• The Sumerian Discourse Markers u4-ba and u4-bi-a

    Author(s):
    Jay Crisostomo (see profile)
    Date:
    2017
    Group(s):
    Ancient Near East
    Subject(s):
    Assyriology, Linguistics
    Item Type:
    Article
    Permanent URL:
    http://dx.doi.org/10.17613/M6ZN1R
    Abstract:
    In Old Babylonian Sumerian literature, the temporal phrases u₄-ba and u₄-bi-a typically occur in complementary distribution. Previous analyses have focused on morphological disparity to differentiate the two. The present paper considers pragmatic functions within a larger discourse structure, analyzing them as discourse markers, specifically temporal connectives. In this study based on a corpus analysis of Old Babylonian literary compositions, I argue that in Sumerian discourse, u₄-ba primarily marks perspectival shifts and refocusing, and u₄-bi-a indexes sequential and consequential action.
    Metadata:
    xml
    Published as:
    Journal article     Show details
    Pub. DOI:
    10.5615/jcunestud.69.2017.0049
    Publisher:
    The American Schools of Oriental Research
    Pub. Date:
    2017-6-19
    Journal:
    Journal of Cuneiform Studies
    Volume:
    69
    Page Range:
    49 - 66
    ISSN:
    0022-0256
    Status:
    Published
    Last Updated:
    6 years ago
    License:
    All Rights Reserved

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