Chapter published in:
Afroasiatic: Data and perspectives
Edited by Mauro Tosco
[Current Issues in Linguistic Theory 339] 2018
► pp. 185–202

The characterization of conditional patterns in Old Babylonian Akkadian

In this paper, a common paratactic conditional construction, found in the letter corpus of Old Babylonian Akkadian (~18th century bce), is given a syntactic characterization so as to differentiate it from other potential sequences. Several distinctive syntactic and semantic features unique to the construction are identified and discussed: polar lexical resumption between the protasis and its preceding co-text; negative polarity items in the protasis; special semantics of verbal forms; and divergence from the common modal-congruence. In addition, the structural variables are formulated, and eventually the construction itself is compared with another construction, the circumstantial construction.

The importance is twofold: first, to exemplify a relatively simple characterization of a construction, which is usable for the identification of the construction in question; second, to add a description which pertains to the non-uniquely-marked conditional constructions in the languages of the world, which are often ignored or underdescribed.

Keywords: conditional constructions, paratactic conditionals, construction characterization, Old Babylonian Akkadian syntax, conditional vs. circumstantial constructions
Article outline
  • 1.Preliminaria
    • 1.1General background
    • 1.2The domains
    • 1.3Literature review
    • 1.4Terminology
  • 2.Parameters
    • 2.1Preceding polar directive: polar lexical resumption
    • 2.2Negative polarity items: (otherwise) negative expressions and arḫiš ul
      • 2.2.1The expressions “be negligent”
        • 2.2.1.1aḫam nadûm
        • 2.2.1.2nīdi aḫim rašûm
      • 2.2.2arḫiš ul
    • 2.3Special semantics: the temporal frame of ul iprus
    • 2.4Diverging from modal congruence
    • 2.5The pattern: forms and structure
      • 2.5.1Forms and compatibility
      • 2.5.2The connective particle -ma
    • 2.6The respective function of the forms inside the pattern
    • 2.7Summary
  • 3.Distinction from other analogous patterns
  • 4.Conclusions
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 01 February 2018
https://doi.org/10.1075/cilt.339.11coh
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Aubrey, Rachel & Michael Aubrey
2022. Bibliography of Conditionals. Journal of Translation 18:2 ► pp. 135 ff. Crossref logo

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