Middle Assyrian Grammar (table of contents)

Middle Assyrian Grammar Der Fakultät für Geschichte, Kunst- und Orientwissenschaften der Universität Leipzig eingereichte DISSERTATION zur Erlangung des akademischen Grades DOCTOR PHILOSOPHIAE (Dr. Phil.) vorgelegt von Jacob Jan de Ridder Geboren am 17.01.1986 in Vlissingen, die Niederlande Leipzig, den 9. November 2015

i

Table of contents Table of contents

i

List of figures

xv

Preface and acknowledgments

xix

Bibliographical abbreviations

xxi

1.

Languages

xxi

Sites and archaeological context

xxi

Middle Assyrian kings

xxi

Introduction

1

1.1.

Terminology

1

1.2.

Historical setting

4

1.3.

Previous scholarship

7

1.4.

Geographical setting

8

1.4.1.

Aššur

1.4.2.

Peripheral territory

1.4.2.1. 1.5.

Chronology of peripheral texts

Selection of texts

8 10 12 15

1.5.1.

Criteria

15

1.5.2.

Definition of Middle Assyrian grammar

17

1.5.3.

Genres

20

1.5.3.1.

Literary texts

22

1.5.3.2.

Royal inscriptions and epics

27

1.5.3.3.

Letters

28

1.5.3.4.

Administrative and legal documents

32

1.5.4.

Regional variation

1.5.4.1. 1.6.

Variation and dialect in OA and NA

Methodology

32 34 36

1.6.1.

Method of citation

36

1.6.2.

Transliteration

37

1.6.3.

Transcription

38

1.6.3.1.

Special signs in transcription

39

ii

2.

Orthography and phonology 2.1.

Orthography

41 41

2.1.1.

General features of Akkadian cuneiform

41

2.1.2.

Historical development

42

2.1.3.

Cuneiform signs

46

2.1.3.1.

Logograms

2.1.3.1.1. Sumerian verbal forms

49

2.1.3.1.2. Determinatives

52

2.1.3.1.3. Markers

53

2.1.3.2.

CvC signs

57

2.1.3.3.

Signs used to indicate mimation

59

2.1.4.

Spellings

60

2.1.4.1.

Sandhis

60

2.1.4.2.

Abnormal syllabification

61

2.1.4.3.

Graphemic gemination

63

2.1.4.4.

Defective writings, aphesis and breaking of words

64

2.1.4.5.

Plene spelling of gemination

64

2.1.4.6.

Plene spelling of long vowels

67

2.1.4.7.

Initial plene spellings

70

2.1.4.8.

Stress

72

2.1.4.8.1. Unexpected plene spellings in MAL A-B

2.2.

46

74

2.1.4.9.

Metathesis of quantity 1: vC: > v:C

77

2.1.4.10.

Metathesis of quantity 2: v:C > vC:

78

2.1.4.11.

Metathesis of syllables/inverted spellings

81

Vowels

82

2.2.1.

Vowel /a/

82

2.2.2.

Vowels /i/ and /e/

83

2.2.3.

Vowels /u/ and /o/*

87

2.2.4.

Diphthongs

88

2.2.5.

Assyrian vowel-harmony

89

2.2.5.1.

Assyrian vowel-harmony in nominal forms

90

2.2.5.2.

Assyrian vowel harmony in finite verbs

92

iii

2.2.5.3.

Soundchanges related to vowel-harmony

96

2.2.6.

Syncope/Elision

96

2.2.7.

Epenthetic vowels

97

2.2.8.

Shortening of long vowels

99

2.3.

Consonants

100

2.3.1.

Emphatic consonants

100

2.3.2.

Weak consonants

102

2.3.2.1.

Semivowel /y/

104

2.3.2.2.

Semivowel /w/

108

2.3.2.3.

Etymologic aleph and ayin

112

2.3.2.4.

Laryngeals /h/ and /ḥ/

115

2.3.2.5.

