Editing Sumerian language (section)

==== Other issues ====
A quotative particle -/(e)še/ or -/ši/ "saying", variously spelt 𒂠 -''eše<sub>2</sub>'', 𒅆 -''ši'' or 𒀪𒊺 -''e-še'', has been identified.<ref>Edzard (2003: 157-158)</ref> Its use is not obligatory and it is attested only or almost only in texts from the Old Babylonian period or later.<ref>Thomsen (2001: 279)</ref> Another, rarely attested, particle, 𒄑(𒊺)𒂗 -''g̃eš(-še)-en'', apparently expresses irrealis modality: "were it that ...".<ref>Edzard (2003: 158), Thomsen (2001: 280)</ref>

Highlighting uses of the copula somewhat similar to English [[Cleft sentence|cleft constructions]] are present: 𒈗𒀀𒀭𒉌𒁺 ''lugal-am<sub>3</sub> i<sub>3</sub>-g̃en'' "It is the king who came", 𒀀𒈾𒀸𒀀𒀭𒉌𒁺 ''a-na-aš''-''am<sub>3</sub> i<sub>3</sub>-g̃en'' "Why is it that he came?", 𒉌𒁺𒈾𒀀𒀭 ''i<sub>3</sub>-g̃en'' "It is the case that he came".<ref>Jagersma (2010: 712-713)</ref>

Sumerian generally links a nominal predicate to the subject using the copula verb, like English. However, it does use [[Zero copula|zero-copula]] constructions in some contexts. In interrogative sentences, the 3rd person copula is omitted: 𒀀𒈾𒈬𒍪 ''a-na mu-zu'' "What is your name?", 𒉈𒂗𒈬𒍪 ''ne-en mu-zu'' "Is this your name?". Sumerian proper names that consist of entire sentences normally lack a copula as well, e.g.  𒀀𒁀𒀭𒌓𒁶 ''a-ba <sup>d</sup>utu-gen<sub>7</sub>'' "Who is like [[Shamash|Utu]]?" As explained [[#Copula verb|above]], negative sentences also omit the copula in *''nu-am<sub>3</sub>''/''nu-um "''isn't" and use simply 𒉡 ''nu'' instead.<ref>Jagersma (2010: 715-718)</ref>

''Yes/no''-interrogative sentences appear to have been marked only by intonation and possibly by resulting lengthening of final vowels.<ref>Jagersma (2010: 230-231)</ref> There is no [[wh-movement]] to the beginning of the clause, but the interrogative words are placed immediately before the verb: e.g. 𒈗𒂊𒀀𒈾𒈬𒌦𒀝 ''lugal-e '''a-na''' mu-un-ak'' "'''What''' did the king do?", 𒂍𒀀𒁀𒀀𒅔𒆕 ''e<sub>2</sub> '''a-ba-a''' in-řu<sub>3</sub>'' "'''Who''' built the temple?" Two exceptions from this are that the constituent noun of a [[#Phrasal verbs|phrasal verb]] is normally closer to the verb,<ref name=Jagersma228>Jagersma (2010: 228)</ref><ref>Attinger (2009: 26)</ref> and that an interrogative word emphasized with a copula such as 𒀀𒈾𒀸𒀀𒀭 ''a-na-aš-am<sub>3</sub>'' "why is it that ...?" is placed at the beginning of the clause.<ref name=Jagersma228/> In addition, as already mentioned, interrogative sentences omit the copula where a declarative would have used it.