Basic principles with the Sumerian Grammar 11

koot van wyk (DLitt et Phil; ThD)

Kyungpook National University

Sangju Campus

South Korea

Conjoint lecturer of Avondale College

Australia

1 September 2010

It is the eleventh treatment of the topic of the Sumerian Grammar.

We are sometimes citing events or grammatical examples from the Annals of Utuheĝal and it is important to say something about him.

Near the end of the Gutian invasion and Gutian period of oppression of Sumer 2179-2100 BCE, Utuheĝal became ruler of Erech and ruled there 7 years (Kramer 1963: 67). The Gutians were the "snake/scorpion of the mountains" in his time. He fought Tirigan the Gutian king and fettered him, blindfolded him and put his foot on his neck. After this, Urnammu usurped the throne and became the founder of the Ur III dynasty (2112-2004 BCE). Of course Urnammu ruled for 18 years (Kramer 1963: 68). He made straight the highways and died in battle. It is said of Urnammu that "he had been abandoned in the battle field like a crushed vessel" (Kramer 1963: 68). In 2096 BCE Šulgi, his son succeeded him and ruled for 48 years until 2047 BCE. Isaac was born during the time of Utuheĝal since Isaac was born in 2129 BCE. Abraham took Isaac to Mount Moriah in 2114 BCE. That was two years before Urnammu ursurped the throne and before the start fo the Ur III period. Isaac lived through the whole Ur III period from 2129-1949 BCE. He was aware of the fall of Ur in 2004 BCE. Abraham died near the end of Šulgi's reign in 2054 BCE. It is about 9 years before the end of Šulgi's reign. Shelah, the grandson of Shem [son of Noah] died in 2051 BCE. That was three years after Abraham. Jacob was also born during the days of Šulgi, namely in 2069 BCE. Jacob went to Haran 12 years after the Fall of Ur in 2004 BCE, thus in 1992 BCE. With this information, we are now able to take up the Sumerian Grammar of this period.

We have also studied earlier, the seals of the same area during this period. The book we used was that of The University of Chicago Oriental Institute Publications Volume XXII, which is online. It is the collection of seals of Edward T. Newell and the book was published in 1934. One thing was very clear, namely from the diagram of the chart it was showing the extent, mixture and overlapping of styles on the seals in various periods and places in the Levant. Our attention was drawn to seals dating to the time of Sargon 2305 BCE in which the lion's shape, form and muscles are depicted in realistic graphics that is almost photographic. See for example seal no. 7. The people of that age, were highly cultured people that compares very well to any of our First World countries.

Temporal and Causal Subordinate Clauses

Finite relative constructions are commonly used with specific head nouns and adverbial case markers to form temporal and causal subordinate clauses. The entire sentence is relativized and it stands in apposition to the head noun of the newly created clause. There is no suppression of the internal case markers and no use of the relative pronouns.

1. Head and case marker with relative sentence generate a temporal subordinate clause:

u₄ sentence+a+a              in/on the day (that), when

u₄ sentence+a+ta    from the day (that), after, since

u₄ sentence+a+gin₇  like the day (that), during, while

mu sentence+a+ain         the year (that)

eger sentence+a+ta after (temporal), from the back of, behind (local)

en-na sentence+a+šè       until, as long as (temporal); up to, as far as (local)

Example

en-na ì-ĝen-na-aš

until he has come

[Text: Grégoire, AAS p. 36 Ur III period 2112-2004 BCE]

a) Head noun and eger = "back" may be deleted:

