Emery Jacobowitz - Introduction to Sumerian - Lesson 3: The Nominal Template

I’m working my way through Gábor Zólyomi’s An Introduction to the Grammar of Sumerian (link). Each chapter includes a series of exercises. I have decided to post my solutions to the exercises here, to simultaneously encourage myself to do so, and to stress-test my website’s capabilities for linguistic markup.

If you are following along, you may also want to download the 2022 revision of Daniel Foxvog’s Elementary Sumerian Glossary (link).

Note that I skipped the first two lessons (Sumerian history and phonology, respectively).

Tables

Here are some of the helpful tables.

The nominal template

P1	P2	P3	P4	P5
Head	Modifier	Possessor	Plural	Case

Enclitic possessive pronouns

	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
sg	-ŋu₁₀ (=/ŋu/)	-zu (=/zu/)	h: -(a)-ne₂ (=/ane/) nh: -be₂ (=/be/)
pl	-me (=/mē/)	-zu-ne-ne (=/zunenē/)	-(a)-ne₂-ne (=/anenē/)

Exercise 3.2 - segmentation and glossing

Provide a morphemic segmentation and glosses to the noun phrases bewlow based on the transliterations and translations provided. The grammatical function of the noun phrases is indicated in brackets.

arad_2 nin-a-na-ke_4
_{P1}arad _{P3}[_{P1}nin=_{P3}ane=_{P5}ak]=_{P5}e
_{P1}servant _{P3}[_{P1}lady=_{P3}*3.sg.h.poss*=_{P5}*gen*]=_{P5}*erg*
! `'his lady's servant' (Agent)`

iri-ne_2
_{P1}iri=_{P3}ane=_{P5}e
_{P1}city=_{P3}*3.sg.h.poss*=_{P5}*erg*
! `'his city' (A)`

nin diŋir-re-e-ene
_{P1}nin _{P3}[_{P1}diŋir=_{P4}enē=_{P5}ak]=_{P5}\0
_{P1}lady _{P3}[_{P1}god=_{P4}*pl*=_{P5}*gen*]=_{P5}*abs*
! `'the lady of the gods' (Subject)`

lugal-ŋu_{10}
_{P1}lugal=_{P3}ŋu=_{P5}e
_{P1}king=_{P3}*1.sg.poss*=_{P5}*erg*
! `'my master' (A)`

nam-til_3 šeš-a-ne-ne
_{P1}nam-til_3 _{P3}[_{P1}šeš=_{P3}ane=_{P4}enē=_{P5}ak]=_{P5}\0
_{P1}life _{P3}[_{P1}brother=_{P3}*3.sg.h.poss*=_{P4}*pl*=_{P5}*gen*]=_{P5}*abs*
! `'the life of his brothers' (Patient)`

For the above, the solution glosses ‘of his brothers’ as šeš=anenē=ak. This confused me, this would translate to ’the life of their brother`, unless I am missing somthing about the possessive pronouns.

niŋ_2 šu-ŋa
_{P1}niŋ _{P3}[_{P1}šu=_{P3}ŋu=_{P5}ak]=_{P5}\0
_{P1}thing _{P3}[_{P1}hand=_{P3}*1.sg.poss*=_{P5}*gen*]=_{P5}*abs*
! `'the thing of my hand' (S)`

arad_2-zu
_{P1}arad=_{P3}zu=_{P5}\0
_{P1}servant=_{P3}*2.sg.poss*=_{P5}*abs*
! `'Your servant' (S)`

inim diŋir-re_2-ne
_{P1}inim _{P3}[_{P1}diŋir=_{P4}enē=_{P5}ak]=_{P5}\0
_{P1}order _{P3}[_{P1}god=_{P3}*pl*=_{P5}*gen*]=_{P5}*abs*
! `'the order of the gods' (P)`

e_2 iri nam-lugal-ŋa_2-ka
_{P1}e _{P3}[_{P1}iri _{P3}[_{P1}namlugal=_{P3}ŋu=_{P5}ak]=_{P5}ak]=_{P5}\0
_{P1}temple _{P3}[_{P1}city _{P3}[_{P1}kingship=_{P3}*1.sg.poss*=_{P5}*gen*]=_{P5}*abs*]=_{P5}\0
! `'the temple of the city of my kingship' (P)`

dumu ensi_2 lagaš^{ki}-ka-ke_4
_{P1}dumu _{P3}[_{P1}ensi _{P3}[_{P1}lagaš=_{P5}ak]=_{P5}ak]=_{P5}e
_{P1}son _{P3}[_{P1}ruler _{P3}[_{P1}GN=_{P5}*gen*]=_{P5}*gen*]=_{P5}*erg*
! `'the son of the ruler of Lagash' (A)`

I’m going to stop marking the noun template slots (Pn) at this point.

ama diŋir-re-ne-ke_4
ama diŋir=enē=ak=e
mother god=*pl*=*gen*=*erg*
! `'the mother of the gods' (A)`

lugal an-ub-da limmu_2-ba-ke_4
lugal [anubda [limmu=be=ak]]=e
king [quarter [four=3.*sg.nh.poss*=gen]]=*erg*
! `'the king of the quarters of its four' (lit.)`
! `'the king of the four quarters' (A)`

diŋir-ŋu_{10}_gen_7
diŋir=ŋu=gen
god=*1.sg.poss*=*equ*
! 'like my personal god'

