Johnson 2004 - CDLI - UCLA

The example in (44) was presented in abbreviated form above. As noted earlier, the
sources that preserve the full form of the verb (F 1 and H 1) are evenly split in a sense: F 1
preserves the form a 2 bi 2.in.su 3.su 3.ud (the variant used by ETCSL), while H 1 preserves
the form a 2 bi 2.in.su 3.su 3.e (the variant used in Karahashi 2000, 78). Although the
Akkadian translation of this line translates a different Sumerian predicate, ni 2.bi
mu.un.su 3, and is not, therefore, of probative value in analyzing the *bi-√ prefix verb in
question, the previous example can be taken as a model in favor of reduplication and the
form in H 1 emended to a 2 bi 2.in.su 3.su 3.ud ! (E).
(45) The Exploits of Ninurta [1.6.2], ll. 348-352
348. d nin.urta dumu d en.lil 2.la 2.ke 4
gal.bi i 3.œa 2.œa 2
138
Ninurta, the son of Enlil, wanted to do
something big,
349. gu.ru.um na 4 kur.ra mi.ni.in.ak As for the pile of stones that he accumulated
350. dungu diri.ga.gin 7
in the mountains,
Because they were spread all over like
a 2 bi 2.in.su 3.su 3.ud drifting clouds,
351. bad 3 ma˙.gin 7 kalam.ma They blocked the view of the land like a
igi.ba bi 2.in.tab.≠ba± huge wall,
352. œiß bala ki.ßar 2.ra mu.ni.in.œar He installed a spigot (?) on the horizon,
The reduplicated *bi-√ prefix verb in line 350 takes gu.ru.um na 4 “a pile of stones” as its
subject and describes the result of Ninurta’s activities, perhaps best translated using a