
the judges.”^733.3.2 The only mention of initiating a lawsuit occurs in a royal
inscription: gù ºgar^74 “to shout”, “to lay a claim to something (against
someone).” An Akkadian Naràm-Su"en inscription uses the verb
dìànum“to litigate” for the opening speech in a case (see 2.1.4.1 above).3.3.3 The initial claim may be followed by one party or their rep-
resentative seeking access to the court, directly or indirectly. Attestedhas been given to him for the commis[sioner]ship. My lord took [the gift/bribe]
away from him.”(^69) Attinger, Éléments.. ., § 329; Wilcke, “Flurschäden.. .,” 304f. (to be used only
with “Korrekturen”).
(^70) SRU 149; 216 s.v.
(^71) So understood in SRU 86. The fragment does not name the plaintiff; it could
also be that a third party claims property rights to the slave.
(^72) SRU 82: 9 abulla(.) é-g[al].
(^73) MVN 3 77, 8(?); 18; perhaps a school text.
(^74) The traditional reading: inim-
ºgar results from not differentiating gù ºgar =
ragàmuand the similarly written inim-ma ºgar, a term used at Old Babylonian Ur
in renunciation clauses (see, e.g., Charpin, Archives.. ., 10) and found already in
Sargonic times: Krecher, “Neue sumerische.. .,” no. 27, 11–13: “zur Sprache brin-
gen” (Krecher’s italics).
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