SUMERIAN

LESSON 8
As a rule, the predicate complement is in the absolutive case. Less frequently
it may be in the genitive, as in exx. (139), (140); ablative (expressing an
instrumental meaning), as in ex. (141); or equative, as in ex. (142) below:
(139) En-ana-tum I 2 rev. 2:5 (RIME 1.9.4.2) (Lagash, 24th c.) (P222496)
an-ta-su-ra ŋa₂-kam
S [antasura=ø] PC [ŋe=ak]=am-ø
S [GN=ABS]
PC [1.SG.PR=GEN]=COP-3.SG.S
“The Antasura is mine!”
(140) TCS 1, 177 rev. 2 (unknown, 21st c.) (P145700)
gu₂-na-kam
PC [gu=ane=ak]=am-ø
PC [neck=3.SG.H.POSS=GEN]=COP-3.SG.S
“It is of his neck.” = “It is his responsibility.”
(141) NG 214 obv. 1:8 (Umma, 21st c.) (P131761)
inim ur-niŋar ŋar nu-banda₃-ta-am 3
PC [inim urniŋar nubanda=ak=ta]=am-ø
PC [word PN overseer=GEN=ABL]=COP-3.SG.S
“This was with the permission of Urnigar, the overseer.”
(142) TCS 1, 327 obv. 3-4 (Lagash, 21st c.) (P111288)
a₂ tug₂ gada-a du-a,
S [a tug gada=ʾa du-ø=ak=ø]
[wage cloth line=L2.NH go-TL=GEN=ABS]
S
urim₅ ki -ma-gen₇-nam
PC [urim=ak=gen]=am-ø
PC [GN=GEN=EQU]=COP-3.SG.S
“The wages for ‘walking’ on cloth and line are as those of Urim.”
The independent and the enclitic copula have a complementary distribution. The
independent form of the copula is used i) when the meaning of the predicate
requires the use of a verbal prefix other than the finite-marker prefix (this verbal
prefix is a modal prefix in S1 in ex. [143], while it is the coordinator prefix in S3
in ex. [144]); ii) in subordinate copula clauses, which may be a complement clause
as in ex. (145), or a relative clause as in ex. (146). In morphosyntactic
environments different to i) and ii), the enclitic copula is used. The enclitic copula
thus occurs in place of a not subordinate independent copula whose prefix-chain
consists exclusively of a finite-marker prefix. It may have come into being
through the syncopation of the finite-marker prefix /i/-. As it often happens, the
original, i.e., the independent form was retained in subordinate contexts.
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