SumerianGrammar

84 CHAPTER TWELVE
Pattern 2a is formally identical with pattern 1 in the 1 st and 2 nd
persons; for the 3 rd p. pattern 2a replaces absolutive (-Ø, -e“) by
ergative (-e, -ene).
In verbs with differing ¢am†u : marû bases pattern 2a is linked to
the marû base(s) (cf. above 12.4).
It is probable that 3 rd sg. [e] and 3 rd pl. [ene] have the same origin
as the nominal ergative particles sg. [e] and pl. [ene].
Phonetic details: As in pattern 1, the [e] of [en, e, enden, enzen,
ene] may yield to the final vowel of the preceding base: ì-∞gá-∞gá-ne
[i-∞ga∞ga-(e)ne] “they set, place (something)”; or it may be assimilated
to the non-final vowel of the base: -“úm-mu-un, -“úm-mu [“um-en],
[“um-e] “I/you give, he gives”, also pl. -“úm-mu-un-dè-en, -“úm-mune
[“um-enden], [“um-ene]; ba-tar-ra-a“ [ba-tar-e“] “they were split”
Lugale 72. But, as with pattern 1, assimilation cannot be predicted.
Discussion has arisen about whether the [e] of [en] etc. is part of
an autonomous marker of the conjugation pattern, or should be considered
a separate “marû” marker so that -en of ì-lá-en [i-laH-en]
would have to be segmentized as -e-n. Such a “marû” [e] would,
then, only occur in verbs with a non-alternating base (cf. 12.4.1).
Put another way round, we would have to ask whether in 3 rd sg.
-ge 4 -ge 4 [gege], [gege] would represent *gege + e, with [e] superseded
by the final vowel of the base; or whether [gege] would have
been self-sufficient to indicate 3 rd p. sg.
Note: Krecher 1995, 183 § 43, joined Yoshikawa 1974, 18, and Jacobsen 1988,
180, in asserting that [e] is not part of the person elements.
Since the great majority of—reduplicated or unreduplicated—marû
bases end in a vowel, there is the danger of a circular argument. However,
in case of è (¢am†u)/e(-d) (marû) “come/bring out”, -è-dè [ede]
can only represent the marû base + additional, autonomous, [e].
The same holds for the verb te/ti (¢.)/te(-∞g) (m.) “to come/bring
close (to something)”, with -te-∞ge 26 (GÁ) as marû base + [e]. Here,
some authors have posited, ad hoc, the marû base to be [te∞ga].
Verbal forms of conjugation pattern 2a normally express—or at
least imply, if graphically unrealized—absolutive elements for the
person or non-person class ‘objects’. The system runs:
sg. 1 st
-(e)n-B(ase)
sg. 2 nd
-(e)n-B
sg. 3 rd person - n-B
sg. 3 rd non-person - b-B