Vowel Contraction

116

2.3.2.5.1. Contraction of a+a

117

2.3.2.5.2. Contraction a+i

117

2.3.2.5.3. Contraction a+u

118

2.3.2.5.4. Contraction i+a

118

2.3.2.5.5. Contraction i+i

119

2.3.2.5.6. Contraction i+u

119

2.3.2.5.7. Contraction u+a

120

2.3.2.5.8. Contraction u+i

120

2.3.2.5.9. Contraction u+u

120

2.3.3.

Guttural /ḫ/

121

2.3.4.

Labial plosives b/p

122

2.3.5.

Plosive velars /g-k-q/

125

2.3.6.

Dentals plosives /d-t-ṭ/ and interdentals

127

2.3.7.

Sibilants /s-ṣ-z/

131

2.3.8.

Sibilant /š/

133

2.3.8.1.

Interchangeability between /s/ and /š/

137

2.3.8.2.

Assimilation of pronominal suffix –š

140

2.3.8.3.

Metathesis of sibilants and interdentals

142

2.3.9.

Nasal /m-n/

2.3.9.1.

Loss of mimation

143 148

iv

2.3.10.

Liquids /l/ and /r/

150

2.3.11.

Excursus: Variation

151

2.4.

3.

Conclusions

153

2.4.1.

Babylonian influences

153

2.4.2.

Old Assyrian influences

155

2.4.3.

Chronological development

156

Nouns 3.1.

Introduction

3.1.1.

3.2.

159

Noun patterns and roots

159 159

3.1.1.1.

Two radical roots

160

3.1.1.2.

Unclear category

162

3.1.1.3.

Three radical roots

162

3.1.1.4.

Expanded patterns

165

3.1.1.5.

Abstract nouns with –utt

167

3.1.1.6.

Suffix –ān

169

3.1.1.7.

Nisbe

169

3.1.1.8.

West-Semitic loans

173

3.1.1.9.

Babylonian loans

174

3.1.1.10.

Sumerian loans

174

3.1.1.11.

Hurrian loans

176

Inflection of nouns

177

3.2.1.

Genus

177

3.2.2.

Status rectus and it declinations

180

3.2.2.1.

Dual

185

3.2.2.2.

Plural

186

3.2.3.

Status constructus

3.2.3.1. 3.2.4. 3.3.

Bound forms with pronominal suffixes

Status absolutus

Adjectives

192 196 200 201

3.3.1.

Inflection of the adjective

204

3.3.2.

Syntax of the adjective

206

3.4.

Participles

207

v

3.4.1. 3.5.

Syntax of nouns

209 211

3.5.1.

Nominative

211

3.5.2.

Genitive

212

3.5.3.

Accusative

216

3.5.4.

Apposition

218

3.6.

4.

Participles with suffixed –ān

Numbers

220

3.6.1.

Logographic numbers

220

3.6.2.

Cardinal numbers

222

3.6.3.

Ordinal numbers and adjectives

225

3.6.4.

Adjective number parāsī

228

3.6.5.

Fractions

230

3.6.6.

Nouns derived from numerals

231

3.6.7.

Other numerals

233

Pronouns 4.1.

Independent personal pronouns

235 235

4.1.1.

Nominative independent pronouns

235

4.1.2.

Dative and accusative independent pronouns

236

4.1.3.

Function nominative independent pronouns

239

4.1.4.

Function accusative and dative independent pronouns

241

4.2.

Pronominal suffixes

4.2.1.

Function of the pronominal suffixes

243 249

4.3.

Possesive personal pronouns

251

4.4.

Demonstrative pronouns

253

4.4.1.

anniu ‘this’

253

4.4.2.

ammiu ‘that’

255

4.4.3.

alliu ‘that’

255

4.5.

Demonstrative pronouns referring to quantity

256

4.5.1.

akukia ‘so-and-so-much’

256

4.5.2.

annanna ‘so-and-so (for PNs)’

257

4.5.3.

annannia ‘so-and-so (for objects)’

257

4.6.

Reflexive and reciprocal pronouns

257

vi

4.6.1.

