Editing Sumerian language (section)

==== Phrasal verbs ====
A specific problem of Sumerian syntax is posed by the numerous [[English phrasal verbs|phrasal verbs]] (traditionally called "[[compound verb]]s" in Sumerology in spite of the fact that they are not compounds, but idiomatic combinations<ref>Jagersma (2010: 74)</ref>). They usually involve a noun immediately before the verb, forming a lexical/[[idiom]]atic unit:<ref>Johnson 2004:22</ref> e.g. 𒅆...𒂃 ''igi ...du<sub>8</sub>'', lit. "open the eye" = "see, look". Their [[case government]] and agreement patterns vary depending on the specific verb.<ref name=":0">Jagersma (2010: 300), Zólyomi (2017: 226-227)</ref><ref name="Zólyomi2000" />{{Efn|Some information regarding the case markers governed by individual Sumerian verbs is listed in the verb catalogue of Thomsen (2001: 295-323).}} The component noun is usually in the absolutive case, but may be in the directive. If the phrasal verb takes another noun as a "logical object", the verbal infix is typically the directive, while the noun case is most commonly either the directive (dative if animate), which otherwise has the meaning "at / with respect to", or the locative (dative if animate), which otherwise has the meaning "on":

* Directive: 
** 𒅆...𒂃 ''igi ...du<sub>8</sub>'' ({NOUN-e igi ...-e~i-...du}), lit. "open the eye at something" > "see"<ref name=":33">Zólyomi (2017: 218)</ref>
** 𒆥...𒀝 ''kig̃<sub>2</sub> ...ak'', lit. "do work with respect to something" > "work (on) something"<ref>Jagersma (2010: 414)</ref>
** ''𒋗𒋳...𒅗 šu-tag ...dug<sub>4</sub>'', lit. "do hand-touching with respect to something" > "decorate"<ref name="Jagersma 2010: 444"/>
** 𒊓...𒅗 ''sa<sub>2</sub> dug<sub>4</sub>'', lit.  "do equal with respect to something" > "reach"<ref>Jagersma (2010: 573)</ref>
** 𒄑...''𒋳 g̃eš ...tag'', lit. "make wood touch 'at' something" > "sacrifice something".<ref>Jagersma (2010: 438)</ref>
** 𒋛...𒁲 ''si ...sa<sub>2</sub>'' ({NOUN-e si ...-e~i-...sa}), lit. "make the horns(?) equal with respect to something" > "put something in order";<ref name=":33"/><ref name=":36" /> likewise used intransitively: {NOUN-e si b-i-sa}, lit. "the horns (?) are equal with respect to something" > "something is in order".<ref name=":36" />
* Locative "on": 
** 𒅗...𒃻 ''inim'' ...''g̃ar'' ({NOUN-a inim ...-e~i-...g̃ar}), lit. "place a word on something" > "claim, place a claim on"<ref name=":33" />
** 𒋗...𒁇 ''šu ...bar'', lit. "open / remove the hand on something" > "release"<ref name=":34">Jagersma (2010: 440-441)</ref><ref>Sallaberger (2023: 124)</ref>
** ''𒈬...𒄷𒈿 mu ...sa<sub>4</sub>'', lit. "call a name on someone" > "to name"<ref>Jagersma (2010: 485)</ref>
** ''𒉆...𒋻 nam ...tar'', lit. "cut a fate upon someone" > "determine the fate of someone"<ref name=":34" />
** ''𒀠...𒆕 al ...řu<sub>2</sub>'', lit. "raise the hoe upon something" > "dig"<ref name=":34" />
** 𒇷...''𒋻 en<sub>3</sub> ...tar'', lit. "cut a question(?) on something" > "investigate"<ref name=":34" />

Less commonly, the case of the logical object and the pronominal infix may be:

* Dative (directive if inanimate): 
** 𒆠...𒉘 ''ki'' ...''ag̃<sub>2</sub>'' ({NOUN-ra ki ...ag̃}) lit.  "to measure out a place for someone" = "to love someone"<ref name=":0" />
** ''𒅗 ...𒌣 gu<sub>3</sub> ...de<sub>2</sub>'', lit. "to pour out the voice for someone" = "to call for someone"<ref>Jagersma (2010: 410)</ref>
** ''𒀀 ...𒊒 a ...ru'', lit. "to eject water for someone" = "to dedicate something to someone"<ref>Jagersma (2010: 445)</ref>
* Terminative: 𒅆 ...𒁇 ''igi ...bar'' (NOUN-še igi  ...bar) lit. "bring out the eye towards something" = "see, look"<ref>Jagersma 2010: 292), Zólyomi (2017: 226-227), Sallaberger (2023: 124)</ref>
* Comitative: 𒀉 ...𒉘 ''a<sub>2</sub>'' ...''ag̃<sub>2</sub>'' ({NOUN-da a ...ag̃}) lit. "measure out power (?) with someone" = "to give orders to someone"<ref name=":0" />
* Locative "in":
** 𒋗... 𒁍 ''šu ...gid<sub>2</sub>'' ({NOUN-a šu ... gid}), lit. "stretch out the hand into something" = "to perform [[Haruspex|extispicy]] on"<ref>Jagersma (2010: 469)</ref>
** 𒋗... 𒁄 ''šu'' ...''bala'', lit. "let one's hand go across in something" = "alter"<ref>Jagersma (2010: 310)</ref>

Another possibility is for the component noun to be in the dative (directive if inanimate), while the object is in the absolutive:

* 𒋗...𒋾 ''šu ...ti'' ({šu-e NOUN ''...''ti}) lit. "make something come close to the hand" = "to receive something" ("''from'' someone" is expressed by the terminative: {NOUN''<sub>2</sub>''-še šu-e NOUN''<sub>1</sub> ...''ti})<ref>Jagersma (2010: 413, 464)</ref>