Johnson 2004 - CDLI - UCLA

verbs of direct perception in Sumerian is the *bi-√ prefix. Much of the initial impetus for
the investigation of the hypothesis proposed in this dissertation stems from this rather
general observation. Note as well that, whereas English uses a verb of creation to form
one type of light verb construction for verbs of speaking, namely “make,” Sumerian
actually uses the verb du 11, “to say” as an auxiliary verb in the formation of a variety of
constructions including the light verb constructions mentioned above (section 2.5). It is
likewise apparent that not only the *bi-√ prefix, but also other members of the set of
deictic elements that include it (*-ni-, *-bi-, and *-ri-) migrated to the main verb and were
grammaticalized as auxiliary verbs coding not only an expletive subject in either
presentational or existential mode (and thereby, at least in the case of the distal forms,
*-bi- and *-ri-, indefiniteness), but also the relative distance in time and/or space from the
event referred to by the predicate (a kind of evidentiality). Woods argues for two distinct
sets of deictics: what I will term set A (*-e, *-ne, *-be) and set B (*-e, *-ße, *-re).
Although Woods’ model has much to recommend it, I would argue for a slight
reconfiguration if only to capture the fact that set B clearly includes a case-marking
component (the generally allative/dative cast of the members of set B) and seems to be
used predominantly in the grammatical texts—for the most part to modify
inalienable/orientational nouns such as gu 2 (see Woods 2001, 167, for an insightful
discussion of the riverine system of deixis and its exclusive use of set B). If nothing else,
the use of set B in a somewhat restricted distribution but quite systematically with gu 2
provides quite a bit of justification for distinguishing set B from the other deictics as a
distinct series. Woods’ reconstruction of set A, however, is in need of revision in my
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