SUMERIAN

LESSON 6
Table 6.1: The verbal template
Slot 1
Slot 2
Slot 3
Slot 4
Slot 5
Slot 6
Slot 7
Slot 8
Slot 9
Slot 10
Slot 11
Slot 12
Slot 13
Slot 14
Slot 15
Modal prefix (a), negative particle, prefix of anteriority, stem (in imperative forms)
Finite-marker prefix, modal prefixes (all the other)
Coordinator prefix
Ventive (cislocative) prefix
Middle prefix or the 3.SG.NH pronominal prefix /b/ (specifying the person,
gender and number of the first in the sequence of adverbial prefixes)
Initial Pronominal Prefix (= IPP) (specifying the person, gender and number
of the first in the sequence of adverbial prefixes)
Adverbial I: dative prefix
Adverbial II: comitative prefix
Adverbial III: ablative or terminative prefix
Adverbial IV: locative1, locative2, or locative3 prefix
Final Pronominal Prefix (= FPP) (referring to A or P, depending on the tense,
or locative3)
stem
present-future marker (in intransitive verbs)
pronominal suffix (referring A, S, or P depending on the tense)
subordinator
6.2 The prefixes of S11–15
S11 and S14 contain pronominal affixes which may cross-reference the Agent,
the Subject, and the Patient of the finite verb. The syntactic function of these
verbal participants is mainly indicated by the position of the affixes that crossreference
them; so, e.g., in the present-future conjugation the pronominal suffix
in S14 cross-references A and S, while the final pronominal prefix in S11 crossreferences
P. S12 contains the verbal stem. S13 contains the present-future
marker suffix /ed/, which occurs in the intransitive present-future forms. The
morphemes of S11–S14 are involved in the expression of the grammatical
categories of verbal tense and verbal plurality. The detailed description of their
functioning is the subject of Lessons 8 and 9.
S15 contains the subordinator suffix /ʾa/. It changes the clause of the finite
verb into a subordinate clause, which may then function as a relative or
a complement clause. The subordinator suffix is discussed in Lesson 7.
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