SumerianGrammar

122 CHAPTER TWELVE
Attinger 1993, 295 f. with lit., esp. Heimpe1 1974, 229–233 with
over 70 strings of prefixed particles starting with [U].
12.12.1. A precedes B
kalam-e zi-“à-∞gál ù-ma-“úm [u-mma-n-“um], lú-deli lú-min-da ki∞g
mu-da-ak-ke 4 “after he (= the Northwind) has given life to our Land,
one single person will (do work with a second person =) work as
much as two” Gudea Cyl. A xi 24–25.
2 “e gur a-“à ù-gíd, má“-a-“à-ga a-ba-ra-zi, úgu-ba má“ ì-íb-∞gá-∞gá
“(when =) if he (= the tenant) (only) tilled (the amount of ) 2 kor of
barley; when the interest of the field will have been raised he (= the
lessor) will set his rent/interest thereon” TCL 5, 6170:13–15 (NG
no. 144, and see Wilcke 1988, 10 with fn. 39).
12.12.2. Polite imperative
There is a universal tendency to moderate the harsh form of a direct
imperative: “pass me the salt”—“would you please pass me the salt”.
In OS, the author of a letter addresses the scribe by dug 4 -ga-na
(-b) “tell it to him” in order to convey the message to the addressee,
e.g., Michalowski 1995, 11 no. 1:6 [dug 4 ]-ga-¢naÜ (= CIRPL Enz. 1).
Later on this quite direct formula was generally replaced by a verbal
form using the prospective: ù-na-dug 4 [u-na-e-dug] “after you
said to him/her” = “would you please tell him/her”. The formula
must often have been pronounced [unêdug] in order to account for
the Akkadian loanword form unetukku (see above 3.1.2).
A typical example of polite imperatives are Nin∞girsu’s instructions
given to Gudea to tell him how he should construct his (= Nin∞girsu’s)
chariot and accessories:
kì“ib ù-mi-kúr [u-mbi-e-kur] ge“ ∞ ù-ma-ta-∞gar [u-mba-(b)ta-e-∞gar]...
∞ge“
gigir ù-mu-silim [u-mu-e-silim] ANSE.DUN.ÙR ù-“i-lá [u-b“i-elaH]...
“u ù-ma-ni-tag [u-mba-ni-e-tag] “would you please break
the seal (on your storehouse), lay out the wood from there, ... fit
together a chariot, harness to it a donkey stallion ..., decorate (that
chariot)” Gudea Cyl. A vi 15–19.
An Ur III (or earlier) collection of medical prescriptions nearly
twenty times offers prospective verbal forms which should be considered
as suggestions, i.e., polite imperatives: Civil 1960, 61:54