Morphological parsing

ETCSRI's Morphological Parsing

I. Noun Phrase
1. Template
2. Morpheme correspondences

2nd nominal slot
3rd nominal slot
4th nominal slot
5th nominal slot
6th nominal slot

II. Finite verb
1. Template
2. Morpheme correspondences

1st verbal slot
2nd verbal slot
3rd verbal slot
4th verbal slot
5th verbal slot
6th verbal slot
7th verbal slot
8th verbal slot
9th verbal slot
10th verbal slot
11th verbal slot
12th verbal slot
13th verbal slot
14th verbal slot
15th verbal slot

III. Non-finite verb
1. Template
2. Morpheme correspondences

1st non-finite verbal slot
2nd non-finite verbal slot
3rd non-finite verbal slot
4th non-finite verbal slot

Abbreviations

CF = citation form
df = default form (marked with both bold and italic setting)
M1 = morphemic representation
M2 = morphemic glossing representation
N = nominal slot
NV = non-finite verbal form slot
p-tag = position tag
V = verbal slot

I. Noun Phrase

1. Template

N1 (Noun Phrase Slot 1) = Head
N2 = Modifier
N3 = Possessor (a Noun Phrase or a possessive enclitic)
N4 = Plural-marker or the ordinal number suffix
N5 = Case-marker
N6 = Copula

N2	N3	N4	N5	N6
e	ĝu	enee	ø	men
nee	zu	kamak	e	am
	ani	kama	ra	menden
	bi		da	menzen
	me		ta	meš
	zunenee		še	nanna
	anenee		'a
			ak
			gin
			ne
			eš

2. Morpheme correspondences

2nd nominal slot

M1	p-tag	M2	description
e	N2	DEM	demonstrative pronoun
nee	N2	DEM3	demonstrative pronoun

3rd nominal slot

M1	p-tag	M2	description
ĝu	N3	1-SG-POSS	1st person singular possessive enclitic
zu	N3	2-SG-POSS	2nd person singular possessive enclitic
ani	N3	3-SG-H-POSS	3rd person singular human possessive enclitic
bi	N3	3-SG-NH-POSS	3rd person singular non-human possessive enclitic
bi	N3	DEM2	demonstrative pronoun
me	N3	1-PL-POSS	1st person plural possessive enclitic
zunenee	N3	2-PL-POSS	2nd person plural possessive enclitic
anenee	N3	3-PL-POSS	3rd person plural possessive enclitic

Remark1: Double vowels stand for long vowel

4th nominal slot

M1	p-tag	M2	description
enee	N4	PL	plural-marker
kamak	N4	ORD	ordinal number suffix
kama	N4	ORD	later form of the ordinal number suffix

5th nominal slot

M1	p-tag	M2	description
ø	N5	ABS	absolutive case-marker
e	N5	ERG	*ergative case-marker (df)*
ra	N5	DAT-H	*human dative case-marker (df)*
e	N5	DAT-NH	non-human dative case-marker
da	N5	COM	comitative case-marker
ta	N5	ABL	ablative case-marker
še	N5	TERM	terminative case-marker
'a	N5	L1	*locative1 case-marker (df)*
ra	N5	L2-H	human locative2 case-marker
'a	N5	L2-NH	non-human locative2 case-marker
ra	N5	L3-H	human locative3 case-marker
e	N5	L3-NH	non-human locative3 case-marker
ak	N5	GEN	genitive case-marker
gin	N5	EQU	equative case-marker
ne	N5	L4	locative4 case-marker
eš	N5	ADV	adverbiative suffix

Remark1: L4 is assumed to be an archaic locative case-marker (perhaps corresponding to the L1 verbal prefix /ni/) used only in forms like nu2-a-zu-ne (cf. Krecher 1993)
Remark2: For the system of cases used by ETCSRI, cf. Zólyomi 2007b and 2010.
Remark3: ADV is in fact a derivative morpheme.

6th nominal slot

M1	p-tag	M2	description
men	N6	COP-1-SG	*first person singular form of the enclitic copula (df)*
men	N6	COP-2-SG	second person singular form of the enclitic copula
am	N6	COP-3-SG	third person singular form of the enclitic copula
menden	N6	COP-1-PL	first person plural form of the enclitic copula
menzen	N6	COP-2-PL	second person plural form of the enclitic copula
meš	N6	COP-3-PL	third person plural form of the enclitic copula
nanna	N6	EXCEPT	particle referring to an exception to a negative statement

Remark1: For /nanna/ cf. Edzard 2003: 158 and Veenker and Johnson 2009: 361–362.

