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THE PHONETICELEMENTS.OF SUMERIANAND SOUND-CHANGES 45
the 9 represents the sound [j as in gem 1. gis> dis in T =gis> kes >
dis = zikaru, v. Babyl., IV, 31. gen> gen> dé-en, the ordinary prec­
ative prefix of the verbo
§51. g>n;ug>un=nisu 'people', cf. Babyl., 111,75, note 5.
The process teg>ten is due to assimilation, see below § 55.
§ 52. Substitution of a fortis for a lenis. g>k in ká-am-ni-gul-e,
a precative for ga (> ga)-am-ni-gul-e, SBH. 31,10. azag > asakku,
Babyl., 11, 107; for the form asaku, v. CT. XV, 49,111, 12and50. z>s
also in zabar> siparru and guza >kussu, notice the change 9 > k in
this exam pIe and b>p in zabar> sipar; é-gal =ekallu, 'palace'.
es·lal!=a81aku,' a wool-cleaner, carder', !§J .(ol
§ 53. s> s, possibly due to the palatal vowel i, [BROCKELMANN,
p.207,e)]; isis>isi 'wailing'; gis> gis ·wood'. An example, possibly
due to Semi tic pronunciation of the words, is sig> sag = saplu.
§ 54. Lenis for fortis; usu> uzu.
§ 55. al Progressive; teg> tem > ten, where the labial m becomes
dental n by influence of the dental t. This is the explanation I as sume
for teg and te-en=pasillJu, ~T (teg» ~T '"'-Xl- sig > sik-saplu,
assimilation of sonant [J to surd k by influence of the surd s. gas> gaz
= malJil$u,V R. 50 a 53, su-ga-za, 'with a smiting hand '.
b) Regressive; dus> tus, where the surd s assimilates sonant d to
surd t; this process must be assumed for t11e change dur> dus* > tus,
lEJ= asilbu. sig >zig=nazilzu, V R. 50 a 51; surd s becomes sonant
z through backward influence of sonant g.
§ 56. The principIe of vowel harmony, which plays an impor­
tant part in the phonology of Sumerian, was discovered by the
founders oí the science, SAYCE, AMIAUD, HOMMEL, LENORMANT,
HAUPT, and has been recognized by all competent phonologists who
1. The most plausible explanation of this chan¡re is to assume a palatal g and
a glide ~ between g and the following vowel. [Suggested to me by SAYCE.]
g>n.
Fortis
for lenis.
s> s.
Lenis
for fortis.
Assimilation.
Vowel
harmony.