In other instances we find possible Sumerian case endings preserved that are lacking in
parallel copies.^94 Any of these types of variation could be due to either orthographic con-
vention or linguistic representation. The fact is that in many instances we cannot know
which phenomenon we are dealing with. In light of this it seems the best option before us
is to relegate all of the potentially orthographic variations to the same category, even if
dialectal influences may be at work in particular cases, to avoid introducing a high degree
of subjectivity into our analysis. In the hope that variations that might point to possible
linguistic differences are not entirely lost in our examination, those cases will be marked
as Orthographic Variants (linguistic) abbreviated to OV(l). However, during the course of
the analysis, OV and OV(l) will be dealt with largely as a unit.
Stylistic Variants
The category of stylistic variants covers the broadest range of differences between the
source texts. While OV and OV(l) variants affect the text below the level of whole syn-
tactic slots, stylistic variants represent those variations between the sources that affect the
text at the level of whole or multiple syntactic slots.
We can define three different types of stylistic variation. The first relates to a difference
between forms that retain the same meaning between the parallel sources. Shorter forms
(^) intended by the difference. There are numerous other examples of the same phenomena in the other cunei-
form texts examined. See, for example, the prologue to LH, or Gilgamesh XI 94 passim.
In tablet number 63 of the series Enūma Anu Enlil (the so-called Venus Tablet of Ammizaduga) we find
four copies in which the tenth omen includes the form KÙ.GI.GA.KAM, while in one text (BM36395) we
find the form KÙ.GI.GA.KE 4. The genitive marker in Sumerian (-AK > -K) is either spelled differently in
the latter document, or the latter document preserves an ergative post-position marker (-E). See the full
discussion in the listed variants.