SUMERIAN

LESSON 13
Abstract destination = reason
(363) Gudea Cyl. A 4:16 (Lagash, 22nd c.) (ETCSL 2.1.7)
a-ne saŋ-ŋa₂-ne₂-še₃ diŋir-ra-am₃
ane=ø saŋ=ane=še diŋir=ø=am-ø
3.SG.PR=ABS head=3.SG.H.POSS=TERM god=ABS=COP-3.SG.S
“He, because of his head, was a god.”
(364) Gudea Cyl. A 23:26 (Lagash, 22nd c.) (ETCSL 2.1.7)
lugal mu-ne₂-še₃ kur tuku₂-tuku₂-e
lugal mu=ane=še kur=ø tuku~tuku-ø=e
king name=3.SG.H.POSS=TERM mountain=ABS rock~PL-TL=ERG
“The king, at whose name (lit. ‘because of whose name’) all foreign countries
tremble.”
With the compound verb šu “hand” — ti “to approach” = “to receive” the
terminative denotes the participant from whom something is received:
(365) Gudea Cyl. A 2:21–22 (Lagash, 22nd c.) (ETCSL 2.1.7)
lugal-a-ne₂ sizkur₂ ra₂-zu-ne₂ gu₃-de₂-a-aš₂,
lugal=ane=e sizkur arazu=ane=ø gudea=še
king=3.SG.H.POSS=ERG prayer supplication=3.SG.H.POSS=ABS PN=TERM
en d nin-ŋir₂-su-ke₄ šu ba-ši-ti
en ninŋirsuk=e šu=e S5 ba- S6 n- S9 ši- S11 n- S12 ti- S14 ø
lord DN=ERG hand=L3.NH MID-3.SG.H-TERM-3.SG.H.A-approach-3.SG.P
“His master, Lord Ningirsu, accepted from Gudea his prayer and supplication.”
The terminative is used in the construction mu “name”/bar “outside”
NP=ak/possessive pronoun=še, which means “because of” (see also ex. [81] in
Lesson 5, section 5.3. above):
(366) LEM 178 7 (Lagash, 21st c.) (P112521)
bar-ŋu₁₀-še₃ šu ḫe-bar-re
bar=ŋu=še šu=ø S1 ḫa- S2 i- S5 b- S10 (i>)ø - S12 bar- S14 e
outside=1.SG.POSS=TERM hand=ABS MOD-FIN-3.SG.NH-L2.SYN-open-3.SG.A
“May he release it because of me!”
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