Editing Sumerian language (section)

=== Word formation ===
Derivation by [[affix]]ation is largely non-existent.<ref>Jagersma (2010: 101)</ref><ref>Jagersma (2010: 309)</ref> An exception may be a few nouns ending in -/u/ denoting the object of a corresponding verb: 𒊬𒊒 ''sar-ru'' "document" < 𒊬 ''sar'' "write".<ref>Jagersma (2010: 130)</ref> Compounding, on the other hand, is common in nouns. Compounds are normally left-headed. The dependent may be:

* Another noun: 𒂍 ''e<sub>2</sub>'' "house" + 𒈬 ''muḫaldim'' "cook" > 𒂍𒈬 ''e<sub>2</sub>''-''muḫaldim'' "kitchen"
* An adjective: 𒌨 ''ur'' "dog" + 𒈤''maḫ'' "great" > 𒌨𒈤 ''ur-maḫ'' "lion"
* A participle (consisting of the bare verb stem): 𒃻 ''nig̃<sub>2</sub>'' "thing" + 𒁀 ''ba'' "give(n)" > 𒃻𒁀 ''nig̃<sub>2</sub>-ba'' "present", 
* A participle with a dependent word: 𒃻 ''nig̃<sub>2</sub>'' "thing" ''+ 𒍣 zi'' "breath" ''+ 𒅅 g̃al<sub>2</sub>'' "be there" > 𒃻𒍣𒅅 ''nig̃<sub>2</sub>-zi-g̃al<sub>2</sub>'' "living thing"

An older obsolete pattern was right-headed instead:

* ''𒂍 e<sub>2</sub>'' "house" ''+ 𒊮 šag<sub>4</sub>'' "heart" ''> 𒂍𒊮 e<sub>2</sub>''-''šag<sub>4</sub>'' "innermost part of a house" 
* 𒃲 ''gal'' "big" + 𒈜 ''nar'' "musician" >  𒃲𒈜 ''gal-nar'' "chief musician"

A participle may be the head of the compound, preceded by a dependent:

* 𒁾 ''dub'' "clay tablet" + ''𒊬 sar'' "write" > 𒁾''𒊬 dub-sar'' "scribe"
* 𒋗 ''šu'' "hand" + 𒋳 ''tag'' "touch" > 𒋗𒋳 ''šu-tag'' "decoration" (corresponding to the phrasal verb 𒋗...𒋳 ''šu...tag'' "decorate")

There are a few cases of nominalized finite verbs, too: 𒁀𒍗 ''ba-uš<sub>4</sub>'' "(who) has died" > "dead"

Abstract nouns are formed as compounds headed by the word 𒉆 ''nam-'' "fate, status": 𒌉 ''dumu'' "child" > 𒉆𒌉 ''nam-dumu'' "childhood", 𒋻 ''tar'' "cut, decide" > 𒉆𒋻 ''nam-tar'' "fate".<ref>Jagersma (2010: 118-119)</ref><ref>Jagersma (2010: 116-126)</ref> Nouns that express the object of an action or an object possessing a characteristic are formed as compounds headed by the word 𒃻 ''nig̃<sub>2</sub>'' "thing": 𒅥 ''gu<sub>4</sub>'' "eat" > 𒃻𒅥 ''nig̃<sub>2</sub>''-''gu<sub>7</sub>'' "food", 𒄭 "good, sweet" > 𒃻𒄭 ''nig̃<sub>2</sub>-dug'' "something sweet". The meaning may also be abstract: 𒋛...𒁲 ''si...sa<sub>2</sub>'' "straighten, put in order" > ''nig̃<sub>2</sub>-si-sa<sub>2</sub>'' "justice".<ref>Thomsen (2003: 58)</ref> A small number of terms of professions are derived with the preposed element 𒉡 ''nu-'': 𒄑𒊬 ''<sup>g̃eš</sup>kiri<sub>6</sub>'' "garden" ''> 𒉡𒄑𒊬 nu-<sup>g̃eš</sup>kiri<sub>6</sub>-(k)'' "gardener".<ref>Thomsen (2001: 55-56)</ref>

Apparent coordinative compounds also exist, e.g. 𒀭𒆠 ''an-ki'' "the universe", lit. "heaven and earth".<ref>Jagersma (2010: 126)</ref>

A noun can be formed from an adjective by conversion: for example, 𒂼 ''dag̃al'' "wide" also means "width".<ref>Jagersma (2010: 281-283)</ref>

On verbs acquiring the properties of adjectives and nouns (agent nouns and action nouns), see the section on ''[[#Participles|Participles]]''.

While new verbs cannot be derived, verbal meanings may be expressed by phrasal verbs (see above); in particular, new phrasal verbs are often formed on the basis of nouns by making them the object of the verbs 𒅗 ''dug<sub>4</sub>'' "do" or 𒀝 ''ak'' "make":  𒀀...𒅗 ''a ...dug<sub>4</sub>'', lit. "to do water" > "to irrigate", 𒄑𒂵...𒍮 ''<sup>g̃eš</sup>ga-rig<sub>2</sub> ...ak'', lit. "to do the comb" > "to comb".<ref>Jagersma (2010: 310-311)</ref>