Reflexive ramănu ‘self’

257

4.6.2.

Reciprocal aḫāwiš ‘together’

258

4.7.

mamma ‘somebody’

259

4.7.2.

mimmû ‘something/property’

259

4.7.3.

mimma ‘something’

260

4.7.4.

iyāmattu ‘each, everyone’

261

4.7.5.

attamannu ‘each one’

262

4.7.6.

gabbu/kalu ‘all, everything’

262

4.7.7.

mīnummê ‘everything’

263

4.7.8.

Determinative pronomen ša

263

Interrogative pronouns and adverbs

263

4.8.1.

alê ‘where’

264

4.8.2.

ayānu ‘where’

264

4.8.3.

ayyû ‘which’

264

4.8.4.

ayyēša(m) ‘whither?’

264

4.8.5.

kī ‘how’

265

4.8.6.

kī maṣi ‘how much’

265

4.8.7.

mannu ‘who’

265

4.8.8.

mīnu ‘what?/why?’ and ana+mīnu > anawīne ‘why?’

266

Enclictic particles 5.1.

Particle –ma

5.1.1.

Marker of focus

269 269 269

5.1.1.1.

Particle –ma with pronouns

271

5.1.1.2.

Particle –ma with adverbs

272

5.1.2.

Particle –ma of identity

273

5.1.3.

Particle –ma of repetition

274

5.1.4.

Unclear usage of -ma

274

5.2. 6.

259

4.7.1.

4.8.

5.

Indefinite Pronouns

Particle –mi/me

Prepositions 6.1.

275 277

Primary prepositions

277

ana ‘to(wards)’

277

6.1.1.

vii

6.1.2.

ina ‘in’

280

6.1.3.

Confusion between ana and ina

282

6.1.4.

adi ‘until, up to, together with’

283

6.1.5.

iɬtu ‘with’

284

6.2.

286

6.2.1.

aššum (< ana šum) ‘concerning’

286

6.2.2.

Preposition kīma and derived kī, akī, kīmū and kumu

287

6.2.3.

balu(t) ‘without’

289

6.2.4.

ezib ‘apart from’

290

6.2.5.

uššer ‘excluding that’

290

6.3.

7.

Secondary prepositions

Prepositional phrases

290

6.3.1.

bābu

291

6.3.2.

bēt

291

6.3.3.

battubattēn ‘both sides’

291

6.3.4.

bere ‘among’

292

6.3.5.

eberti ‘the other side’

292

6.3.6.

ellān(u) ‘above, over’

293

6.3.7.

libbu ‘heart’

293

6.3.8.

IGI = maḫar?

294

6.3.9.

muḫḫu ‘top’

295

6.3.10.

pānū ‘front, face’

296

6.3.11.

pû ‘mouth’

299

6.3.12.

ina pitte ‘in the responsibility of’

300

6.3.13.

qablum ‘middle’

300

6.3.14.

qātu ‘hand’

301

6.3.15.

šaplu ‘bottom’

301

6.3.16.

tarṣu ‘extent/duration’

302

6.3.17.

ṭiḫi ‘adjectent to’

302

6.3.18.

urki ‘after, behind’

302

Adverbs 7.1.

305

Adverb of location

7.1.1.

Spatial deixis

305 305

viii

7.1.1.1.

Suffix -ānu

306

7.1.1.2.

Suffix -āka

306

7.1.1.3.

Suffix -ēša

307

7.1.2.

Locative –um and -ānum

307

7.1.3.

Other adverbs of location

308

7.2.

Adverbs of number

309

7.2.1.

Quantifying adverbs of the type n-ātu

309

7.2.2.

Quantifying adverbs of the type PaRSutte-

310

7.2.3.

iɬtēniš ‘together, jointly’

311

7.2.4.

kilallūn ‘both’

311

7.2.5.

malla ‘once’

311

7.2.6.

šanîš ‘secondly’

312

7.2.7.

udē ‘alone’

312

Adverbs of manner

312

7.3.

7.3.1.

