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140
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SUMERIAN GRAMMAR
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originating at the centre and in the second case remaining at the centre,
nevertheless, has an aspect of ' otherness', if we may employ a psycholo­
gical termo In DP. nos. 69. 70. 71 the ordinary phrase a-rnu-T'U, 'he
dedicated', appears as a-bi-ru, probably because the redactor of the
tablet wished to em phasize the remo ten es s of the subject.
A sense of remoteness, perhaps not so vivid, attached itseJf to ni,
clearly distinguished from e in TSA. no. 6. Bere an official' of the
patesi brings (ni-lag) resinous products from the plantations of his
master. The patesi pays (e-na-lal) froll1 the incoll1e (?) of the 1l10nth
Udu-zid-se-a of Ningirsu '. In RTe. no. 31 the fishermen bring fish
mu-tum-a and the secretary (nu-banda) puts (ni-gub) thell1 in the store­
house. Bere the nearness of association of mu, the feeling of action
towards the 'centre', is clearly distinguished from ni which though
acting at the 'centre' yet conveys the notion of ' removing'.
ni and bi conveying the notion of remoteness natural1y became the
prefixes reserved to express the object. mu, capable only of associating
itself with an action arising outside of, but closely connected with the
point of view of the writer, was universal1y reserved for the subject.
e, denoting a subject at the centre, disappears for the 1l10st part before
Gudea 3. The point to be held firmly in mind concerning these elements
is the psychological feeling for the degree of nearness, association and
remoteness in the mind of the writer. e may be the subject of an action
operating at 01' from the centre. The direction of the action is not
inherent. In the nature of the case the action would more often be
towards the outside, but cf. e-duT'Un, '(the sailors) rest (in the boat) , '.
sag-galu-36000-ta su-ni e-ma-ta-tib-ba-a, '(when) he (the god) had
caused him to abide among 36000 men' '.
With mu, denoting a subject near the centre, the action will be more
1. The saga!'. For 18 (saga!') as a title Y. NIK. 158 rey.; CT. IV 39 e, where
the 1801 Esagila are mentioned.
2. Cl. HTC. 31 rey. col 1,4.
3. See the examples in Syntaxe, 245-7.
4. SAK. 46 h) III 6.
5. SAK. 50 VIII 6.