II. Finite verb

1. Template

Slot 1	The modal prefix ha-, negative prefix nu-, prefix of anteriority
Slot 2	Modal prefixes other than ha-, the finite-marker prefixes
Slot 3	Coordinator prefix
Slot 4	Ventive (cislocative) prefix
Slot 5	Middle prefix or 3nh pronominal prefix (specifying the person, gender and number of the first in the sequence of dimensional prefixes)
Slot 6	Initial Pronominal prefix (specifying the person, gender and number of the first in the sequence of dimensional prefixes)x
Slot 7	Dimensional I: dative prefix
Slot 8	Dimensional II: comitative prefix
Slot 9	Dimensional III: ablative or terminative prefix
Slot 10	Dimensional IV: locative1, locative2, or locative3 prefix
Slot 11	Final Pronominal prefix (referring to A or P, depending on the tense)
Slot 12	stem
Slot 13	present-future marker (in intransitive verbs)
Slot 14	pronominal suffix (referring A, S, or P depending on the tense)
Slot 15	Subordinator

V1	V2	V3	V4	V5	V6	V7	V8	V9	V10	V11	V12	V13	V14	V15
nu	i	nga	m	ba	1	a	da	ta	ni	1	STEM	ed	en	'a
ha	a		mu	b	r			ši	n	e	STEM-PF	en	ø
u	al				e				i	n	STEM-PL		e
STEM	ii				nn				e	b	STEM-RDP		enden
STEM-PL	aa				mee				ø	nnee	COP		enzen
STEM-RDP	ga				nnee								eš
	nan												enee
	bara
	nuš
	ši
	na

Remark1: In imperative verbal forms the STEM(-PL/RDP) occupies V1, while V12 is empty.

2. Morpheme correspondences

1st verbal slot

M1	p-tag	M2	description
nu	V1	NEG	negative prefix
ha	V1	MOD1	modal1 prefix
u	V1	ANT	prefix of anteriority
CF	V1	STEM	verbal stem
CF	V1	STEM-PL	plural verbal stem
CF	V1	STEM-RDP	reduplicated verbal stem

2nd verbal slot

M1	p-tag	M2	description
ga	V1	MOD2	modal2 prefix
nan	V1	MOD3	modal3 prefix
bara	V1	MOD4	modal4 prefix
nuš	V1	MOD5	modal5 prefix
ši	V1	MOD6	modal6 prefix
na	V1	MOD7	modal7 prefix
i	V2	FIN	finite-marker
ii	V2	FIN-LI	lenghtened finite-marker signaling the syncopation of the vowel of the L1 prefix
ii	V2	FIN-L2	*lenghtened finite-marker signaling the syncopation of the vowel of the L2 prefix*
a	V2	FIN	finite-marker
aa	V2	FIN-L2	lenghtened finite-marker signaling the syncopation of the vowel of the L2 prefix
al	V2	FIN	finite-marker

Remark1: The compensatory lenghtening of the finite marker occurs when the L2 prefix in V10 (preceded by a pronominal prefix in either V5 or V6) or the vowel of the L1 prefix becomes syncopated. In these verbal forms the lenghtening of FIN is considered and glossed as the marker of L2. (Cf. Jagersma 2006)

3rd verbal slot

M1	p-tag	M2	description
nga	V3	COOR	coordinator prefix

4th verbal slot

M1	p-tag	M2	description
m	V4	VEN	ventive (cislocative) prefix
mu	V4	VEN	ventive (cislocative) prefix

5th verbal slot

M1	p-tag	M2	description
ba	V5	MID	middle prefix
b	V5	3-NH	third person singular non-human initial pronominal prefix

6th verbal slot

M1	p-tag	M2	description
1	V6	1-SG	first person singular initial pronominal prefix (= IPP)
r	V6	2-SG	second person singular IPP
e	V6	2-SG	second person singular IPP
nn	V6	3-SG-H	third person singular human IPP
mee	V6	1-PL	first person plural IPP
nnee	V6	3-PL	third person plural IPP

