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Common languages are an integral part ====The Rise of linguistic development in the ancient world, as often such languages influence subsequent languages and help unify or economically and politically integrate populations over a wide territoryAkkadian====[[File:Cuneiform. The ancient Near East displays some jpeg|thumbnail|left|Cuneiform Tablet]] Akkadian was one of the world’s earliest common first written languages shared by several states , along with Sumerian, Elamite, and population groups. The earliest lingua franca is perhaps Akkadianancient Egyptian.<ref>For a further discussion on lingua franca languages and Akkadian , see: ChewDeutscher, Phyllis Ghim LianGuy. 20092000. ''Emergent Lingua Francas and World Orders: The Politics and Place Syntactic Change in Akkadian the Evolution of English as a World LanguageSentential Complementation''. Routledge Studies in Sociolinguistics 1. New York: RoutledgeOxford University Press. http://site.ebrary.com/id/10229911.</ref> However, it is not clear if this language was spoken unlike these other languages, Akkadian spread in use throughout the Near East, Egypt, and written very widely, as it may have been more utilized even reached Cyprus by the elites from different regions2nd millennium BC. Written Akkadian utilized cuneiform writing, such as the political establishmentsa system of wedge-shaped writing (Figure 1), that was primarily a syllabic and logogramic written language.

==As the Akkadian Empire and other Mesopotamia states spread their influence in the 3rd millennium BC, the Akkadian language spread to different regions of the ancient Near East, including Anatolia, Western Syria, Western Iran, the Levantine coast, and even reached Egypt and Cyprus by the 2nd millennium BC. The apex of use for the Akkadian language came in the Late Bronze Age (1600-1200 BC), when widespread trade and interaction between states in the eastern Mediterranean and the Near East became well established. <ref>For a discussion on the role of Akkadian during the Late Bronze Age, see: Bryce, Trevor. 2003. ''Letters of the Great Kings of the Ancient Near East: The Rise Royal Correspondence of the Late Bronze Age''. London ; New York: Routledge.</ref> It was not just trade but also diplomatic correspondences that Akkadian influenced. In the court of Amarna, under the rule of Akhenaten (c. 1353-1336 BC), a significant find of cuneiform Akkadian tablets had been found. These tablets demonstrate that Akkadian==began to be used by royal courts in Cyprus, Egypt, Elamite Iran, Hittite Anatolia, the Mitanni in Syria and the Levant, the Assyrians in northern Mesopotamia, the Kassites in southern Mesopotamia, and many small semi-independent states in the southern Levant (modern Israel and Jordan).<ref> For more on the Amarna correspondences, see: Moran, William L. 1992. ''The Amarna letters''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.</ref>

While Additionally, Akkadian might be a very old language, it is also one of spread to the first written languagesPersian Gulf region, to such areas as modern day Bahrain and along with Sumerian, Elamitethe coastal regions, by the Kassites (from Babylon) who controlled parts of this region and ancient Egyptiancorresponded with Akkadian. <ref> For a discussion more information on Akkadianthe Kassite and their presence in the Persian Gulf, see: DeutscherPotter, GuyLawrence G. 20002010. ''Syntactic Change The Persian Gulf in Akkadian the Evolution of Sentential ComplementationHistory''. New YorkBasingstoke: Oxford University Press. http://site.ebrary.com/id/10229911Palgrave Macmillan, page 35.</ref> However, unlike these other languagesBy the late 2nd millennium BC, we see the Akkadian spread in use throughout the Near East, Egypteconomically uniting a very wide area, while allowing common communication between very disparate people groups and even reached Cyprus by the 2nd millennium BCstates. Written Akkadian utilized cuneiform writing However, a system one fatal flaw of wedge-shaped writing (Figure 1), that the Akkadian language was primarily a its complexity. Often the tablets at Amarna show mistakes in the utilization of the complex syllabic and logogramic writing system. It is likely very few people at court or within different societies understood Akkadian or the written languageof Akkadian. Also, the cuneiform wedges are best suited for clay tablets, which required knowledge in how to create such tablets properly. As Many tablets at Amarna, for instance, are not made very well. In summary, the scribes who used Akkadian Empire needed extensive training, effectively making Akkadian limited in its usage given its complexity and other difficulty. Even within southern Mesopotamia states spread their influence in , the homeland of the 3rd millennium BClanguage, very likely the Akkadian number of people who would have written the language spread to different regions would have been very limited during its peak.<ref>For ideas on literacy in Mesopotamia, see: Dalley, Stephanie. 2005. ''The Legacy of Mesopotamia''. Oxford: Oxford University Press.</ref> ====The Rise of the ancient Near EastAramaic====[[File:Incantation_bowl_in_Aramaic_language,_Nippur, including Anatolia_Sasanian_period, Western Syria_240-641_AD_-_Oriental_Institute_Museum, Western Iran_University_of_Chicago_-_DSC07285.jpg|thumbnail|left|Incantation Bowl in Aramaic, Sassanian Period 240]]While Akkadian was, on the Levantine coastone hand, the first language to be spread across a diverse region and even reached Egypt bridge the eastern Mediterranean and Cyprus the Near East, its limitations prevented it from being adopted by common people. With the 2nd millennium BC. The apex arrival of use for the Akkadian language came in the Late Bronze Age Sea Peoples (1600-c. 1200 BC), when widespread trade we see a political and interaction between states economic vacuum created in the eastern Mediterranean and the Near East became well established. New population groups and states arose after the arrival of the Sea Peoples. <ref>For a discussion on the role of Akkadian during the Late Bronze Age, Sea Peoples see: BryceSandars, TrevorNancy K. 20031985. ''Letters of the Great Kings <i>The Sea Peoples: Warriors of the Ancient Near East: The Royal Correspondence of the Late Bronze Age''Mediterranean 1250 - 1150 BC</i>. Rev. ed. Ancient Peoples and Places 89. London ; New YorkLondon: RoutledgeThames and Hudson.</ref> [[File:Cuneiform.jpeg|thumbnail|Cuneiform Tablet]]

