Epistemic modality, – simply put, a certain marked relation of the speaker to the certainty of his words – has never been the subject of systematic research in Assyriology. Better studied is deontic modality, which deals with volition and obligation, expressed in Akkadian mostly by means of verbal mood (cf., for instance, E. Cohen, The Modal System of Old Babylonian, Winona Lake, 2005). The book under review, a result of Wasserman's fifteen-year study of the subject, aims to reveal the available part of the epistemic modality kit of Old Babylonian Akkadian in its variety. Linguistic studies of dead languages are inevitably limited to material from written sources. It is important to remember though, that the Old Babylonian texts are a reflection of the actual synchronic spoken language.
The corpus of Old Babylonian Akkadian is large enough to provide sufficient evidence on the apparatus of lexical epistemic modality, which could apply to both direct and indirect communication. The research is based mainly on the Old Babylonian epistolary corpus (1900–1500 bc), which obviously supplies most of the material for epistemic modality, though many of the literary texts are examined too. The geography of the texts covers all the main archives from Ur in the South to Mari in the North.
Epistemic modality in Akkadian is governed by grammaticalized modal particles with various origins. The study consists of analyses of the ten main particles, namely pīqat, midde, wuddi, anna, lū ittum, tuša, -man, kīša, assurrē and -mi. Each chapter on a separate modal particle (wuddi and anna are treated together because they are similar in nature) forms a separate essay – nine in total. Every essay, apart from the main discussion of semantics and syntax, consists of a review of previous research, orthography, an etymological discussion, a naming of all the attestations and statistical data. The author collected c. 660 attestations of modal particles, but for obvious reasons only a few of the contexts are quoted (the complete list of attestations of each particle is given at the end of the relevant chapter). It is important to mention that the bulk of the quoted passages were collated and show essential corrections. Some rare modal particles, which were not considered worthy of a separate section (ra'i, rabtat, šurrumma, surramma, ūKa, minus, ali, -mē, -me, -māme and -māku) are very briefly examined in the final, tenth, chapter.
Though many of the modal particles examined here have been the subject of previous discussion, the approach to Old Babylonian epistemic modality as an integral system is new and most valuable. The system, as summarized in the outline on pp. 215–7, includes particular instruments for expressing possibility vs. probability vs. certainty, refutation vs. affirmation, improbability vs. reality, and subjectification vs. perspectivization. In the vein of studies on Akkadian grammar, it is important to highlight among the author's conclusions (pp. 208–15) the correlation between the usage of specific modal particles, the verbal tenses and the negation particle in the sentence, as well as the tendency of most modal particles to follow a topicalizing phrase. It is remarkable that the distinctions between the Old Babylonian sub-dialects seem to be slight, while usage of particles (such as -mi) in the epistolary genre and the literary texts shows much greater diversity. The author's conclusion about the existence of two mechanisms for creating modal particles in Old Babylonian Akkadian: welding smaller elements to a particle and adapting existing verbal forms (p. 143) is noteworthy. This principle, however, does not cover the enclitic particles, whose etymological origin remains obscure.
The author's deep linguistic approach reveals itself in the theoretical excurses, where he explains the function of the Old Babylonian system of epistemic modality and its particular elements through generalized theory. The typological parallels from various modern languages, including English, French, German, Arabic, Hebrew, Russian and Hindi, are noteworthy.
The book includes a bibliography, a list of the cited texts with modal particles, and three indexes – of topics discussed (including personal names), Akkadian and Sumerian lexemes, and texts – which make its use very convenient. It is necessary to note a slight confusion in the Contents (p. xi, the titles of the indexes), as well as some minor lapses in transliteration (like that with the determinative in the example from ARM 28, 145 on p. 183).
Last but not least, one cannot avoid mentioning the wonderfully lively style of the book, which is (almost paradoxically) very simple, scientific and yet at the same time almost literary. Wasserman's monograph is highly recommended to all who are interested in Akkadian and Semitic linguistics, as well as those interested in studies of modality in general.
