In the indicative mood Sumerian finite verbal forms distinguish two verbal tenses:
present-future (= PF) and preterite (PT). Sumerian has a relative tense system:
the verbal form called here the present-future denotes actions that are not ante-rior, but simultaneous or posteante-rior, relative to a given reference point. The verbal form called the preterite denotes actions anterior relative to a given reference point. The opposition between the present-future and the preterite is neutralized in verbal forms denoting permanent states, as verbs used in a stative meaning always use the preterite tense. The terms present-future and preterite are kept here as convenient labels used for referring to the two tenses of Sumerian.
Formally the two tenses are distinguished either i) solely by agreement patterns involving the affixes in S11 and S14, or ii) by a combination of i) with either or both of the following grammatical devices: a) the form of the verbal stem in S12, orb)the suffix -/ed/, a marker of present-future, in S13.
In exx. (165) and (166) the same verb šum₂“to give” is in preterite and present-future, respectively. In (165) the A is expressed with a pronominal prefix in S11, while in (166) it is expressed by a pronominal suffix in S14. Both the preterite and the present-future verbal forms use the same simple stem šum₂.
(165) The victory of Utu-hegal 29 (ETCSL 2.1.6) gu-ti-umki den-lil₂-le ma-an-šum₂
gutium=ø enlil=e S4m-S7a-S11n-S12šum-S14ø GN=ABS DN=ERG VEN-DAT-3.SG.H.A-give-3.SG.P
“The god Enlil has given Gutium to me.”
(166) Gudea Statue B 7:21-23 (Lagash, 22nd c.) (P232275) gu3-de2-a, alan-e, inim im-ma-šum2-mu
gudea=e alan=e inim=ø S2i-S4m-S5b-S6a-S12šum-S14e PN=ERG statue=DAT.NH word=ABS FIN-VEN-3.SG.NH-DAT-give-3.SG.A
“Gudea entrusted the statue with the (following) message: ‘…’.”
Exx. (167)–(169) use the same verb gi₄“to return”. Exx. (167) and (168) contain transitive verbal forms, which differ both in their agreement pattern (in the former the A is expressed with a pronominal prefix in S11, while in the latter with a pronominal suffix in S14), and in the form of the verbal stem (the former uses the simple stem /gi/, while the latter the reduplicated stem /gi~gi/). In ex. (168) both the agreement pattern and the use of the reduplicated stem signals the present-future tense.
(167) En-metena 4 4:3 (RIME 1.9.5.4) (Lagash, 25th c.) (Q001117)
dumu ama i₃-ni-gi₄
dumu=ø ama=ra S2i-S6nn-S10i-S11n-S12gi-S14ø child=ABS mother=L2.H FIN-3.SG.H-L2-3.SG.A-return-3.SG.P
“He let the child return to (his) mother.”
(168) Gudea Statue B 1:13–14 (Lagash, 22nd c.) (P232275) ensi₂, inim bi₂-ib₂-gi₄-gi₄-a
ensik inim=ø S5b-S10i-S11b-S12gi~gi-S14e-S15ʾa
ruler word=ABS 3.SG.NH-L3-3.SG.NH.P-return~PF-3.SG.A-SUB
“The ruler, who revokes these (offerings), ….”
Ex. (169), which is a finite relative clause, contains an intransitive verbal form in the present-future. Its tense is marked by its agreement pattern (the Subject is expressed with a pronominal suffix in S14), by the form of the verbal stem (it uses the reduplicated stem /gi~gi/), and by the presence of suffix -/ed/in S13.
(169) Gudea Statue B 8:19–20 (Lagash, 22nd c.) (P232275) niŋ₂-ba-ŋa₂ ba-a-gi₄-gi₄-da
niŋba=ŋu=ʾa S5ba-S10e-S12gi~gi-S13ed-S14ø-S15ʾa gift=1.SG.POSS=L2.NH MID-L2-return~PF-PF-3.SG.S-SUB
“… who revokes my gifts, …”
Exx. (170), which is a finite relative clause, and ex. (171) contain the verb “to speak” in the preterite and present-future, respectively. They differ both in their agreement pattern (in the former the A is expressed with a pronominal prefix in S11, while in the latter with a pronominal suffix in S14), and in the form of the verbal stem (the former uses the simple stem /dug/, while the latter LESSON9
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the suppletive stem /e/). In ex. (171) both the agreement pattern and the use of the suppletive stem signals the present-future tense.
(170) Iri-kagina 1 8:10–12 (RIME 1.9.9.1) (Lagash, 24th c.) (P222607)
inim lugal-ne₂, dnin-ŋir₂-su-ke₄
P1[inim] P2[lugal=ane ninŋirsuk=e
P1[word] P2[king=3.SG.H.POSS DN=ERG
e-na-dug₄-ga
S2i-S6nn-S7a-S11n-S12dug-S14ø-S15ʾa]-P5ø
FIN-3.SG.H-DAT-3.SG.H.A-speak-3.SG.P-SUB]=P5ABS
“the commands, Ningirsu, his master, gave him, ….”
(171) Nam-mahne 6 2:6 (RIME 3/1.1.12.6) (Lagash, 21st c.) (P234696) sizkur-ŋu₁₀ ḫe₂-na-be₂
sizkur-ŋu=ø S1ḫa-S2i-S6nn-S7a-S11b-S12e-S14e
pray=1.SG.POSS=ABS MOD-FIN-3.SG.H.-DAT-3.SG.NH.P-speak.PF-3.SG.A
“May it (= this statue) pray to her on my behalf (lit. ‘tell my pray’)!”
The pronominal affixes which are involved in the agreement pattern of the tenses may be arranged into three sets, see Table 9.1. below. Slot 11 contains the final pronominal prefixes (= FPP). Slot 14 may be filled by either of two sets of suffixes, which differ only in their 3rd ps. forms. Note that in 3rd ps. sg. only the FPP distinguishes between human and non-human forms, while the pronominal suffixes in S14 do not.
The 2nd ps. sg. FPP is /e/. In texts from the 3rd millennium BCE the /e/
contracts with the preceding vowel and lengthens it, whereas in texts from the 2nd millennium BCE the contraction results in an /ē/. The exact form of the 1st ps. sg. FPP is uncertain, but its existence can be inferred from the form of the preceding prefixes.
Sumerian is an ergative language which exhibits split ergativity in its verbal agreement system. The pronominal cross-referencing system of the preterite is ergative: both the S of intransitive verbal forms and the P of transitive verbal forms are cross-referenced by the same set (Set B) of pronominal suffixes in S14, while the A is cross-referenced by a different set of affixes. The pronominal cross-referencing system of the present-future is nominative-accusative: A and S are cross-referenced with the same set of suffixes (Set A) in S14, except for the 3rd ps. forms, while P is cross-referenced with the FPPs of S11. In 3rd ps.
sg. and pl. the present-future has a tripartite system: A, S, and P are all marked with different affixes.
Verbal tense
Table 9.1