Review #3
Sumerian Case and Chains
True or False
Read the following sentences and determine whether they are ‘true’ or ‘false’.
- A grammatical case is a category which helps identify a word’s role in a sentence.
- There are 6 grammatical cases in Sumerian.
- Sumerian nouns are marked by case markers or postpositions.
- The normal order of Sumerian sentences is Subject-Verb-Object.
- Generally speaking, the agent causes the action, while the patient experiences the action.
- Most Sumerian sentences have two parts: a nominal chain, and a verbal chain.
- Sumerian verbs can stand alone in a sentence.
Multiple Choice
Read the following sentences and choose the correct answer.
1. Which of the following options represents the correct word/element order in the nominal chain?
a) case—pronoun
b) noun—case
c) plural-marker—noun
2. Sumerian personal nouns include:
a) deities
b) animals
c) both
d) neither
3. Sumerian impersonal nouns include:
a) deities
b) slaves
c) both
d) neither
4. If the verbal chain provides enough information, the nominal chain can be:
a) lengthened
b) omitted
c) duplicated
5. Which of the following represents the correct order of elements in the verbal chain:
a) modal-prefix—root verb
b) ergative infix—conjugational prefix
c) dimensional infix—modal prefix
Answers
True or False
- TRUE—A grammatical case is a category which helps identify a word’s role in a sentence.
- FALSE—There are 10 grammatical cases in Sumerian, not 6.
- TRUE—Sumerian nouns are marked by case markers or postpositions.
- FALSE—The normal order of Sumerian sentences is Subject-Object-Verb.
- TRUE—Generally speaking, the agent causes the action, while the patient experiences the action.
- TRUE—Most Sumerian sentences have two parts: a nominal chain, and a verbal chain.
- FALSE—Sumerian verbs must be modified.
Multiple Choice
- Which of the following options represents the correct word/element order in the nominal chain: b) noun—case
- Sumerian personal nouns include: a) deities
- Sumerian impersonal nouns include: b) slaves
- If the verbal chain provides enough information, the nominal chain can be: b) omitted
- Which of the following represents the correct order of elements in the verbal chain: a) modal-prefix—root verb
How Did You Do?
If you got more than 4 wrong, you may want to go back and review these lessons on Sumerian Sentences.