7th verbal slot

M1	p-tag	M2	description
a	V7	DAT	dative prefix

8th verbal slot

M1	p-tag	M2	description
da	V8	COM	comitative prefix

9th verbal slot

M1	p-tag	M2	description
ta	V9	ABL	ablative prefix
ši	V9	TERM	terminative prefix
še	V9	TERM	terminative prefix

10th verbal slot

M1	p-tag	M2	description
ni	V10	L1	locative1 prefix
ni	V10	LOC-OB	locative prefix used as causative marker in OB texts
n	V10	L1-SYN	syncopated locative1 prefix
i	V10	L2	locative2 prefix
e	V10	L2	locative2 prefix
ø	V10	L2-SYN	syncopated locative2 prefix
i	V10	L3	locative3 prefix

Remark1: A form like i₃-ib₂-ĝal₂ will thus be analyzed as
M1: V1=ii.V5=b.V10=ø.V12=ĝal.V14=ø
M2: V1=FIN-L2.V5=3-NH.V10=L2-SYN.V12=STEM.V14=3-SG-S

11th verbal slot

M1	p-tag	M2	description
1	V11	1-SG-A	first person singular final pronominal prefix (= FPP) construed with an agent
e	V11	2-SG-A	second person singular FPP construed with an agent
n	V11	3-SG-H-A	*third person singular human FPP construed with an agent (df)*
n	V11	3-SG-H-P	third person singular human FPP construed with a patient
n	V11	3-SG-H-L3	third person singular human FPP construed with a participant in L3
n	V11	1-SG-A-OB	first person singular FPP construed with an agent in OB texts
b	V11	3-SG-NH-A	third person singular non-human FPP construed with an agent
b	V11	3-SG-NH-P	*third person singular non-human FPP construed with a patient (df)*
b	V11	3-SG-NH-L3	third person singular non-human FPP construed with a participant in L3
nnee	V11	3-PL-H-P	third person plurtal human FPP construed with a patient

Remark1: For final pronominal prefixes being construed with a participant in L3 cf. Zólyomi 1999: 221, fn 13 (with a different terminology) and Jagersma 2006.

12th verbal slot

M1	p-tag	M2	description
CF	V12	STEM	*verbal stem (df)*
CF	V12	STEM-PF	present-future verbal stem
CF	V12	STEM-PL	plural verbal stem
CF	V12	STEM-RDP	reduplicated verbal stem
CF	V12	COP	the independent copula

Remark1: These can be combined, so for example sub2 is STEM-PF-PL, i.e. present-future plural stem of go. The order of qualifying glosses should follow this table (so sub2 may only be glossed as before but not as STEM-PL-PF).
Remark2: Unlike in The Penn Parsed Corpus of Sumerian [http://psd.museum.upenn.edu/ppcs/MorphologyTable.html], ETCSRI will not have a special template with special slots for imperative verbal forms: in imperative verbal forms the verbal stem is assumed to occupy V1.

13th verbal slot

M1	p-tag	M2	description
ed	V13	PF	present-future marker
en	V13	PLEN	verbal suffix marking the plurality of S or P

Remark: PLEN is attested only rarely (cf. Krecher 1965 and 1987).

14th verbal slot

M1	p-tag	M2	description
en	V14	1-SG-A	*first person singular agent suffix (df)*
en	V14	1-SG-S	first person singular subject suffix
en	V14	1-SG-P	first person singular patient suffix
en	V14	2-SG-A	second person singular agent suffix
en	V14	2-SG-S	second person singular subject suffix
en	V14	2-SG-P	second person singular patient suffix
ø	V14	3-SG-S	third person singular human or non-human subject suffix
ø	V14	3-SG-P	*third person singular human or non-human subject suffix (df)*
e	V14	3-SG-A	third person singular human or non-human agent suffix
e	V14	3-SG-S-OB	third person singular human or non-human subject suffix in OB texts
enden	V14	1-PL-A	first person plural agent suffix
enden	V14	1-PL-S	*first person plural subject suffix (df)*
enden	V14	1-PL	first person plural suffix in plural transitive preterite verbal forms
enzen	V14	2-PL-A	second person plural agent suffix
enzen	V14	2-PL-S	*second person plural subject suffix (df)*
enzen	V14	2-PL	second person plural suffix in plural transitive preterite verbal forms
eš	V14	3-PL-S	second person plural subject suffix
eš	V14	3-PL-P	*second person plural patient suffix (df)*
eš	V14	3-PL	*third person plural suffix in plural transitive preterite verbal forms (df)*
enee	V14	3-PL-A	third person plural agent suffix in present-future verbal forms