úri^ki-šè im-ĝen-na-ta é in-dù

after he came to Ur, he built the temple

b) Locative postposition -a can be elided when followed by a relativizing -a, in later writing:

iri-šè im-ĝen-na é-gal-la-ni in-dù

when he had come to the city, he built his palace

Actually it is the following:

u₄ iri-šè im-ĝen-a-a é-gal-la-ni in-dù

1. Head and case marker with relative sentence generate a causal subordinate clause:

bar sentence+a+ak+šè/a

because, for the sake of , instead of, in the place of

mu sentence+a+ak+šè                       because, instead of, about

nam sentence+a+ak+šè   

on the occasion of, it being so that, since

bar lugal ^den-lil-le á šúm-ma ì-me-a ì-zu-a-ke₄-eš

because they (the people) knew that he was a king given might by Enlil

[Text: Utuheĝal's Annals 54 Ur III period 2112-2004 BCE]

bar lugal ^den-lil-le á šúm-ma ì-me-a ì-zu-a-ke₄-eš

mu sipa-zi ba-ra-ab-è-a-šè sila-daĝal ki-a-ne-di ĝál-la-ba ér-gig ì-še₈-še₈

because it (fate) had made the righteous shepherd go away, bitter tears were being wept in those broad streets where there was once dancing

[Text: Ur-namma A 18-19 Old Babylonian 1980-1750 BCE copy of an Urnammu text(?). Urnammu was king of the Ur III period from 2112-2096 BCE. About Urnammu it is said that he "he had been abandoned in the battle field like a crushed vessel" (Kramer 1963: 68)].

mu sipa-zi ba-ra-ab-è-a-šè sila-daĝal ki-a-ne-di ĝál-la-ba ér-gig ì-še₈-še₈

nam é-kur ki-áĝ-ĝá-ni ba-hul-a-šè

it being so that his beloved Ekur-temple had been destroyed

[Text: Curse of Agade 151 Old Babylonian copy 1980-1750 BCE]

nam é-kur ki-áĝ-ĝá-ni ba-hul-a-šè

a) Head noun and bar, mu, nam may be deleted and only the suffixes are left to indicate the causal idea (Foxvog 2010: 100). Because of this deletion, some grammarians describes this sequence -a-ke₄-eš as an independent adverbial suffix "because" :

1 2/3 ma-na 1/2 gín kù-babbar PN-e PN₂-ra in-da-tuku-a-ke₄-eš

because PN had (a debt of) 1 2/3 mina 1/2 shekels silver against PN₂

[NSGU 117:2-5 Ur III period economic text 2112-2004 BCE]

1 2/3                            amount

ma-na                           weight unit = mina

1/2                               amount

gín                               monetary unit = shekels

kù-babbar                     metal = silver

PN-e                   personal name agent

PN₂-ra                          personal name patient

in-da-tuku                     verbal string

-a-ke₄-eš                 causal string = because

Temporal or Causal Adverbial Expressions

A combination of head noun and adverbial case marker can be used to produce adverbial phrases.

u₄-da                            on the day, at the time, when, whenever

u₄-ba                                     at that time, then

u₄-bi-ta                        since that time, thereafter, afterwards

eger é-ĝá-šè                          to the rear of my house (local)

eger-ĝu₁₀-šè                          after me (also "after I die")

en-na zú-si-šè                       until the sheep-shearing (season)

[Text: TCS 1, 282:3; see Foxvog 2010: 101]

bar lugal-za-ke₄-eš                 because of your king

bar-ĝu₁₀-a                              for my sake

[construction requires a genitive but a possessive pronoun can replace the genitive in the rectum position]

bar-zu-šè                              because of you

bar-bi-ta                               because of this

mu-bi-šè                               because of that, therefore

mu ur-gi7-ra-šè                     (dead sheep) for (feeding) the dogs

[Text: Archi/Pomponio Testi Drehem no. 220:5 Ur III period]

mu ú-gu dé-a-šè                    because it had gotten lost

nam-bi-šè                              because of that, therefore

nam-iri-na-šè                        for the sake of his city

(Old Sumerian name 2305-2112 BCE)

nam é dù-da lugal-la-na-šè

for the sake of the house that was to be built of (i.e. by) his king

[Text: Gudea Cylinder A 17:7]

ĝá-ke₄-éš-hé-ti

let him live for my sake!

[Ur III period 2112-2004 BCE personal name with the elliptical <nam>]

[Text: MVN 11, 163:13]

Source:

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). It is online at www.etana.org.