L4.2: I-ʾ Verbs

These verbs are classified as strongs verbs, but they exihibt phonetic peculiarities. They are divided acocording to the origin of the “א”:

The Laryngeal

Because of the influence of the Sumerian language the Laryngeals were reduced in Akkadian. They all appear as a glottal stop ʾ (aleph) in Akkadian from about 2000 BCE. To distinguish between them, we use subscripts

• ʾ₁ = orig. aleph (א)

• ʾ₂ = orig. h (ה)

• ʾ₃ = orig. ḥ (ח, arab. ح ḥā)

• ʾ₄ = orig. ʿ ([ע] arab. ع ʿayn)

• ʾ₅ = orig. ġ (arab. غ ghayn)

They are divided in two groups:

1. ʾ₁ and less often ʾ₂ belong to the a-class

2. ʾ₃, ʾ₄, ʾ₅ and few verbs with ʾ₂ belong to the e-class

I-ʾ a-Class

1. The ʾ at the end of the syllable elides and the syllable vowel becomes long to compensate.

   Example

   • īkul < *iʾkul (G prete.) “he ate”

   • nībut < *niʾbut “we destroyed”

   • ābut < *aʾbut “I destroyed”

2. The ʾ between vowels together with the following vowel usually drops:

   Example

   • ikkal < *iʾakkal (G dur.) “he eats”

Warning

In the verb alākum “to go” the ʾ assimilates to the following consonant:

• illik < *iʾlik

I-ʾ e-Class

1. Any a before of after the ʾ₃-₅ will become e:

   Example

   • ēbir < *aʾbir “I crossed”

2. The neighboring a’s become also e:

   Example

   • epēšum < *ʾapāšum “to do”

   • ēterub < *aʾtarub ” I have entered”

3. The syllable iʾ becomes ī like in the a-class (2):

   Example

   • īrub < *iʾrub “to do”

   • ēterub < *aʾtarub ” I have entered”

Conjugation of the verbs I-ʾ a-Class

	Durative	Perfect	Preterite
3s.c.	ihhaz	ītahaz	īhuz
2s.m.	tahhaz	tātahaz	tāhuz
2s.f.	tahhazī	tātahazī	tāhuzī
1s.c.	ahhaz	ātahaz	āhuz
3pl.m.	ihhazū	ītahazū	īhuzū
3pl.f.	ihhazā	ītahazā	īhuzā
2pl.c.	tihhazā	tātahazā	tāhuzā
1pl.c.	nihhaz	nītahaz	nīhuz

• ahāzum “to seize”.

Paradigm of the Verbs I-ʾ a-Class

	Durative	Perfect	Preterite	Participle	Infinitve	Verbal Adjective
G a-u	ihhaz	ītahaz	īhuz	āhizum	ahāzum	ahzum
G a	ibbal	ītabal	ībal	ābilum	abālum	ablum
G i	irrim	ītarim	īrim	ārimum	arāmum	armum
G u	ikkuš	ītakuš	īkuš	ākišum	akāšum	–

• ahāzum “to seize”

• abālum “to dry up”

• arāmum “to cover”

• akāšum “to go”

Conjugation of the verbs I-ʾ e-Class

	Durative	Perfect	Preterite
3s.c.	irrub	īterub	īrub
2s.m.	terrub	tēterub	tērub
2s.f.	terrubī	tēterbī	tērubī
1s.c.	errub	ēterub	ērub
3pl.m.	irrubū	īterbū	īrubū
3pl.f.	irrubā	īterbā	īrubā
2pl.c.	terrubā	tēterbā	tērubā
1pl.c.	nirrub	nīterub	nīrub

• erēbum “to enter*

Paradigm of the Verbs I-ʾ a-Class

	Durative	Perfect	Preterite	Participle	Infinitve	Verbal Adjective
G a-u	ippeš	ītepeš	īpuš	āpišum	epēšum	epšum
	ippuš	ītepuš
G i	ittiq	ītetiq	ītiq	ētiqum	etēqum	–
G u	irrub	īterub	īrub	ēribum	erēbum	–

• epēšum “to do”

• etēqu “to go by”

• erēbu “to enter”