SOME OBSERVATIONS ON SUMERIAN COMPOUND VERBS 1

Fumi KARAHASHI

doi:10.5356/orient1960.39.96

SOME OBSERVATIONS ON SUMERIAN COMPOUND VERBS ¹

Fumi KARAHASHI

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Keywords: compound verb, noun incorporation, body-part term, discontinuous, valency reduction

JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

2004 Volume 39 Pages 96-110

DOI https://doi.org/10.5356/orient1960.39.96

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Published: 2004 Received: - Available on J-STAGE: March 24, 2008 Accepted: - Advance online publication: - Revised: -
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Date of correction: March 24, 2008 Reason for correction: - Correction: KEYWORD Details: Wrong : Keywords: compound verb, noun incorporation, body-part term, discontinuous
Right : compound verb, noun incorporation, body-part term, discontinuous, valency reduction

Date of correction: March 24, 2008 Reason for correction: - Correction: CITATION Details: Wrong : Attinger, P. 1993: El<eacute;ments de linguistique sum<eacute;rienne: La construction de du₁₁/e/di "dire, Orbis Biblicus et Orientalis Sonderband, Freiburg/Gottingen.
Beyer, S. V. 1992: The Classical Tibetan Language, Albany.
Black, J. A., et al. 1998-: Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature (www-etcsl. orient.ox.ac.uk).
Civil, M. 1973: "The Sumerian Writing System: Some Problems," OrNS 42, 21-34.
Civil, M. 1976: "Lexicography," in S. J. Lieberman (ed.), Sumerological Studies in Honor of Thorkild Jacobsen on his Seventieth Birthday, June 7, 1974, AS 20, Chicago, 123-157.
Civil, M. 1990: "The Verb <scaron;u-tak₄ "to send," AuOr 8, 109-111.
Civil, M. 1994: "Word Phonology in Sumerian," Paper presented at the American Oriental Society 204thAnnual Meeting, Madison.
Civil, M. 2002: "The Forerunners of Mar<ucirc; and Hamtu in Old Babylonian," in Tzvi Abusch (ed.),Riches Hidden in Secret Places: Ancient Near Eastern Studies in Memory of Thorkild Jacobsen, Winona Lake, 63-71.
Coghill, E. < G. Deutscher 2002: "The Origin of Ergativity in Sumerian, and the 'Inversion' in Pronominal Agreement: A Historical Explanation Based on Neo-Aramaic Parallels," OrNS 71, 267-290.
Deimel, A. 1923: "Sumerische Grammatik der archaischen Texte mit <Uuml;bungsst<uuml;cken," Or.o.s. 9, 1-64.
Delitzsch, F. 1914: Grundz<uuml;ge der sumerischen Grammatik, Leipzig.
Edzard, D. 0. 2003: Sumerian Grammar, Handbook of Oriental Studies, vol. 1/71, Leiden/Boston.
Falkenstein, A. 1949: Grammatik der Sprache Gudeas von Laga<scaron;. I. Schrift- und Formenlehre, AnOr 28, Rome.
Givon, T. 1984: Syntax: A Functional-Typological Introduction, Vol. 1, Amsterdam.
Gragg, G. B. 1972: "Observations on Grammatical Variation in Sumerian Literary Texts," JAOS 92, 204-213.
Hag<egrave;ge, C. 1978: "Lexical Suffixes and Incorporation in Mainland Comox," Forum Linguisticum 3,57-71.
Hudson, J. 1978: The Core of Walmatjari Grammar, Melbourne.
Jestin, R. 1943: Le verbe sumerien, Paris.
