issues of linguistics - Tbilisi State University

Semoklebebi
1p _ pirveli piri
3p _ mesame piri
mx _ mxolobiTi ricxvi
sub _ subieqti
ob _ obieqti
imp _ imperfeqtivi
perf _ perfeqtivi
abs _ absolutivi
gen _ genetivi
erg _ ergativi
abl _ ablativi
Zurab Baratashvili
78
dat _ dativi
ind _ indikativi
lok _ lokativi
neg.ind _ negatiuri indikativi
hort _ hortativi
neg.hort _ negatiuri hortativi
prosp _ prospeqtivi
kontr _ kontrapunqtivi
or _ orientacia
ir _ irealisi
rel _ relativaizeri
Irrealis in the Sumerian Language
Summary
The article concerns the grammatical meaning and function of the Sumerian suffixal
morpheme {-d}. There are various opinions about the given suffix. Some scholars think
that its main function is to express the future time, and the secondary _ modal meanings
(D. Edzard). Others think that the primary meaning is modality, and the secondary _ the
future tense (I. Diakonoff). Yet, others think it expresses wish, desire and intention (I.
Kaneva).
Because the suffixal morpheme {-d} expresses the future tense and modal meanings, we
can think that it represents the grammeme of the irrealis of the grammatical category of
situational reality. In this case, there will be represented the grammatical category of
situational reality consisting of two grammemes _ realis (expressed by {-Ø} suffixal
morpheme) and irrealis (expressed by {-d} suffixal morpheme) in the Sumerian language.
The article also deals with the general theory of the irrealis according to which the
grammemes of the realis and irrealis divide all the verbal grammatical categories into two
classes _ real and unreal. Languages are grouped according to the combination of various
meanings of the tense, aspect and modality with the grammeme of the irrealis, which makes
up six types of languages.
On the basis of the discussed examples, the Sumerian language can belong to such type of
languages in which irrealis is used only with the indefinite future tense. Though other
occurrences and examples might be discovered, where {-d} suffix will be used not only
with the indefinite future. In this case, the Sumerian language will be located in another
type of languages.