SUMERIAN

Verbal plurality
The set of alternating stems consists of a limited number of intransitive
verbs expressing position or motion, or transitives that indicate the causation
of motion; the verb “to die” is also typically involved. In the case of these verbs
the number of participants makes a semantic difference that may explain the
use of verbal number which ultimately always relates to the semantics of the
verb. Table 10.1 below shows the stem alternations of the six Sumerian verbs
involved:
Table 10.1
VERB
SINGULAR
PLURAL
PT PF PT PF
“to go” /en/ a) /du/ b /ere/ c) /sub/ d)
“to stand, to put” /gub/ e) /sug/ or /šug/ f)
“to sit, to seat” /tuš/ g) /dur/ h) /durun/ i)
“to live”
h: /til/ j)
nh: /lug/ k
— /sig/ l) —
“to die, to kill” /uš/ m) /ug/ n)
“to bring”
countables: /tum/ o) countables: /la/ r)
mass nouns: /de/ p) mass nouns: /tum/ q) —
The most often used writings of the stems of Table 10.1 are: a) ŋen; b) du; c) e-re₇;
d) su₈/sub₂; e) gub; f) su₈/sug₂, šu₄; g) tuš; h) dur₂; i) durun, durunₓ(KU.KU);
j) ti/til₃; k) lu/lug, lugₓ(LUL); l) se₁₂/sig₇, se₁₁, ze₂; m) uš₂; n) ug₇, ug₅,
ugₓ(UŠ₂.UŠ₂); o) tum₂; p) de₆, di₃(TI) (in Garshana); q) tum₃; r) laḫ₄, laḫ₅,
la-(ḫe/a).
As exx. (191)–(194) below show there is a tendency that when the partici -
pant in the absolutive functions as S, then the verb shows a 3rd ps. pl. agree ment,
see exx. (191) and (193) below. When the participant in the absolutive functions
as P, then it is cross-referenced with 3rd ps. sg. pronominal suffix in S14, see
exx. (192) and (194). In the former examples, therefore, plurality is signalled by
both the verbal stem and the pronominal suffix; in the latter examples,
however, only by the verbal stem.
(191) NWHCM 2009.174 obv. 9–10 (Umma, 23th c.) (P480080)
⸢umma⸣ ki -⸢a⸣, ki-ŋa₂ i₃-durunₓ(KU.KU)-ne₂-⸢eš₂⸣
umma=ʾa ki=ŋu=ʾa S2 i- S5 b- S10 (i>)ø- S12 durun- S14 eš
GN=L2.NH place=1.SG.POSS=L2.NH FIN-3.SG.NH-L2.SYN-sit.PL-3.PL.S
“They are staying with me (lit. ‘at my place’) in Umma.”
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