GoA 28.1

L7.2: Š-Stem

The Š-stem is the causative counterpart of the G-stem.

Meaning

1. The most common use of the Š-stem is as a causative of active-transitive verbs:

   Example

   • šumqutum (G maqātum “to fall down”) “to cause to fall, to fell”

   • šuknušum (G kanāšum “to bow down, submit”) “to make submissive, to subjugate”

2. Active-transitive verbs in Š-stem may have two direct objects:

   Example

   • awâtki ahhīja ušešmi “I made my brother hear your words”

   • ṣuhāram ṭuppam uštābilakkum “I have had a servant take (wabālum, Š Perfect) the tablet to you”

3. Some adjectival verbs uses the Š-stem instead of the D-stem for a factitive:

   Example

   • šumruṣum “to make sick, cause trouble”

4. A few verbs only in the Š-stem:

   Example

   • šutlumum “to give, lend”

   • šuklulum “to complete”

5. Sometimes it is not clear to differentiate the meanings of the D and Š-stems:

   Example

   • kunnušum and šuknušum “to subjugate”

   • (w)utturum “to augment” and *šūturum “to increase, surpass”

Morphological Characteristics

1. The Š-stem is charachterized by a prefix š, which precedes the root consonants in all forms:

   	Š-Stem
   Durative	ušapras
   Perfect	uštapris
   Preterite	ušapris
   Imperative	šupris
   Participle	mušaprisum
   Verbal Adj.	šuprusum
   Infinitive	šuprusum
   Stative	šuprus

   Note

   • R₂ follos R₁ immediately in all forms

   • Between the š and R₁ there will always be a vowel, either u or a.

   • The t of the perfect follows š immediately.

2. The D and Š-stems have similar vowel configuration:

   	Š-Stem	D-Stem
   Durative	ušaR₁R₂aR₃	uR₁aR₂R₂aR₃
   Durative	ušapras	uparras

   Note

   • Like in the D-stem there is no a vowel class in the Š-stem

   • Like in the D-stem the Durative has the vowel a and the Perfect together with the preterite have the vowel i in the Š-stem.

   • Like in the D-stem the prefixes of the durative, perfect and preterite have the prefix u

   • Like in the D-stem the Imperative has i between R₂ and R₃

   • Like in the D-stem the Infinitive, verbal adjective and thus the stative have the vowel u

I-n Verbs

Since R₁ always comes immediately before R₂ the n is assimilated in all forms.

	Š-Stem
Durative	ušaddan
Perfect	uštaddin
Preterite	ušaddin
Imperative	šuddin
Participle	mušaddinum
Verbal Adj.	šuddunum
Infinitive	šuddunum
Stative	šuddun

I-ʾ

The loss of the R₁ has, as expected, caused the legthenin of the preceding vowel in all form with the exeption of the durative, as it is in the Durative of the G-stem. In verbs I-e, the usual change of a-vowels to e takes place:

	ahāzum	epēšum
Durative	ušahhaz	ušeppeš
Perfect	uštāhiz	uštēpiš
Preterite	ušāhiz	ušēpiš
Imperative	šūhiz	šūpiš
Participle	mušāhizum	mušēpišum
Verbal Adj.	šūhuzum	šūpušum
Infinitive	šūhuzum	šūpušum
Stative	šūhuz	šūpuš

I-w

These verbs are conjugated like verbs I-ʾ in the Š. Some of them change a > e and a small group of verbs have both conjugations a and e

	wabālum	wašābum	šūṣûm
Durative	ušabbal	ušeššeb	ušeṣṣe/ušaṣṣa
Perfect	uštābil	uštēšeb	uštēṣi/ušaṣṣa
Preterite	ušābil	ušēšib	ušēṣi/ušaṣṣa
Imperative	šūbil	šūšib	šūṣi
Participle	mušābilum	mušēšibum	mušēṣûm/mušāṣûm
Verbal Adj.	šūbulum	šūšubum	šuṣûm
Infinitive	šūbulum	šūšubum	šūṣûm
Stative	šūbul	šūšub	šūṣu

II-weak

These verbs follow the same rules as for the D-stem:

II-w and II-y

	mâtum
Durative	ušmāt, ušmattū
Perfect	uštamīt, uštamittū
Preterite	ušmīt, ušmittū
Imperative	šumīt, šumittā
Participle	mušmittum
Infinitive	šumuttum
Verbal Adj.	šumuttum
Stative	šumūt, šumuttu

II-ʾ

Verbs II-ʾ in D-stem are poorly attested. The verbs II₁-₂ (II-a) tend to be conjugated with the middle as a strong consonant, although contraction may take place.

	nêšeum
Durative	ušnēš/ušneššū
Perfect	?
Preterite	ušnīš, ušneššū
Imperative	?
Participle	muniššum
Infinitive	šunnušum
Verbal Adj.	?
Stative	?

III-Weak

All vowel-classes are conjugated alike as in the D-stem. In verbs III-e, the a becomes e (though not always). The usual contraction rules apply:

	Š-Stem
Durative	ušabna
Perfect	uštabni
Preterite	ušabni
Imperative	šubni
Participle	mušabnûm
Verbal Adj.	šubnûm
Infinitive	šubnûm
Stative	šubnu