Johnson 2004 - CDLI - UCLA

62. d en.lil 2 d nin.lil 2.da tuß.a.ra May they be performed repeatedly before
˙e 2.en.ne.œa 2.œa 2.œa 2
274
Enlil as he sits with Ninlil,
Example (9) and example (10) below are particularly interesting in that the case of the
focal constituent in each example is quite different: the focal constituent in (9) is in the
absolutive case with a raised inanimate possessor, ki.ßu.ke 4 lu 2, whereas the focal
constituent in (10), namely su iri.na.ke 4, is in the locative-terminative case coding the
experiencer of the predicate bi 2.ib.du 10.ge. Elsewhere, in other examples of this
construction, the focal constituent occurs in the terminative case as in (7), tilla 2
iri ki .za.ka.ße 3, and the locative case as in (8), gud 3 us 2.sa.bi.a. The variety of
postpositional phrases seen in the focal position in the *XP nam bi-√ construction is
indicative of the fact that it is a pragmatic phenomenon that we are dealing with here.
Note, however, that there are no cases in which an ergative noun occurs in focus; this is
probably due to the fact that ergative nouns are usually topical and their presence in a
focus position would be somewhat surprising.
(10) A praise poem of Shulgi (Shulgi E) [2.4.2.05], l. 83
[ Topic en 3.du.œu 10 [ Focus su iri.na.ke 4 nam [ Presupposition bi 2.ib.du 10.ge]]]
As for my hymns, it will not be THE PEOPLE OF HIS OWN CITY who will
enjoy them, (but rather THE PEOPLE OF MY CITY)