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THE VERB 169
sag-ga-ni nu-mu-zu, 'its meaning I know not' '. gu nu-ma-ma-ne-a
in-pad-dé-es, 'They swore that they would not com plain' (passim)_
He who, és-gar-ra-bi ... igi-ni-sú nu-tug-a, 'the sacrifices does not
keep before himself' 2. ud-da nu-su-sam-sam, 'If he does not buy'.
§ 227. na the oblique form of nu is originally employed only with
reference to the future. \Ve have already seen that the negative of the
precative and optative of wish is indicated by na with the total omission
of gen. In fact na is translated into Semitic by the particle of defence
ai" 'may it not be !' igi-na-si-bar-ri,' may he not look upon (it)".
gasan-bi-ta nam-ma-ra-e, 'Unto tbe queen let non e ascend', SBP.
284,16.
The negative form nam 5 has ordinarily the same force as nao Clas­
sical usage demands the negative na in indirect discourse. Enlil said
to Ningirsu, uru-me-a nig-dú szg-nam-e, 'In my city seemliness exists
not' 6. na-an-na-tur-tur dé-en-im-mi-dúg-a, 'If I say that I will not
enter into it'7. s¿r-sag-e na-utud, "the first lament is - 'it creates
not' "8. After a verb of fearing na has a positive sense; ud-ba imi-ba­
teg ba e-ta M-e, 'Then 1 dreaded that 1 should go forth to go up yon­
del" '. Examples occur in which na appears with the indicative ; espec­
ially difficult are the two passages ma- gúr-ra-na g'tr nam-mi-gub, Cyl.
A 2, 4 ; 4, 3, which should mean, 'in her boat may she not place her
foot' ; the entire passage will be found in the chrestomathy at the end of
this volume.
1. Cyl. A 4, 21-
2. Gud. B 8, 26.
3. Sm. 11 obv. II = Creation VII 18.
4. Gud. B 9, 18.
5. The origin of the consonant In in this form is obscure. For suggestions see
Synta:JJe 272 n. 7.
6. Cyl. Al, 4. The discourse of Enlil ll. 4-9 has six negative verbs all with
nam.
7. SBP. 6,27.
8. Ibid., 332, 9.
9. Ibid., 4, n.
Negative na,
nam.