SumerianGrammar

THE VERB 133
As shown above, the verb in the B-[a] participle may in principle
be either transitive or intransitive. However, seen statistically, examples
of intransitive participles by far outweigh transitive ones.
Edzard 1972, 10–12; Thomsen 1984, 255 ff. passim.
12.14.2.1.2. The mes-Ane-pada construction
A special use of B-[a] is found in the syntagma labelled “mes-Anepada”
construction by Falkenstein 1949, 135, and 1950, 35 f. with
fn. 2. Mes-An-né-pà-da [mes an-e pad-a], name of an Early Dynastic
ruler of Ur, literally means “young male chosen by (the agency of )
An (ergative)”. It is a nominalized form of the phrase *An-e (erg.)
mes (absol.) ... -n-pà(-d) “An chose the young male”.
Note: The closeness (and original identity) of ergative and directive seems to
become clear from the syntactical ambiguity of the construction which we may
translate either “whom An chose” or “chosen (next to =) by An”. It should be
stressed, however, that the directive case in no other instance can be shown to
express the ‘ablative of agent’ (“done by someone”).
é-ninnû An-né ki ∞gar-ra “the Eninnû founded by An” Gudea Cyl.
A ix 11.
ninta-zi d Utu-ù [Utu-e] ní∞g-si-sá saĝ-e-e“ rig 7 -ga “the trustworthy
man whom the Sun god presented with righteousness” ”ulgi D 5.
dumu Eridu ki -ge dú-da “child born by Eridu” Gudea Cyl. A ii 16.
The full mes-Ane-pada construction may be reduced by the suppression
of one or two of its components:
1) Suppression of the absolutive: hur-sa∞g-e dú-da “born by the
Mountain” Gudea frag. 8+3+5+4 iv' 3' (RIME 3/1, 103).
2) Suppression of the ergative: Lú-pà-da “person chosen (by ...)”
Ur III PN, see Limet 1968, 486; see also pre-Sargonic Lú-pà (for
Lú-pad-a) in Struve 1984, 117.
3) Suppression of absolutive and ergative: gé“tu ∞ “úm-ma in gé“tu- ∞
“úm-ma- d En-ki-ka-ke 4 “the one gifted with (ear =) wisdom of Enki” =
“the one whom Enki gifted with wisdom” Ean. 2 ii 6–7. The originator
of the gift, Enki, is expressed in the genitive, and the whole complex
is in the ergative. The participial verbal element of the construction,
“úm-ma, is extended by the addition of an ‘object’ (∞gé“tu) in the
absolutive case. ∞gé“tu-“úm-ma, therefore, is not “given wisdom”, but
someone gifted with wisdom although, formally, [∞ge“tu “um-a] is
identical with dumu-ki-á∞ g-∞gá [dumu kia∞g-a] “beloved child”.
Edzard 1972, 12–14, where transformational rules are given.