Editing Akkadian language (section)

==Classification==
{{multiple image|perrow=2|total_width=400|caption_align=center
| align    = right
| direction= horizontal
| header   = Sumero-Akkadian cuneiform syllabary<br /><small>({{circa|2200 BC}})</small>
| image1   = Sumero-Akkadian cuneiform syllabary.jpg
| image2   = Inscription of Naram-Sin.jpg
| footer   = Left: Sumero-Akkadian cuneiform syllabary, used by early Akkadian rulers.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Krejci |first1=Jaroslav |title=Before the European Challenge: The Great Civilizations of Asia and the Middle East |date=1990 |publisher=SUNY Press |isbn=978-0-7914-0168-2 |page=34 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=M88CVW8RkCcC&pg=PA34 |language=en |access-date=2020-02-26 |archive-date=2020-03-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200309142449/https://books.google.com/books?id=M88CVW8RkCcC&pg=PA34 |url-status=live }}</ref> Right: Seal of [[Akkadian Empire]] ruler [[Naram-Sin of Akkad|Naram-Sin]] (reversed for readability), {{circa|2250 BC}}. The name of Naram-Sin ({{langx|akk-x-old|{{cuneiform|6|𒀭𒈾𒊏𒄠𒀭𒂗𒍪}}|translit=<sup>[[dingir|D]]</sup>Na-ra-am <sup>[[dingir|D]]</sup>[[Sin (mythology)|Sîn]]}}, {{Transliteration|akk-x-old|Sîn}} being written {{langx|akk-x-old|{{cuneiform|6|𒂗𒍪}}|translit=EN.ZU}}), appears vertically in the right column.<ref>{{cite book |title=Mémoires |date=1900 |publisher=Mission archéologique en Iran |page=[https://archive.org/details/mmoires02franuoft/page/53 53] |url=https://archive.org/details/mmoires02franuoft}}</ref> British Museum.
}}
Akkadian belongs with the other [[Semitic languages]] in the [[Near East]]ern branch of the [[Afroasiatic languages]], a family native to [[Middle East]], [[Arabian Peninsula]], parts of [[Anatolia]], parts of the [[Horn of Africa]], [[North Africa]], [[Malta]], [[Canary Islands]] and parts of [[West Africa]] ([[Hausa language|Hausa]]). Akkadian is only ever attested in [[Mesopotamia]] and neighboring regions in the Near East.

Within the Near Eastern Semitic languages, Akkadian forms an [[East Semitic languages|East Semitic]] subgroup (with [[Eblaite language|Eblaite]] and perhaps [[Dilmunite language|Dilmunite]]). This group differs from the [[Northwest Semitic languages]] and [[South Semitic languages]] in its [[subject–object–verb]] word order, while the other Semitic languages usually have either a [[verb–subject–object]] or [[subject–verb–object]] order.

Additionally Akkadian is the only Semitic language to use the [[preposition and postposition|preposition]]s ''ina'' and ''ana'' ([[locative case]], English ''in''/''on''/''with'', and [[dative case|dative]]-locative case, ''for''/''to'', respectively). Other Semitic languages like [[Arabic]], [[Biblical Hebrew|Hebrew]] and [[Aramaic language|Aramaic]] have the prepositions ''bi/bə'' and ''li/lə'' (locative and dative, respectively). The origin of the Akkadian spatial prepositions is unknown.

In contrast to most other Semitic languages, Akkadian has only one non-sibilant [[fricative consonant|fricative]]: ḫ {{IPA|[x]}}. Akkadian lost both the [[glottal consonant|glottal]] and [[pharyngeal consonant|pharyngeal]] fricatives, which are characteristic of the other Semitic languages. Until the Old Babylonian period, the Akkadian [[sibilant]]s were exclusively [[Affricate consonant|affricated]].<ref name=":0" />