In the later second millennium BC, the Akkadian language functions as lingua franca, the language of international communication and diplomacy, over a vast area, ranging from Egypt to Anatolia and from Cyprus to Iran. This dissertation investigates the form, function, and use of Akkadian dialects in the western Mesopotamian periphery in the period from 2450 to 1200 BC within the framework of macrosociolinguistics. After an overview of the extant cuneiform sources from the period in question, the lines of transmission are discussed in greater detail with regards to the writing system employed, the linguistic features of the various archives in question, and the transmission of Mesopotamian literary and lexical traditions. In a next step, the multilingual environment of the western periphery and the ensuing language contact phenomena are discussed
and the functional distribution of the languages used in the written documents is analysed. Then, the results are incorporated into a larger framework of lingua franca communication and the unique socio-political setting that led to the emergence of Akkadian as lingua franca is discussed in greater detail.