Krecher, J. 1987: "Morphemeless Syntax in Sumerian as Seen on the Background of Word- Composition inChukchee," ASJ 9, 69-88.
Krecher, J. 1993: "<Uuml;ber einige 'zusammengesetzte Verben' im Sumerischen," in A. F. Rainey (ed.),kinattutu <scaron;a d<atilde;r<acirc;ti : Raphael Kutscher Memorial Volume, Tel Aviv, 107-119.
Landsberger, B. < 0. R. Gurney 1957:"igi-duh-a = t<atilde;martu, Short Version," AfO 18, 81-86.
Langdon, S. H. 1908: "Syntax of Compound Verbs," Babylonica II, 65-101.
Matisoff, J. A. 1981: The grammar of Lahu, University of California Publications in Linguistics 75, Berkeley/Los Angeles.
Michalowski, P. 1998: "Literature as a Source of Lexical Inspiration: Some Notes on a Hymn to the Goddess Inana," in J. Braun, et al. (eds.), Written on Clay and Stone: Ancient Near Eastern Studies Presented to Krystyna Szarzynska on the Occasion of her 80<BUP>th</BUP> Birthday, Warsaw, 65-73.
Michalowski, P. (forthcoming): "Sumerian," in R. Woodard (ed.), The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Ancient Languages. Cambridge, U. K.
Mithun, M. 1984: "The Evolution of Noun Incorporation," Language 60, 847-894.
Mithun, M. 2000: "Incorporation," in G. Booj, et al. (eds.) Morphology: An International Handbook on Inflection and Word-Formation, Vol. 1. Berlin/New York, 916-928.
Poebel, A. 1933-34: "Eine sumerische Inschrift Samsuilunas <uuml;ber die Erbauung der Festung Dur- Samsuiluna," AfO 9, 241-292.
Postgate, J. N. 1974: "Two Points of Grammar in Gudea," JCS 26, 16-54.
Reisman, D. D. 1976: "A 'Royal' Hymn of I<scaron;bi-Erra to the Goddess Nisaba," in B. L. Eichler (ed.), Kramer Anniversary Volume: Cuneiform Studies in Honor of Samuel Noah Kramer, AOAT 25, Neukirchen-Vluyn, 357-365.
Salonen, A. < P. Siro 1958: Studien zur neusumerischen Syntax, Annales Academiae Scientiarum Fennicae, Ser. B, Tom. 112, Helsinki.
Sapir, E. 1911: "The Problem of Noun Incorporation in American Languages," American Anthropologist 13, 250-282.
Sapir, E. 1990: Takelma Texts and Grammar, V. Golla (ed.), The Collected Works of Edward Sapir VIII, Berlin.
Shibatani, M. < Th. Bynon 1995: "Approaches to Language Typology: A Conspectus," in Shibatani and Bynon (eds.), Approaches to Language Typology, Oxford, 1-25.
Sollberger, E. 1952: Le systeme verbal dans les inscriprions "royals" presargoniques de Laga<scaron;. Geneve.
Thomsen, M.-L. 1984: The Sumerian Language, Mesopotamia 10, Copenhagen.
Volk, K. 1995: Inanna und <Scaron;ukaletuda: Zur historisch-politischen Deutung eines sumerischen Literaturwerkes, SANTAG 3, Wiesbaden.
Wicke, C. 1988: "Anmerkungen zum 'Koniugationsprafix' /i/- und zur These vom "sibischen Charakter der sumerischen Morpheme" anhand neusumerischer Verbalformen beginnend mit i-ib-,i-im und i-in-," ZA 78, 1-49.
Yoshikawa, M. 1977: "Some Remarks on the Sumerian Verbal Infixes -n-/-b- in the Preradical Position," JCS 29, 78-96.
Z<oacute;lyomi, G. 1996: Review of Attinger 1993, BiOr 53, 95-107.
Z<oacute;lyomi, G. 1999: "Directive Infix and Oblique Object in Sumerian: An Account of the History of Their Relationship," OrNS 68, 215-253.