šu-maḫ-ne
šu maḫ=ane=\0
hand great=*3.sg.h.poss*=*abs*
! `'his mighty hand' (P)`

mu-be_2
mu=be=\0
name=*3.sg.nh.poss*=*abs*
! `'its name' (S)`

dumu diŋir-ra-ne-ne-ne-ke_4-ne
dumu [diŋir=anenē=enē=ak]=enē=e
son [god=*3.pl.poss*=*pl*=*gen*]=*pl*=*erg*
! `'the children of their gods' (A)`

e_2-ne-ne
ē=anenē=\0
temple=*3.pl.poss*=*abs*
! `'their temple' (P)`

diŋir-re-ne
diŋir=enē=e
god=*pl*=*erg*
! `'the gods' (A)`

bad_3 gal_be_2
bad gal=be=\0
wall great=*3.sg.nh.poss*=*erg*
! `'its great wall' (P)`

lugal=ne_2
lugal=ane=e
king=*3.sg.h.poss*=*dat*
! 'for his king'

3.4 - More glossing

Mark the positions and add the missing morphological glosses in the noun phrases below. Translate the noun phrases, too. All the information you need may be found in Foxvog’s glossary (2016b) or can be figured out from the translation (given only in difficult cases). (PN = Personal Name, DN = Divine Name, GN = Geographical Name)

.
lugalazida arad lugalkigal=ak=\0
_{P1}PN_1 _{P1}servant _{P3}[_{P1}PN_2=_{P5}*gen*]=_{P5}*abs*
! 'Lugalazida, servent of Lugalkigal'

.
namlugal kiš=ak=\0
_{P1}kingship _{P3}[_{P1}GN=_{P5}*gen*]=_{P5}*abs*
! 'the kingship of Kish'

.
biluda diŋir=enē=ak=e
_{P1}rite _{P3}[_{P1}god=_{P4}*pl*=_{P5}*gen*]=_{P5}*erg*
! 'the rite of the gods'

.
diŋir galgal-\0 lagaš=ak=enē=e
_{P1}god _{P2}big~*pl*-*tl* _{P3}[_{P1}GN=_{P5}*gen*]=_{P4}*pl*=_{P5}*erg*
! 'the great gods of Lagash'

.
e=ŋu=\0
_{P1}house=_{P3}*1.sg.poss*=_{P5}*abs*
! 'my house'

.
namtil=ane=\0
_{P1}life=_{P3}*3.sg.h.poss*=_{P5}*abs*
! 'his life'

.
kisura ninŋirsuk=ak=e
_{P1}border _{P3}[_{P1}DN=_{P5}*gen*]=_{P5}*l3.nh*
! 'to the border of Ninŋirsu'

.
en aratta=ak=e
_{P1}lord _{P3}[_{P1}GN=_{P5}*gen*]=_{P5}*erg*
! 'the lord of Aratta'

.
zapag=zu=\0
_{P1}cry=_{P3}*2.sg.poss*=_{P5}*abs*
! 'your cry'

.
nu girin-\0=ʾa
_{P1}bed _{P2}pure-*tl*=_{P5}*l2.nh*
! 'onto a pure bed'

.
a dug-\0=\0
_{P1}water _{P2}sweet-*tl*=_{P5}*abs*
! 'sweet water'

.
mesalim lugal kiš=ak=e
_{P1}mesalim _{P1}king _{P3}[_{P1}GN=_{P5}*gen*]=_{P5}*erg*
! 'Mesalim, king of Kish'

3.4 - Translation

The following noun phrases consist of the same morphemes, but in a different order. What is the consequence of these differences on the meaning of the noun phrases? Please translate them?

(a.1)
a-zu [šeš=ane=enē=ak]=\0
doctor [brother=*3.sg.h.poss*=*pl*=*gen*]=*abs*
! `'his brothers' doctor'`

(a.2)
a-zu [šeš=ane=ak]=enē=\0
doctor [brother=*3.sg.h.poss*=*gen*]=*pl*=*abs*
! `'his brother's doctors'`

(b.1)
anše libir-\0 [šeš=ŋu=ak]=\0
donkey old-*tl* [brother=*1.sg.poss*=*gen]=*abs*
! `'my brother's old donkey'`

(b.2)
anše [šeš libir-\0=ŋu=ak]=\0
donkey [brother old-*tl*=*1.sg.poss*=*gen]=*abs*
! `'my old brother's donkey'`

3.5 - Corrections

There is something wrong with the following examples, except for one. Please identify the problem in each case.

.
e [diŋir gal-\0=ak]=enē=\0
temple [god great-*tl*=*gen*]=*pl*=*abs*
! 'the temples of the great god'

The plural marker enē is only used for human nouns, but e ‘temple’ is non-human.

.
azu zid-\0 [lugal=enē=ak]=\0
doctor good-*tl* [king=enē-ak]=*abs*
! 'the good doctors of the king'

The plural marker enē occupies slot P4 of ‘king’, since it is followed by the genitive marker. The correct translation is ‘the good doctor of the kings’.

.
dam zid-\0=ane=ak
spouse good-*tl*=*3.sg.h.poss*=*gen*
! 'his good wife'

This noun phrase is in the genitive case, so it should be translated ‘of his good wife’.

.
namtil=ŋu
life=*1.sg.poss*
! 'my well-being'

This noun phrase is missing a case marker for slot P5. Even if it were the absolutive case which takes a zero morpheme, we’d still need to show that in the gloss.

.
ezem gal-\0=enē=\0
festival great-*tl*=*pl*=*abs*
! 'the great festivals'

The same issue as (37): non-human nouns should not take the plural marker.

.
kugsig kugbabbar=zu=\0
gold silver=*2.sg.poss*=*abs*
! 'your gold and silver'

This one is correct.

.
geme libir-\0 [damgar=ane]=\0
female.servant old-*tl* [merchant=*3.sg.h.poss*]=*abs*
! 'the old female servant of the merchant'

The nested noun phrase at P3 includes a possive enclitic instead of a genitive marker. The correct noun phrase would be damgar=ak.