Download Ebook - The Knowledge Den

THE VERB 143
generally repeated in the prefixed conjugation, and placed before the
infix of the object as e-na-ta-kud, ga-mu-ra-ab-dfl. \Ve ma}' assume
that originally these in6xed postpositions had each the peculiar force
characteristic of each oí tlJem. N evertheless as verbal infixes each of
them developed certain of their original meanings to the exclusion oí
others. As infixes they acquired real modal force enabling the verb to
describe intricate shades of meaning.
§ 197. ra, which as a postfix ordinarily denotes motion toward a
person, as a verbal infix indicates the dative of the second person almost
exclusively'. és e- ninnfl-na da-ba za-ra ma-ra-an-dúg, 'he speaks to
thee for building the house of his Eninnu", wi th which com pare the
parallel passage e-a-ni da-da ma-an-dúg, 'he speaks to me for building
his temple", where the dative of the first person is apparently represent­
ed by ma with subject omitted. Tbeoretically every sentence, whose
verb has an infixed ra indicating a dative oí the second person, should
have also the preceding phrase za-ra, or zu-ne-ra, but examples of the
full construction are rare. The language having once confined the per­
sonal and dative force of ra to the second person, it seemed sufficient to
insert the in6x simply. So we have the well-known phrase in prayers
ge-ra-ab-bi, 'may he speak to thee'. mu-du-ru .... su-za ma-ra- ni-indú,
'he has fittingly placed into thy hand a sceptre' '. ma ra-da-e, ' 1
will build for thee' '. me-Inu bar-m si-ua-ra-niib-sá-e, 'may my
command direct thy soul aright' '.
1. This rule first laid down by TH:-DANGIN, ZA. XX 38-!, has few exceptions.
Since ra came to be reserved for the second persono the only means left for
expressing the dative of the first and third persons were the obligue infixes, ma,
na, bao ra is employed for the dative oí the 3rd person in tbe late and barbarous
form ne-in-da-ra-dú-a, 'wllich he adorned for him', VA. Th., 670 obv. 5 where da
repeats the instrumental [jllskin I"lIs-a, 'with shining gold', and da-ra precedes
the objeet.
2. Cyl. A 5, 18.
3. Ibid., 4, 20.
4. SBP. 296, 18.
5. Gud. Cyl. 8, 18.
6. RADAU, Ninib 44, 44.
ra dativo
of seco pero