In factThis shift enabled new languages to arise, it was not just trade but also diplomatic correspondences that Akkadian influenced. In particularly the court of Amarnanewly established alphabetical languages, under as the rule of Akhenaten (c. 1353-1336 BC)alphabetical script, nearly 1000 years after its invention, a large find of cuneiform Akkadian tablets had been found. These tablets demonstrate that Akkadian began to be used adopted more significantly by royal courts in Cyprus, Egypt, Elamite Iran, Hittite Anatolia, languages. One language that adopted the Mitanni in Syria and the Levant, the Assyrians in northern Mesopotamia, the Kassites in southern Mesopotamia, and many small semi-independent states in the southern Levant (modern Israel and Jordan)alphabet was Aramaic.<ref> For more a discussion on the Amarna correspondences, Aramaic and its history see: MoranGzella, William LHolger. 19922015. ''The Amarna lettersA Cultural History of Aramaic: From the Beginnings to the Advent of Islam''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.</refi> In additionHandbook of Oriental Studies, we know Akkadian began to be utilized in the Persian Gulf, such as in Bahrain Section 1 The Near and along the coastal regions, with the Kassites (from Babylon) controlling parts of this region and corresponding with it in Akkadian. Middle East<ref/i>For more information on the Kassite and their presence in the Persian Gulf, see: Potter, Lawrence G. 2010volume 111. ''The Persian Gulf in History''. BasingstokeBoston: Palgrave Macmillan, page 35Brill.</ref> By the late 2nd millennium BCThe Arameans spoke Aramaic in Syria, Anatolia, we see the language of Akkadian economically uniting a very wide areaLevant, while allowing common communication between very disparate people groups and statesnorthern Mesopotamia (Figure 2).

HoweverWhile the Arameans never became a politically influential group, one fatal flaw with the rise of the Akkadian language Neo-Assyrian Empire (911-609 BC), Aramaic was its complexity. Often adopted by the tablets at Amarna show mistakes empire in the utilization of the complex syllabic and logogramic writing systemits communication with its conquered populations. It is likely very few people at court or withing different societies understood Akkadian or This Western Semitic language enabled the written language of Akkadian. In addition, the cuneiform wedges are best suited for clay tablets, which required knowledge in how to create such tablets properly. Many tablets at Amarna, for instance, are not made very well. In summary, scribes who had to utilize Akkadian needed long periods of training, effectively making Akkadian limited in its usage given its complexity and time investmentcommunicate with many areas held by the empire. Even within southern Mesopotamia, After the homeland fall of the languageNeo-Assyrians, the number of people who would Achaemenid Persian Empire (550-330 BC) utilized Aramaic even more throughout its realm. It is at this point that Aramaic may have written the language would have been very limited during the peak of the language.<ref>For ideas on literacy in Mesopotamia, see: Dalley, Stephanie. 2005. ''The Legacy of Mesopotamia''. Oxford: Oxford University Pressspread between Egypt and Central Asia.</ref>

==What made Aramaic an attractive language that spread far across much of the Old World is 1) it utilized a simple alphabetical script and 2) its Semitic structure ensured that many groups in the Near East were able to understand the language or at least parts of it. <ref>For a discussion on Aramaic’s utility see: Beyer, Klaus. 1986. ''The Rise of Aramaic==Language, Its Distribution and Subdivisions. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht''.</ref>

