Basic principles with the Sumerian Grammar 3
koot van wyk (DLitt et Phil; ThD)
Kyungpook National University
Sangju Campus
South Korea
Conjoint lecturer of Avondale College
Australia
1 August 2010
This is the third reflection on aspects of the Sumerian Grammar. We do not know the language of Adam and not the language of Henoch or Methusaleg, but one thing we can learn, that Sumerian was the language after the flood in 2521 BCE and whether it came after the Babel event or existed before, we do not know. In all likelihood, it existed together with Semitic after the event of Babel.
Articles
Sumerian has no articles (Daniel Foxvog 2010: 25).
Adjectives
There are simple adjectives:
gal = big;
tur = small
mah = great
ĝen = ordinary
They are also verbal modifiers:
iri-gal = the big city
dumu-tar = the small child
There is the simple adjective with suffix -a:
kalag-a = strong, mighty
zi(d) or zi-da = righteous
tigi-ni-du10(-ga) constructions
[tigi = hymn] which is good
form [sa6(g)+a] dim-ma ni sa6-ga
(noun)judgement + (relative pronoun)which is (adjective)
excellent
[Text Šulgi B 10 Ur III (2093-2045 BCE)]
form [du10(g)+a] ĝišbun ni du10-ga
(noun)banquet + (relative pronoun)which is (adjective) good/fine
[Text Iddin-Dagan A 204 Old Babylonian 1950 BCE] He was the third ruler at Mari after the fall of Ur in 2004 BCE: (1) Išbi-Era; (2) Šu-illišu; (3) Iddin-Dagan]
Mulitple Adjectives
anše tur mah
donkeys small and big
[Nik I 203 iv 1 os]
form [du10(g)+a+ak] sá-du11 kas gig du10-ga-kam
(noun) regular offering + (noun) beer + (adjective) black + (adjective) good + (genitive) of
It is a regular offering of good black beer
[Text TSA 34 3:10 OS]
form [zu+a kal+a+(a)ni] (lú) zu-a kal-la-ni
(noun) persons (adjective) who were known + (adjective) who were dear + (relative pronoun indicator) to him
(persons) who were known and dear to him
[Text Lugalbanda and Emerkar 5 OB]
Reduplication of Adjectives
diĝir-gal-gal the very great god or the great gods
kal-kal very precious
šen-šen very clean
[gi(n)+a] = right; nì-gi-na = right thing, law
nì-gi-gi-na = all the laws
[Text Gudea Statue B 7:38 during Ur III period 2114-2004 BCE]
4 ninda-bàppir-gal-gal 1 ninda-bàppir-tur-tur
4 extra-big beer-breads, 1 extra-small beer-bread
[Text Genava 26, 53 3:2-3 OS]
Reduplication of Adjectives of Color
white Old Sumerian (2400 BCE) bar6-bar6
Old Babylonian (1950 BCE) babbar (BAR6)
black gíg but rarely gíg-gíg
dark Old Babylonian (1950 BCE) ku10-ku10 (kúkku)
yellow/green si12-si12 or sig7(-ga)
multi-colored gùn-gùn
sweet ku7-ku7
pure dadag
shining, clean zalag-zalag
One is reminded of the name of Metusaleg which is a combination of the participle "when he dies" salag. Does this mean, it shall be clean? When Metusaleg dies the world shall be clean when the evil are all wiped out by the Flood in 2521 BCE.
Genitive Construction
There is a regens, a rectum, a genitive suffix, a regens modifier and a case marker.
Regens can be noun + adjective or just noun
Rectum can be noun + adjective + possesive/demonstrative pronoun + plural + genitive suffix ak
Regens modifier can be possessive/demonstrative pronoun + plural
Case marker
(é) + (lugal + ak) + Ø é lugal-la
house king of
the house of the king
Order is 1 3 2
(é) + (lugal + ak) + a é lugal-la-ka
house king of in
In the house of the king
Order is 2 4 3 1
(dumu) + (lugal + ani + ak) + e dumu lugal-a-na-ke4
son king his of by
By the son of his king
Order is 5 1 4 3 2
(šeš+tur) + (lugal + mah + ak) + ene + Ø
šeš-tur lugal-mah-a-ke4-ne
brother young king big of (plural marker)
The young brothers of the great king
Order is 2 1 5 4 3
(šeš+tur) + (lugal + mah + za + ak) + bi + ene + Ø
šeš-tur lugal-mah-za-bé-ne
brother young king big your of those (plural marker)
Those young brothers of your great king
Order is 7 2 1 6 5 4 3
Multiple Genitive Constructions
regens + (regens + rectum + ak) + ak
regens + (regens [regens + rectum + ak] + ak) + ak
é dumu + ak + Ø é dumu
The house of the son
é dumu lugal + ak + ak + Ø é dumu lugal-la-ka
The house of the son of the king
é dumu lugal úri(m)ki + ak + ak + ak + Ø
é dumu lugal úriki-ma-ka-ka
The house of the son of the king of Ur
Order: 1 7 2 6 3 5 4
Preposition in Genitive chain
The preposition stands at the back of the Genitive chain and is called the Genitive Postposition (Foxvog 2010: 40).
é lugal + ak + a é lugal-a-ka
house king of in
In the house of the king
Order: 4 1 3 2
é lugal + ak + še é lugal-a-še
house king of to
To the house of the king
Order: 4 1 3 2
Genitive combined with the possesive pronouns
Genitive is "of" and possessive pronouns are "my, his, theirs".
The order is pronoun first and then genitive.
of my-ĝu10 + ak + Ø becomes -ĝá
of your-zu + ak + Ø becomes -za
of his, her-(a)ni + ak + Ø becomes -(a)-na
of its, their (collective) -bi + ak + Ø becomes -ba
of our-me + ak + Ø becomes -me
of your-zuene + ak + Ø becomes -zu-ne-ne
of their-(a)nene + ak + Ø becomes -(a)-ne-ne
form: ká irí + ĝu10 + ak + Ø
ká irí-ĝá
gate city my of
The gate of my city
Order: 1 4 3 2
form: ká irí + ĝu10 + ak + še
ká irí-ĝá-še
gate city my of to
To the gate of my city
Order: 5 1 4 3 2
form: é-mah lugal + (a) nene + ak + Ø
é-mah lugal-la-ne-ne
house great king their of
The great house of their king
Order: 2 1 5 4 3
form: é-mah lugal + (a) nene + ak + a
é-mah lugal-la-ne-ne-ka
house great king their of in
In the great house of their king
Order: 6 2 1 5 4 3
Source:
Daniel A. Foxvog was a lecturer in Assyriology at the University of California at Berkeley. At the site for these books, www.etana.org I ran into his book: Daniel A. Foxvog, Introduction to Sumerian Grammar (Revised edition, June 2010). This work is a revised edition of his 1990 Sumerian Grammar (Foxvog 2010: 3).