Remark1: In transitive preterite forms the plural agents are cross-referenced with a periphrastic construction involving the use of two affixes: the singular form of an FPP in V11 and the plural form of a pronominal suffix in V14, that is the FPP in V11 agrees in gender and person, while the suffix in V14 agrees in number and person with the agent. In these forms the suffix in V14 will be glossed as 1-PL, 2-PL, or 3-PL, i.e. without specifying its syntactic function, e.g.: ...-3-SG-H-A-stem-3-PL

15th verbal slot

M1	p-tag	M2	description
'a	V15	SUB	subordinator

III. Non-finite verb

1. Template

NV11	NV2	NV3	NV4
nu	STEM	ed	'a
	STEM-PF
	STEM-RDP

Remark1: A non-finite verbal form may occupy either N1 or N2. In the first case it functions as a Noun, while in the second case it functions as a modifier. So called adjectives are considered non-finite verbal forms.
Remark2: Just like non-finite verbal forms, cardinal numbers may be used both as modifiers and nouns, they will thus be inserted in the non-finite verbal template.

2. Morpheme correspondences

1st non-finite verbal slot

M1	p-tag	M2	description
nu	NV1	NEG	negative prefix

2nd non-finite verbal slot

M1	p-tag	M2	description
CF	NV2	STEM	verbal stem
CF	NV2	STEM-PF	present-future verbal stem
CF	NV2	STEM-PL	plural verbal stem
CF	NV2	STEM-RDP	reduplicated verbal stem

3rd non-finite verbal slot

M1	p-tag	M2	description
ed	NV3	PF	presen-future marker

4th non-finite verbal slot

M1	p-tag	M2	description
'a	NV4	SUB	subordinator

Remark1: Basically we have 3 + 1 actual forms that should be generated: LAL, LAL-ed, LAL-a, and LAL-ed-a. The fourth form is marginal occurs only in the so called "pronominal conjugation", for example, STEM-ed-a-ĝu-ne. (The arguments of Keetman [2008] for a different analysis of these forms has been found unconvincing.)

References

Edzard, Dietz Otto (2003), Sumerian Grammar (Handbook of Oriental Studies, Sect. I, 71). Leiden — Boston: Brill 2003.
Jagersma, Bram (2006). 'The final person-prefixes and the passive', N.A.B.U., no. 93.
Keetman, Jan (2008), 'Der auf /-e(d)/ gebildete Stamm des sumerischen Verbums', Revue d'Assyriologie 102, 9–16.
Krecher, Joachim (1965), 'Zur sumerischen Grammatik', Zeitschrift für Assyriologie 57, 12–30.
Krecher, Joachim (1987), 'DU = ku₄(-r) "eintreten, "hineinbringen', Zeitschrift für Assyriologie 77, 7–21.
Krecher, Joachim (1993), 'The Suffix of Determination -/a/', Acta Sumerologica 15, 81–93.
Veenker, Ronald —J. Cale Johnson (2009), 'The appellate process in a legal record {di til-la} from Ur III Umma', AoF 36, 349–364.
Zólyomi, Gábor (1999), 'Directive Infix and Oblique Object in Sumerian: An Account of the History of their Relationship', Orientalia NS 68 (1999), 215–253.
Zólyomi, Gábor (2007b), 'Sumerisch', in Michael Streck, Hrsg., Schriften und Sprachen des Alten Orients. 3., überarb. Auflage. Darmstadt: Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft, 11–43.
Zólyomi, Gábor (2010), 'The Case of the Sumerian Cases', in Leonid Kogan et al., eds. Proceedings of the 53e Rencontre Assyriologique Internationale, Vol. 1: Language in the Ancient Near East (2 parts) (Babel und Bibel, 4A-B). Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 577–590.

The date of last modification: 19 Sep 2021

Morphological parsing

ETCSRI's Morphological Parsing

Table of contents

I. Noun Phrase

II. Finite verb

III. Non-finite verb