Assyrian and Babylonian – dialects of the language collectively known as
Akkadian – have not been spoken for almost 2,000 years. The entire dictionary costs $1,995 (£1,230; 1,400 euros), but is also available for free online – a far cry from the dictionary’s low-tech beginnings.
Almost 90 experts from around the world took part, diligently recording
and cross referencing their work on what ended up being almost two
million index cards.