GoA 31.1-31.2, 32.1

L7.3: N-stem

The main function of this stem is the passive of the G.

Meaning

1. Passive of the active-transitive G verbs. This is the main function:

   Example

   • N-stem Pres.: immahhaṣ “he will be smiten”

   • N-stem Perf.: ittaškanū “They (masc.) have been plaed”

2. Middle voice.

   Example

   • G-stem Pret.: bābam ipte “She opened the gate”

   • N-stem Pret.: bābum ippeti “The gate opened” (or “the gate was opened”)

3. Reflexive and Reciprocal. Both can happen, but it is rare.

   Example

   • G-stem Inf.: labāšum “to clothe” → N Perf.: ittalbaš “he clothed himself”

   • G-stem Inf.: amārum “to see” → N Inf.: nanmurum “to see one another, to meet”

4. Normally state verbs are not attested in N-stem. Nevertheless some of them have N-stem with an ingressive meaning, i.e. that something come to existence.

   Example

   • G-stem Pres.: ibašši “he exists”→ N-stem Pres.: ibbašši “he comes into existence”, “he originates”

5. Some verbs occur only in N-stem, i.e. the basic form is the N-stem.

   Example

   • N-stem Inf.: naprušum “to fly”

   • G-stem Inf.: palāsum “to see” (very rare) → N-stem Inf.: naplusum “to see, to look at”

Morphological Characteristics

1. The N-stem is characterized by an n before the root.

2. Forms with prefixes the n stand before another consonant, thus it assimilates:

   	N-Stem
   Durative	ipparras <*inparras
   Perfect	ittapras <*intapras
   Preterite	ipparis <*inparis
   Particple	mupparsum <*munparsum

3. The other form begin with na, thus there is no assimilation:

   	N-Stem
   Imperative	napris
   Verbal Adjective	naprusum
   Infinitve	naprusum
   Stative	naprus

4. Because the N-stem is based on the G-stem the personal prefixes are the same, unlike the Š and D-stems.

5. The vowel class depends in part of that of the G-stem

   1. Vowel class a-u, a and u → N-stem is a-i

   2. Vowel class i → N-stem is i

   	a-u-class	a-class	u-class	i-class
   Durative	ipparras	i︎ṣṣabbat	issahhar	ippaqqid
   Preterite	ipparis	iṣṣabit	issahir	ippaqid
   Infinitve	naprusum	naṣbutum	nashurum	napqudum

   Note

   The e-type verbs have e instead a.

6. When suffixes are added to the preterite, syncope occurs:

   Example

   • N-stem Pres.: ipparris → with ventive: ipparrsam

   • N-stem Pres.: ipparris → with 3p.pl.: ipparrsū

7. The status constructus of the participle:

   Example

   • N-stem Part. masc.: mupparsum → stat. const.: mupparis

   • N-stem Part. fem.: mupparistum → stat. const.: mupparsat

8. The infitive, Verbal Adjective and Stative the vowel between R₂ and R₃ is always u

   	N-Stem
   Verbal Adjective	naprusum
   Infinitve	naprusum
   Stative	naprus

9. In cuneiform confusion with the G-stem is possible, when the doubling is not indicated in the script:

Example

• 𒄿𒉺𒆠𒀉 = ipaqqid or ippaqqid

I-n Verbs

These verbs present no difficulties in Durative, Preterite or Participle. Nevertheless in the Perfect, the n of the root is not assimilated. in the Imperative, Infinitive, Verbal Adjective and Stative is optional:

	naqāru (a-u)	nadānu (i)
Durative	innaqqar	innaddin
Perfect	ittanqar	ittandin
Preterite	innaqer	innaddin
Imperative	naqqer/nanqer	naddin/nandin
Participle	munnaqrum	munnadnum
Verbal Adjective	naqqurum/nanqurum	naddunum/nandunum
Infinitve	naqqurum/nanqurum	naddunum/nandunum
Stative	naqqur/nanqur	naddun/nandun

I-ʾ

In all forms the inital ʾ is replaced by n, which is not assimilated to a following radical. Thus, the forms look like the N-stem of I-n. The e colored verbs may have the expected theme-vowel (e-i) or u between R₂ and R₃.

	ahāzum (a-u)	ezēbu (i)	epēšum (e-u)	enûm (III-i)
Durative	innahhaz	innezzib	inneppeš/inneppuš	innenni
Perfect	ittanhaz	ittenzib	ittepeš/ittepuš	ittenni
Preterite	innahiz	innezib	innepiš/innepuš	inneni
Imperative	nanhiz	nenzib	nenpiš/nenpuš	nenni
Participle	munnahzum	munnezbum	munnepšum	munnenûm
Verbal Adjective	nanhuzum	nenzubum	nenpušum	nennûm
Infinitve	nanhuzum	nenzubum	nenpušum	nennûm
Stative	nanhuz	nenzub	nenpuš	nennu

Note

Some verbs I-ʾ might preserve a strong conjugation throughout the N-paradigm.

• adārum G (a-u) “to fear”, naʾdurum ‘to be feared”: Durative iʾʾaddar, Perfect ittaʾdar, Preterite iʾʾader, etc.

I-y

These verbs have forms corresponding to e-class of I-ʾ, but forms without prefixes have a long vowel:

	ezēhum
Durative	innezzih
Perfect	ittenzih
Preterite	innezih
Imperative	nēzih
Participle	munēzuhum
Verbal Adjective	nēzuhum
Infinitve	nēzuhum
Stative	nēzuh

I-w

As far the N forms for these verbs are attested, they are regular, i.e. the w is doubled, but only Durative and Preterite are attested:

	walādum	wabālum/babālum
Durative	iwwallad	ibbabbal
Preterite	iwwalid	ibbabil

Note

In later texts ww is replaced by ʾʾ: Durative iʾʾallad, Preterite iʾʾalid.

II-weak

These verbs are poorly attested in the N-stem. The Durative and Preterite look like the G forms but with a doubling of the first radical:

	dâku (u)	qâšu (i)	šâmu (a)	nêru (e)
Durative	iddâk/iddukkū	iqqīaš/iqqiššū	iššâm/išammū	innêr/innerrū
Preterite	[iddīk*/iddūk?	iqqīš/iqqīšu	iššām/iššāmū	*innēr/innērū

Note

Verbs II-w are not attested. THe Verbs II-a and II-e have the theme vowel of the G-stem, rather than i like the N preterites of other verbs.

III-weak

The vowel of the Durative and Perfect correspond those of the G-stem, the Preterite and thus the Impreative have the vowel i. The other forms are as expected:

	i-class	a-class	u-class	e-class
Durative	ibbanni	ikkalla	immannu	iššemme/iššammi
Perfect	ittabni	ittakla	ittamnu	ittešme/ittašmi
Preterite	ibbani	ikkali	immani	iššemi/iššami
Imperative	nabni	nakli	namni	nešme/našmi
Participle	mubbanûm	mukkalûm	mummanûm	muššemûm/muššamûm
Verbal Adjective	nabnûm	naklûm	namnûm	nešmûm/našmûm
Infinitve	nabnûm	naklûm	namnûm	nešmûm/našmûm
Stative	nabnu	naklu	namnu	nešme/našmu