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THE VERB 137
in nam-nun-IU sag ma-ab-sum-sum, 'grandeur hath one given unto
rne' '.
§ 192. The prefix al, possibly a variant of an occurs once in the
earIy inscriptions, al-zu-zu-a, SAK. 28 k) V 3, but is common in later
texts as al-sum cited by HUBER, Hilprechi Anniversary Volume, 205;
al-bir-ri = issappa1;, BOISSIER, DA. 4, ] 8. Assimilated to ul in nu-ul-ti =
ul asib IV R. 11 u a 39.
If al as subject be inexplicable the prefixes ab, am and an as subject
are no less so. ab subject in ab-du-a 'which had been built'; ab-us-sa
'it is placed", both passives; but active in lag ab-mal-mal=nura ia­
sakkan, 'thou bringest light' 3.
an in más an-iulf, 'it bears interest' 4.
am (invariably written A-AN), in i-si-is ám-ia-lal'. su ám-sar­
sar-ám = ilsarrabu, 'they implore' G. ám-si-iili,' (the land in sorrow)
exists' 7. These forms according to the theory defended in this exposition
are all incorrect and most of them are late and rare.
An especially curious form is e-PI-bal, i. e., e-me-bal, in dub-bi e­
me-bal, 'he has rendered unto them their account' 8, where me evidently
represents the dative plural, possibly identical with the definite plural
me, distinguished from tbe indefinite dative plural ne 9.
§ 193. The prefixes seem originally to have had local distinctions.
e is employed for a subject which acts at the place where the tablet is
redacted. mu denotes a subject near the centre of action. bi and ni
denote those subjects which are at some distance.
1. Cyl. A 2,26.
2. Syntame, p. 241.
3. IV R. 14, no. 2 rey. 12.
4. POEBEL, op. laudo no. 21, 1.
5. SBP. 214, 22.
6. BA. VI, pt. 3, p. 47 obv. 3.
7. SBP. 10, 19 (So 1 would now translate).
8. NIK., 175 rey. IV, 1; 261 rey. IlI; 262 rey. 1.
9. In all three tablets cited me refers to a definite number of shephercls.
al, an, ah,
amo
me.
Local
force of ihe
elements
e, m, n, b.