The initial pronominal prefix (= IPP) occupies S6 of the finite verbal form. The IPP functions as the pronominal prefix of the composite adverbial prefixes in S7–10. It specifies the person, gender, and number of the referent of the first prefix in the sequence of the adverbial prefixes, see Lesson 6 section 6.3 above.
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Before the dative, the locative2, and the locative3 prefix an allomorph of the ventive prefix in S4 functions as the 1st ps. sg. pronominal prefix.
Table 11.1: The initial pronominal prefixes
The 3rd ps. sg. prefix refers only to human participants. Nonhuman partici -pants are referred to by the prefix /b/in S5. The allomorph /nn/occurs before a vowel, while /n/occurs before a consonant.
The 2nd ps. sg. prefix has two allomorphs: i) /r/before a vowel; ii) /e/before a consonant. 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. IPP is uncertain, but its existence can be inferred from the form of the preceding prefixes.
Instead of /enē/, a discontinuous construction …-S6r-S7a/S10i-…-S12
stem-S14enzen(= …-2.SG-DAT/L2-…-stem-2.PL) is also attested in literary texts from the first part of the 2nd millennium BCE, referring to a 2nd ps. pl. participant.15 This construction apparently follows the pattern of 3rd ps. pl. forms of the preterite conjugation, see Lesson 9, section 9.2 above.
For the writings and functioning of the initial pronominal prefixes, see the lessons on the adverbial cases, Lesson 12–14 below.
Further readings
The only detailed description of the finite-marker prefixes in S2 is Jagersma’s (2010: 526–549) lengthy account, a masterpiece of linguistic reconstruction.
Earlier descriptions discuss the finite-marker, the ventive, and the /ba/-prefix under the label “conjugation prefixes”. As this lesson demonstrated, the use of this term is not justified.
Civil 2008 discusses nominal and verbal conjunction in Sumerian.
SINGULAR PLURAL
1st 2nd 3rd 1st 2nd 3rd
/ƺ/ /r/ or /e/ /nn/ or /n/ /mÕ/ /enÕ/ /nnÕ/
The prefixes of Slots 2–6
15 See Attinger 1993: 231, 237.
The most detailed description of the functions of the middle voice in Sumerian can be found in Woods’s monograph (2008: 87–97, 163–212, 225–267).
His survey of the linguistic background of the middle voice is very useful and illuminating.
On the ventive prefix Foxvog 1974 and Krecher 1985 are still the most important studies. Woods 2008 also extensively discusses the function of the ventive prefix; see, however, Keetman 2015 who points out the inherent flaws in Woods’s approach, which does not recognize morphological variants conditioned by the morphological context, and assigns functions to the ventive (namely the expression of control to the allomorph /mu/) that characterize in fact the conditioning morpheme (the pronominal prefix /n/, the 3rd. ps. sg.
marker of A in S11), but not the ventive. See also Keetman 2015b. Kouwenberg 2008 discusses the use of the ventive in Akkadian, providing an interesting and illuminating comparison with the Sumerian ventive.
Exercises
11.1 Look up the new words used in the examples of this lesson in Foxvog’s (2016b) or Volk’s (2012) glossary, and learn them.
11.2 Study the examples of this lesson carefully and make yourself familiar with their grammatical analysis.
11.3 Try to create the passive version of the following Sumerian clauses by leaving out the A, adding the /ba/- prefix, and transforming the verbal form. You must produce only the morphemic segmentation and glossing (2nd and 3rd line of the examples). Note that two verbal forms are impossible to form, i.e., the prefix /ba/-prefix and one of their /ba/-prefixes are incompatible!
a) en-me-er-kara₂-ra den-ki-ke₄ ŋeštug₂ mu-na-an-šum₂
enmerkar=ra enkik=e ŋeštug=ø S4mu-S6nn-S7a-S11n-S12šum-S14ø PN=DAT.H DN=ERG ear=ABS VEN-3.SG.H-DAT-3.SG.H.A-give-3.SG.P
b) nam-lu₂-lu₇ šag₄ iri-na-ka, ḫa-ne₂-gaz-zeₓ(AB₂.ŠA₃.GE) namlulu=e šag iri=ane=ak=ʾa S1ḫa-S10ni-S11n-S12gaz-S14e people=ERG heart city=3.SG.H.POSS=GEN=L1 MOD-L1-3.SG.H.P-kill-3.SG.A c) dnin-ŋir₂-su-ke₄, sa-šuš-gal-ne₂ u₃-ni-šuš
ninŋirsuk=e sašušgal=ane=ø S2u-S6nn-S10i-S11n-S12šuš-S14ø DN=ERG battle.net=3.SG.H.POSS=ABS ANT-3.SG.H-L2-3.SG.H.A-cover-3.SG.P LESSON11
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d) 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
e) e₂ ud-de₃ ma-ra-du₃-e
e=ø ud=e S4ma-S6r-S7a-S12du-S14e house=ABS day=ERG VEN-2.SG-DAT-build-3.SG.A
f) ensi-ke₄ e₂ mu-du₃
ensik=e e=ø S4mu-S11n-S12du-S14ø ruler=ERG house VEN-3.SG.H.A.-build-3.SG.P
g) lu2 ummaki-⸢ke₄⸣, e₂-ki-surₓ(ERIN₂)-ra-ke₄, izi ba-šum₂
lu umma=ak=e ekisurak=e izi=ø S5b-S7a-S11n-S12šum-S14ø man GN=GEN=ERG TN=DAT.NH fire=ABS3.SG.NH-DAT-3.SG.H.A-give-3.SG.P
11.4 Transliterate the text RTC 19 (Lagash, 24th c.) (P221416) with the help of Volk’s sign list (2012). Translate the texts using Foxvog’s (2016b) glossary. A copy and photo of the text can be found at http://cdli.ucla.edu/P221416. Concentrate on the verbal forms and the human participants, the various goods mentioned are less important. Explain the presence and the lack of the ventive in the verbal forms based on what you have learnt in this lesson.
11.5 Compare the verbal forms in exx. (224) and (225) above and explain the difference between them based on what you learnt about the finite marker and the allomorphs of the ventive in this lesson.
11.6 Go to the ETCSRI corpus (http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/etcsri/corpus) and write “V2=FIN” (without the quotation marks) in the Search Oracc box. Select at least 10 verbal forms and try to explain the presence of the finite-marker based on what you have learnt in this lesson.
11.7 Go to the ETCSRI corpus (http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/etcsri/corpus) and write “V5=MID” (without the quotation marks) in the Search Oracc box. Select at least 10 verbal forms and try to explain the function of the middle prefix based on what you have learnt in this lesson.
The prefixes of Slots 2–6
L ESSON 12
T HE DATIVE AND THE COMITATIVE CASE
This lesson describes the verbal and nominal marking of the dative and the comitative together with their most important uses. We start with the dative case.