L4.8: III-Weak Verbs#

There are two groups of III-weaks verbs:

  1. Roots that consist of two consonants and have a long vowel ī or ū

    Example

    banûm “to build” with ī manûm “to count” with ū

  2. Verbs III-*ʾ that can also be divided into two subgroups:

    • Verbs III-ʾ of ʾ₁: without coloring a > e.

    • Verbs III-ʾ of ʾ₃, ʾ₄, ʾ₅: with coloring a > e.

In all Verbs III-weak the originally long vowel shortens in final position:

Example

  • With ī: ibni < *ibnī “he built”

  • With ū: imnu < *imnū “hecounted”

  • With ā: ikla < *iklā “he restrained”

  • With ē: ešme < *ešmē “he heard”

The transfer from one group to the other is frequent:

Example

  • imnu and imni “he counted”

Verbs III ī/ē with following a can be contracted or uncontracted:

Example

  • iqbiam < iqbi-am “he said to me”.

  • ibniā and ibnâ “They (fem.) built”.

Otherwise contracted:

Example

išemmû < *išemmeū “they hear” ikallû < *ikallaū “they hold back” iqbû <*iqbiū “they said”

The e-class often changes a in neighbouring syllables:

Example

išemme < išamme “he hears” teleqqe < *talaqqe “you take” iqbû <*iqbiū “they said”

Warning

With the addition of endings like the personal suffixes, ventive, etc. the original length of the shortened final vowels is restored:

  • ibnīšu

  • ibnīma

  • išmēma

  • imnūma

Conjugation of the verbs III-ī#

Durative

Perfect

Preterite

3s.c.

ibanni

ibtani

ibni

2s.m.

tabanni

tabtani

tabni

2s.f.

tabannî

tabtanî

tabnî

1s.c.

abanni

abtani

abni

3pl.m.

ibannû

ibtanû

ibnû

3pl.f.

ibinnâ

ibtanâ

ibnâ

2pl.c.

tabannâ

tabtanâ

tabnâ

1pl.c.

nibanni

nibtani

nibni

Conjugation of the verbs III-ē#

Durative

Perfect

Preterite

3s.c.

išemme

išteme

išme

2s.m.

tešemme

tešteme

tešme

2s.f.

tešemmê/tešemmî

teštemî/teštemê

tešmî/tešmê

1s.c.

ešemme

ešteme

ešme

3pl.m.

išemmû

ištemû

išmû

3pl.f.

išemmeā/išemmâ

ištemeā/ištemâ

išmeā/išmâ

2pl.c.

tešemmeā/tešemmâ

teštemeā/teštemâ

tešmeā/tešmâ

1pl.c.

nišemme

ništeme

nišme

Conjugation of the verbs III-ā#

Durative

Perfect

Preterite

3s.c.

ikalla

iktala

ikla

2s.m.

takalla

taktala

takla

2s.f.

takallî

taktalî

taklî

1s.c.

akalla

aktala

akla

3pl.m.

ikallû

iktalû

iklû

3pl.f.

ikallâ

iktalâ

iklâ

2pl.c.

takallâ

taktalâ

taklâ

1pl.c.

nikalla

niktala

nikla

Conjugation of the verbs III-ū#

Durative

Perfect

Preterite

3s.c.

imannu

imtanu

imnu

2s.m.

tamannu

tamtanu*

tamnu

2s.f.

tamannî

tamtanî

tamnî

1s.c.

amannu

amtanu

amnu

3pl.m.

imannû

imtanû

imnû

3pl.f.

imannâ

imtanâ

imnâ

2pl.c.

tamannâ

tamtanâ

tamnâ

1pl.c.

nimannu

nimtanu

nimnu

Paradigm of the Verbs III-weaks#

Durative

Perfect

Preterite

Participle

Infinitve

Verbal Adjective

G III-ī

ibanni

ibtani

ibni

bānû

banû

banû

G III-ē

išemme

išteme

išme

šēmû

šemû

šemû

G III-ā

ikalla

iktala

ikla

kālû

kalû

kalû

G III-ū

imannu

imtanu

imnu

manû

manû

kalû

  • banû “to build”

  • šemû “to hear”

  • kalû “to hold back”

  • manû “to count”