Adverbs with terminative-adverbial -iš

313

7.3.2.

Other adverbs of manner

314

7.4.

7.3.2.1.

akkīa = ana+kīam – see § 10.5.3

314

7.3.2.2.

assurrē

314

7.3.2.3.

emūqa(mma) ‘by force’

314

7.3.2.4.

ana kallie ‘promptly’

314

7.3.2.5.

kiām ‘thus’

315

7.3.2.6.

malama ‘once again’

315

Adverbs of time I: specific

315

7.4.1.

kannamāri ‘in the early morning’ and namāri ‘at dawn’

315

7.4.2.

līdiš ‘day after tomorrow’

316

7.4.3.

mūšu ‘night’

316

7.4.4.

nubattu ‘evening’

317

7.4.5.

simānu ‘time’

317

7.4.6.

šaddaqda ‘last year’

317

7.4.7.

šalšeni ‘the year before last’

317

7.4.8.

šattu ‘year’

318

7.4.9.

šērtu ‘morning’

318

ix

7.4.10.

ūma ‘today’

318

7.4.11.

kal(a) ūme ‘all day’.

319

7.4.12.

ūmakkal ‘for one day’

319

7.4.13.

ūmu mašil ‘afternoon’

319

7.5.

Adverbs of time II: unspecific

320

7.5.1.

ḫaramma ‘afterwards’

320

7.5.2.

anumma ‘now’ see inanna

320

7.5.3.

dāria ‘ forever’

320

7.5.4.

entu ‘at that time’

320

7.5.5.

enūšu ‘then’

321

7.5.6.

innana ‘now’

321

7.5.7.

immatê ‘whenever’

321

7.5.8.

pānēma ‘previously’

321

7.5.9.

pānittu ‘earlier’

322

7.5.10.

tūr ‘again’

322

7.5.11.

udīni ‘(not) yet’

322

7.5.12.

urkīu, urkittu and urkiš ‘afterwards’

322

7.6.

Interjections

7.6.1. 8.

appūtu ‘please’ or ‘it is urgent’

Verbs 8.1.

323 323 325

Strong verbs

325

8.1.1.

General remarks

325

8.1.2.

Prefix conjugation

326

8.1.2.1.

Theme vowels

328

8.1.2.2.

i-modus

329

8.1.2.3.

Examples

330

8.1.3.

Suffix conjugation: the stative

8.1.3.1. 8.1.4.

Infinitives

8.1.4.1. 8.2.

Examples

Examples

Derived stems

8.2.1.

D-stem

335 338 339 340 341 341

x

8.2.2.

Š-stem

347

8.2.3.

N-stem and passive voice

349

8.2.4.

tan-stems

352

8.2.5.

ta-stems

354

8.2.6.

Quadradical verbs

357

8.3.

Weak verbs

8.3.1.

R1/weak

359 359

8.3.1.1.

I/u and I/i

359

8.3.1.2.

I/voc

363

8.3.1.3.

I/n verbs

372

8.3.2.

R2/weak

375

8.3.2.1.

II/voc

375

8.3.2.2.

II-aleph verbs

382

8.3.2.3.

II/gem verbs

384

8.3.3.

R3/weak verbs

387

8.3.3.1.

III/ū verbs

388

8.3.3.2.

III/ī and III/ē verbs

390

8.3.3.3.

III/aleph verb

397

8.3.4.

Double weak verbs

8.3.4.1.

I/u verbs

400 400

8.3.4.1.1. uppuˀu ‘to obtain’

400

8.3.4.1.2. urāˀu ‘to lead’

401

8.3.4.2.

I/a-e verbs

401

8.3.4.2.1. allulu (Bab. elēlum) ‘to purify’

401

8.3.4.2.2. arāru ‘to insult’

402

8.3.4.2.3. arāˀu ‘to be pregnant’

402

8.3.4.2.4. ebāˀu ‘to be thick’

402

8.3.4.2.5. elāˀu ‘to go up’

402

8.3.4.2.6. epāˀu ‘ to bake’

404

8.3.4.3.