Right : Attinger, P. 1993: Eléments de linguistique sumérienne: La construction de du₁₁/e/di "dire, Orbis Biblicus et Orientalis Sonderband, Freiburg/Göttingen.
Beyer, S. V. 1992: The Classical Tibetan Language, Albany.
Black, J. A., et al. 1998-: Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature (www-etcsl. orient.ox.ac.uk).
Civil, M. 1973: "The Sumerian Writing System: Some Problems," OrNS 42, 21-34.
Civil, M. 1976: "Lexicography," in S. J. Lieberman (ed.), Sumerological Studies in Honor of Thorkild Jacobsen on his Seventieth Birthday, June 7, 1974, AS 20, Chicago, 123-157.
Civil, M. 1990: "The Verb šu-tak₄ "to send," AuOr 8, 109-111.
Civil, M. 1994: "Word Phonology in Sumerian," Paper presented at the American Oriental Society 204thAnnual Meeting, Madison.
Civil, M. 2002: "The Forerunners of Marû and Hamtu in Old Babylonian," in Tzvi Abusch (ed.),Riches Hidden in Secret Places: Ancient Near Eastern Studies in Memory of Thorkild Jacobsen, Winona Lake, 63-71.
Coghill, E. & G. Deutscher 2002: "The Origin of Ergativity in Sumerian, and the 'Inversion' in Pronominal Agreement: A Historical Explanation Based on Neo-Aramaic Parallels," OrNS 71, 267-290.
Deimel, A. 1923: "Sumerische Grammatik der archaischen Texte mit übungsstücken," Or.o.s. 9, 1-64.
Delitzsch, F. 1914: Grundzüge der sumerischen Grammatik, Leipzig.
Edzard, D. 0. 2003: Sumerian Grammar, Handbook of Oriental Studies, vol. 1/71, Leiden/Boston.
Falkenstein, A. 1949: Grammatik der Sprache Gudeas von Lagaš. I. Schrift- und Formenlehre, AnOr 28, Rome.
Givon, T. 1984: Syntax: A Functional-Typological Introduction, Vol. 1, Amsterdam.
Gragg, G. B. 1972: "Observations on Grammatical Variation in Sumerian Literary Texts," JAOS 92, 204-213.
Hagège, C. 1978: "Lexical Suffixes and Incorporation in Mainland Comox," Forum Linguisticum 3,57-71.
Hudson, J. 1978: The Core of Walmatjari Grammar, Melbourne.
Jestin, R. 1943: Le verbe sumerien, Paris.
Krecher, J. 1987: "Morphemeless Syntax in Sumerian as Seen on the Background of Word- Composition inChukchee," ASJ 9, 69-88.
Krecher, J. 1993: "Über einige 'zusammengesetzte Verben' im Sumerischen," in A. F. Rainey (ed.),kinattutu ša darâti : Raphael Kutscher Memorial Volume, Tel Aviv, 107-119.
Landsberger, B. & O. R. Gurney 1957:"igi-duh-a = tamartu, Short Version," AfO 18, 81-86.
Langdon, S. H. 1908: "Syntax of Compound Verbs," Babylonica II, 65-101.
Matisoff, J. A. 1981: The grammar of Lahu, University of California Publications in Linguistics 75, Berkeley/Los Angeles.
Michalowski, P. 1998: "Literature as a Source of Lexical Inspiration: Some Notes on a Hymn to the Goddess Inana," in J. Braun, et al. (eds.), Written on Clay and Stone: Ancient Near Eastern Studies Presented to Krystyna Szarzynska on the Occasion of her 80^th Birthday, Warsaw, 65-73.
Michalowski, P. (forthcoming): "Sumerian," in R. Woodard (ed.), The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Ancient Languages. Cambridge, U. K.
Mithun, M. 1984: "The Evolution of Noun Incorporation," Language 60, 847-894.
Mithun, M. 2000: "Incorporation," in G. Booj, et al. (eds.) Morphology: An International Handbook on Inflection and Word-Formation, Vol. 1. Berlin/New York, 916-928.
Poebel, A. 1933-34: "Eine sumerische Inschrift Samsuilunas über die Erbauung der Festung Dur- Samsuiluna," AfO 9, 241-292.
Postgate, J. N. 1974: "Two Points of Grammar in Gudea," JCS 26, 16-54.
Reisman, D. D. 1976: "A 'Royal' Hymn of Išbi-Erra to the Goddess Nisaba," in B. L. Eichler (ed.), Kramer Anniversary Volume: Cuneiform Studies in Honor of Samuel Noah Kramer, AOAT 25, Neukirchen-Vluyn, 357-365.
Salonen, A. & P. Siro 1958: Studien zur neusumerischen Syntax, Annales Academiae Scientiarum Fennicae, Ser. B, Tom. 112, Helsinki.
Sapir, E. 1911: "The Problem of Noun Incorporation in American Languages," American Anthropologist 13, 250-282.
Sapir, E. 1990: Takelma Texts and Grammar, V. Golla (ed.), The Collected Works of Edward Sapir VIII, Berlin.
Shibatani, M. & Th. Bynon 1995: "Approaches to Language Typology: A Conspectus," in Shibatani and Bynon (eds.), Approaches to Language Typology, Oxford, 1-25.
Sollberger, E. 1952: Le systeme verbal dans les inscriprions "royals" presargoniques de Lagaš. Gèneve.
Thomsen, M.-L. 1984: The Sumerian Language, Mesopotamia 10, Copenhagen.
Volk, K. 1995: Inanna und Šukaletuda: Zur historisch-politischen Deutung eines sumerischen Literaturwerkes, SANTAG 3, Wiesbaden.
Wicke, C. 1988: "Anmerkungen zum 'Koniugationspräfix' /i/- und zur These vom "sibischen Charakter der sumerischen Morpheme" anhand neusumerischer Verbalformen beginnend mit ì-íb-,ì-im und ì-in-," ZA 78, 1-49.
Yoshikawa, M. 1977: "Some Remarks on the Sumerian Verbal Infixes -n-/-b- in the Preradical Position," JCS 29, 78-96.
Zólyomi, G. 1996: Review of Attinger 1993, BiOr 53, 95-107.
Zólyomi, G. 1999: "Directive Infix and Oblique Object in Sumerian: An Account of the History of Their Relationship," OrNS 68, 215-253.

Date of correction: March 24, 2008 Reason for correction: - Correction: PDF FILE Details: -

Abstract

This paper focuses on the lexico-semantic and morphosyntactic aspects of Sumerian compound verbs, namely, the verbs that consist of a noun and a verb stem. They are very frequent in Sumerian, and the majority have a noun designating a part of the body as their nominal constituent, indicating the body-part's involvement in a given expression. I consider Sumerian compound verbs as a type of noun incorporation called lexical compounding whose constituents are formally discontinuous. The nominal constituent is semantically incorporated but, unlike typical cases of noun incorporation in other languages, it holds its syntactic status occupying the absolutive position. Therefore, it can regain its semantic independence in some constructions, thus allowing its referentiality to be manipulable. I believe that this study of the compound verbs, using a functional-typological approach, contributes to our understanding of some aspects of the Sumerian verbal system and to the typology of noun incorporation.

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