A Primer on Ugaritic: Language, Culture, and Literature - enenuru

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Ugaritic <strong>Primer</strong>
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d. The relative particle. In Hebrew, this relative d occurs as …wz/hOz
(cp. Aramaic …a;d). Ug V 137II, 29´ provides the vocalization of the
nominative du-ué. The other cases are supplied by the problematic
analogy with Arabic (see §7.3.4). Scholars assume that the relative
particle had cases and would agree with the gender, number, and
case of the noun defined and is declined as shown in Figure 3.10.
singular plural
masc. d =/duœ, dˆä, daœ/ dt =/duœtu, duœti ?/
fem dt =/daœtu, -i, -a/ dt =/ ? /
Figure 3.10 Determinative-Relative Pronouns
tsûm{. Compare tisûma{u to Hebrew oAmVvI;t.
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tmt. This may be compared to the Hebrew locative h;DmQAv, “to
there.” On the basis of this comparison the m is doubled and a
vowels occur. The final short a is due to the use of the accusative
as an adverb.
sût. The G imperative sût is a classified as a “weak” verb because
it does not indicate three “strong” consonants. One could interpret
this form as a simple suffixed form, but this interpretation does not
seem to take into account the genre of this letter. 29 The imperative
makes better sense since }Iwridarri is asking for help. Regarding
the vocalization of this verb, one might posit a short theme vowel
in the closed syllable of the singular and a long vowel in forms
notably in the blurring of the distinction between indeclinable mimma and
declinable mimmu®. Rainey, Canaanite in the Amarna Tablets, 1:114–18.
28 This verb shows the action of Barth-Ginsberg’s Law, whereby an /a/ vowel in
aisattenuated, reduced in strength, to an /i/. For a brief description, with
examples and bibliography, see Joüon-Muraoka, Grammar of Biblical
Hebrew, §41e.
29 For example, note the form G perf 2ms sûatta, “you placed,” in Sivan,
Grammar, 155.