I/n weak verbs

404

8.3.4.3.1. nadāˀu ‘to lay down’

404

8.3.4.3.2. naqāˀu ‘to pour’

405

xi

8.3.4.3.3. naṭāˀu I/II ‘to beat/to be suitable’

406

8.3.4.3.4. nêˀu ‘to overturn’

406

8.3.4.3.5. niāku ‘to have intercourse’

406

8.3.4.3.6. naˀˀuḫu ‘to rest’

406

8.3.4.4.

407

8.3.4.4.1. baˀˀû ‘to see

407

8.3.4.4.2. laˀû ‘to be able’

407

8.3.4.4.3. qaˀˀû ‘to wait’

408

8.3.4.4.4. raˀû ‘to pasture’

408

8.3.4.4.5. šâˀu ‘to pad, layer’

409

8.3.4.4.6. šaˀû ‘to seek’

409

8.3.5.

9.

II-III/weak verbs

Irregular verbs

409

8.3.5.1.

existential verbs bašāˀu and laššu

410

8.3.5.2.

alāku ‘to go’

412

8.3.5.3.

danānu ‘to be strong’

415

8.3.5.4.

izuzzu ‘to stand’

416

8.3.5.5.

našāˀu/naṣṣ- ‘to carry’

417

8.3.5.6.

sasāˀu ‘to call’

419

8.3.5.7.

tadānu/nadānu ‘to give’

419

8.3.5.8.

udāˀu/idē ‘to know’

424

8.3.5.9.

uṣāˀu ‘to go out’

425

8.3.5.10.

ušābu ‘to sit’

427

Function of verbal categories

429

9.1.

Tenses and mood in Middle Assyrian

429

9.2.

Present: General remarks

429

9.2.1.

Present in the literary corpus

429

9.2.2.

Present in contracts and other administrative documents

431

9.2.3.

Present in letters

432

9.3.

Past tense: perfect and preterite – general remarks

434

9.3.1.

Perfect/preterite in letters

434

9.3.2.

Perfect/preterite in administrative documents.

436

9.3.3.

Historical development of the past tense in late MA

438

xii

9.4.

Perfect and preterite for the future tense

440

9.4.1.

Perfect/preterite in MAL A-B

440

9.4.2.

Perfect/preterite in MAPD and rituals

444

9.4.3.

Letters and administrative documents

445

9.4.4.

Epistolary perfect

446

9.5.

Imperative, precative and prohibitive

447

9.6.

Stative

450

9.7.

Infinitive

452

9.8.

Ventive

456

9.9.

Subjunctive

459

10.

Syntax

10.1.

465

Simple clause

465

10.1.1.

Congruence of subject and predicate

465

10.1.2.

Hendiadys

467

10.1.3.

Word order and topicalization

468

10.1.4.

Casus pendens

470

10.1.5.

Nominal clauses

471

10.1.6.

Questions

475

10.1.7.

Negation

477

Coordination

480

10.2. 10.2.1.

Conjunction u

480

10.2.2.

Sentence connector –ma

482

10.2.3.

Asyndetic constructions

483

10.2.4.

ū ‘or’

484

10.2.5.

lū ‘be it’

485

10.2.6.

ula

487

10.2.7.

šumma/entu ‘when’

487

10.3.

Conditional clauses

487

10.3.1.

Conditional sentence with šumma in law texts

487

10.3.2.

Conditional clauses outside law texts

489

10.3.3.

Oath and irrealis

490

10.3.4.

Conditional sentence without šumma

491

xiii

10.4.

Dependent clauses Relative clause and the particle ša

10.4.1.

495

10.4.1.1.

Head of the relative clause

497

10.4.1.2.

Relative clause without head

499

10.4.1.3.

Asyndetic relative clauses

500

10.4.1.4.

Relative clauses with ammar and other constructions

501

10.4.2.

