SumerianGrammar

THE VERB 147
12.15.1.3. Complete incorporation of the nominal element
In a final—Old Bab.—stage of the evolution of the morpho-syntactic
behaviour of compound verbs, the nominal element could be transferred
to stand immediately before the verbal base, in finite and nonfinite
forms. Sometimes, in such cases, the nominal element was
simultaneously kept in place, redundantly, before the string of prefixed
verbal particles, e.g., si ...-si-sá (see below).
é-∞gi 6 -pàr-en-na ... mu-un-ki-∞gar “I(!) founded ... the abode of the
en (priestess)” RIME 4, 472 f. no. 2:16–19 (Anam of Uruk).
A form *ki mu-un-∞gar “he laid the ground” has been transformed,
but the reason remains unknown.
ga-bi nu-mu-ra-“u-gíd-e “(the sheep) no (longer) offer their milk to
you” LamUr I 362.
So ms. C = STVC 17 v 2'; ms. N = MBI 6 ii 48' has ga nu-mu-ra-AG-e.
The underlying verb is “u gíd “to stretch out the hand (in either
direction)” = “to offer, to receive” (cf. Karahashi 2000, 161 f.).
A post-OB example is hé-nir-∞gál “may he be authoritative” (PN)
A. Moortgat, Rollsiegel 3 (1988) 554.
dumu-An-na An-x-la-ta té“ mu-u 8 -da-mah-di “daughter of An
(= Bau),..., you alone are able to be as outstanding as An()” CT
36, 40 (r.) 7 (Bau B).
Note: Does Ur III PN Íb-ta-ab-PA-è RA 8 (1911) 184 no. 1:10' already represent
a case of incorporated pa è “to come forth radiantly” In view of Íb-ta-abè
and Íb-ta(-b)-è (see Limet 1968, 431), Íb-ta-ab-PA-è has perhaps to be seen as
a graphic variant.
The nominal element is sometimes found twice with the verb si sá:
“à-bi(-a) ur-sa∞g-ur-sa∞
g-e-ne si mu-si-sá-e-ne “all the warriors go
straightway into the interior (of the sanctuary)” Ke“ Hymn 60 (OB).
kù a ní∞g-izi-te-na si mi-ni-in-si-sá
∞garza me-mah “u mi-ni-ib-“u-du 7
“...water which quenches fire has been directed there, the rites
and sublime ordinances have been performed there in the most perfect
way (for us) Flood i 44–45.
Cf. Krecher 1987, 69; Karahashi 2000, 4; in general Wilcke 2003.