While Akkadian was, on the one hand, the first language to spread wide in a region and bridge the eastern Mediterranean and the Near East, its limitations prevented it from being adopted by common people. With the arrival of the Sea Peoples (c. 1200 BC), we see a political and economic vacuum created in the eastern Mediterranean and Near East. New population groups and states arose after the arrival of the Sea Peoples.<ref>For a discussion on the Sea Peoples see: Sandars, Nancy K. 1985. ''The Sea Peoples: Warriors of the Ancient Mediterranean 1250 - 1150 BC''. Rev. ed. Ancient Peoples and Places 89. London: Thames and Hudson.</ref> This enabled new languages to arise, particularly the newly established alphabetical languages, as the alphabetical script, nearly 1000 years after its invention, began to be adopted more significantly by languages. One language that adopted the alphabet was Aramaic.<ref>For a discussion on Aramaic and its history see: Gzella, Holger. 2015. ''A Cultural History of Aramaic: From the Beginnings to the Advent of Islam''. Handbook of Oriental Studies, Section 1 The Near and Middle East, volume 111. Boston: Brill.</ref> This language was spoken by the Arameans in Syria, Anatolia, the Levant, and northern Mesopotamia (Figure 2). While the Arameans never became a politically influential group, with the rise of the Neo-Assyrian Empire (911-609 BC), Aramaic became adopted by the empire in its communication with its conquered populations. This Western Semitic language enabled the language to effectively communicate with many areas held by the empire. After the fall of the Neo-Assyrians, the Achaemenid Persian Empire (550-330 BC) utilized Aramaic even more throughout its realm. It is at this point that Aramaic may have spread between Egypt and Central Asia. [[File:Incantation_bowl_in_Aramaic_language,_Nippur,_Sasanian_period,_240-641_AD_-_Oriental_Institute_Museum,_University_of_Chicago_-_DSC07285.jpg|thumbnail|Incantation Bowl in Aramaic, Sassanian Period 240]]What made Aramaic an attractive language that spread far across much of the Old World is 1) it utilized a simple alphabetical script and 2) its Semitic structure ensured that many groups in the Near East were able to understand the language or at least parts of it. <ref>For a discussion on Aramaic’s utility see: Beyer, Klaus. 1986. ''The Aramaic Language, Its Distribution and Subdivisions. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht''.</ref> During the Achaemenid period, we also see more utilization of parchment, where more common households and individuals utilized written language in day-to-day business. In particular, as trade began to spread under the aegis and protection of larger empires, Aramaic became a natural vehicle in which population groups communicated, helping to politically and economically unify large areas.<ref>For a discussion on how Aramaic was used in empires and trade during the rise of Iranian-based empire see: Dandamaev, M. A., Vladimir Grigorʹevich Lukonin, Philip L. Kohl, and D. J. Dadson. 2004. ''The Culture and Social Institutions of Ancient Iran''. 1st pbk. ed. Cambridge ; New York: Cambridge University Press, page 113. </ref>

====Conclusion====What we see is that early on in the Bronze Age, by 2000 BC and later throughout the 2nd millennium BC, Akkadian began to be utilized more throughout the eastern Mediterranean and the Near East. However, Akkadian was flawed in its complexity. The invention of the alphabet, nevertheless, alone was not enough to diminish the importance of Akkadian, as the alphabet was invented by around 1600 BC.

What we see is that early on in the Bronze Age, by 2000 BC and later throughout the 2nd millennium BC, Akkadian began to be utilized more throughout the eastern Mediterranean and the Near East. However, Akkadian was flawed in its complexity. The invention of the alphabet, nevertheless, alone was not enough to diminish the importance of Akkadian, as the alphabet was invented by around 1600 BC. Rather, we see the crisis created by the Sea Peoples at around 1200 BC created a vacuum for new populations to emerge in the Near East and adopt a new writing system in the form of the alphabet. With the rise of the Neo-Assyrians and particularly the Achaemenid Empire, we then see the spread of the alphabetical Aramaic language. Its relative ease of use among disparate populations and increasing commercial interactions ensured that many people began adopting this language. In many respects, we can say that Aramaic is truly one of if not the world’s first widespread and widely used common languages, as it was a language not just spoke and written by a limited elite but utilized by common people in many areas. <div class="portal" style="width:85%;">====Related DailyHistory.org Articles====*[[How did Monotheism Develop?]]*[[How did the concept of paradise develop?]]*[[How Did Early Judicial Systems Evolve?]]*[[Why was Alexander the Great So Successful In His Conquests?]]</div>

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