Adverbial and complement clauses

502

10.4.2.1.

adi: Different functions

502

10.4.2.2.

ašar: local clause

503

10.4.2.3.

aššum: Causal clauses

504

10.4.2.4.

iɬtu: temporal clauses

505

10.4.2.5.

ina ūme/mate: Temporal clauses

505

10.4.2.6.

kī: various adverbial and complement clauses

507

10.5.

11.

493

Direct speech

509

10.5.1.

Verbs introducing direct speech

509

10.5.2.

Particle mā

510

10.5.3.

Particle akkīa

511

Conclusions and paradigms

513

11.1.

Scribal system and morphographic spellings

513

11.2.

Shared features of Late Bronze Age Akkadian

513

11.3.

Assyrian dialect: shared features

514

11.4.

Paradigma

515

12.

11.4.1.

List of paradigma

515

11.4.2.

Paradigma

516

Appendixes

527

12.1.

Signlist

527

12.2.

Month names

556

13.

12.2.1.

Assyrian calendar

556

12.2.2.

Babylon calendar

558

Concordances

559

13.1.1.

StAT n (M 6 archive)

559

13.1.2.

Istanbul (A siglum)

560

xiv

13.1.3.

Berlin (VAT siglum)

562

13.1.4.

MARV 1

563

13.1.5.

MARV 2

566

13.1.6.

MARV 3

567

13.1.7.

Tell Ar-Rimāḥ (TR siglum)

570

13.1.8.

Tell Ṣabī Abyaḍ (T siglum)

575

13.1.9.

Tell Ṭābān (TabT siglum)

576

13.1.10.

Deir Ez-Zawr (DeZ siglum)

576

13.1.11.

Minor Publications

576

Bibliography

583

Bibliographical abbreviations

583

Studies

590

xv

List of figures Figure 1: Overview of Middle Assyrian kings Figure 2: Map of the linguistic landscape. Figure 3: Archives from Aššur Figure 4: Chronological spread of the archives from Aššur Figure 5: List of the MA finding spots Figure 6: Circle diagram find spots Figure 7: Geographical spread of sites with MA texts Figure 8: Chronology of texts Figure 9: Chronological spread of peripheral archives Figure 10: Main characteristics of MA gammar Figure 11: MA syllabic values Figure 12: Share of letters and literary texts of the MA corpus Figure 13: Statistics of MA main genres Figure 14: Overview of literary fragments Figure 15: Overview of literary fragments in circle diagram Figure 16: Grammatical features in literary texts Figure 17: Letters from other find spots Figure 18: Share of the different find spots. Figure 19: Position of tongue Figure 20: Consonants in MA Figure 21: Types of aleph Figure 22: Distribution of and Figure 23: Distribution of the syllabic values for /ši/ Figure 24: Inflection of nouns Figure 25: The genitive in LVUH Figure 26: Plural morphemes Figure 27: Status constructus Figure 28: Inflection of adjectives Figure 29: Cardinal numbers Figure 30: Seah measures Figure 31: Counting of the talent Figure 32: Fractions Figure 33: Different measures of weight and capacity Figure 34: NA ending vocals on the oblique pronouns according to SNAG, 44 Figure 35: Dative/accusative pronouns in Assyrian Figure 36: Independent accusative personal pronouns Figure 37: Morphologic independent dative personal pronouns Figure 38: Pronominal suffixes in Assyrian Figure 39: Independent possessive personal pronouns

xxii 2 9 10 11 11 12 13 15 17 18 21 21 24 25 26 31 31 82 100 102 126 135 180 184 186 193 204 221 221 221 222 222 237 238 238 239 245 253

xvi

Figure 40: Particle chain for verbs Figure 41: Conjunction prefix conjugation Figure 42: Stative paradigms of Assyrian Figure 43: D-stem overview Figure 44: Š-stem overview Figure 45: N-stem overview Figure 46: tan-stems overview Figure 47: ta-stems overview Figure 48: Tenses as in letters Figure 49: Future tenses Figure 50: Tense in the protasis of MAL A-B

326 326 336 341 348 349 352 355 436 440 442