Indian Antiquary Vol 04

Author(s): Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 53

FEBRUARY, 1875.]
SKETCH OF SABÆAN GRAMMAR.
43
honour of A'ttar,' and mosaiio (485, 1), 'he has renovated to the honour of Nakrah.' Exam- ples could easily be multiplied to show this peculiarity, but the preceding ones are all taken from the Minæan dialect.
The use of the particle is less varied, but more frequent than the others. It occurs
1st. As sign of the dative : mot 23 (08. v. 4), 'to the Beni Yahafra';' (Fr. LVI.), 'to him ;' T' (Os. xx. 8), 'to his vassals (lit. men);' poles (Fr. Liv.), 'to the honour of Almagqahu.'
2nd. To indicate the purpose, the motive: por dh (Fr. Liv.), 'for the welfare of the house of Silhin ;' ym moty (08. XVIII. 7), 'on account of, in consideration of this tablet.'
As in the majority of Semitic languages, the is joined to the verb and makes a precative expressing a wish: e.g. more! (0s. Ix. 5), 'may he bless them,' strictly 'in order to bless them;' DOM TOP 5 (ib. vi. 6-8), 'may Almaq. qahu continue to gratify Anmarm.'
When the of tendency precedes the complet- ed verb the latter takes they of prolongation :
(Os. XXVII. 9), m n (ib. xx. 6), rits (H. 147, 6); in the plural : ponos (08. xxxv. 4). Sometimes, however, also the simple Imperfect occurs: 7 (Hal. 259, 1), 27 5 (ib. L. 3), ma (Os. iv. 11-12), un 5 (ib. L. 10-11). In all these examples the precutive sense is less strong, and we perhaps even have here a simple affir- mation corresponding to the Arabic J. Unfortunately the passages from which these examples are taken do not happen to Le clear enough to allow of discovering the precise shade of meaning in this particle.
The particle , abridged from you , occurs
&c.); Win P (Fr. XI. 3), opposite to mina (Os. VIL. 4), ha (Crutt. San. 1. 17), 'in summer and in winter;' pra (Fr. LIII. 2), which appears to mean 'in the sanctuary.' The last two examples, however, may be explained differently; in this a the preposition ), between,' with the scriptio defectiva may be concealed. At all events the obscurity of the passages quoted allows of no positive assertion. The passages wherein the compound
appears to supersede the simple 5 are still more obscure; a few of them are here submitted to the attention of Semitists : mox (Fr. xi. 3); ma (ib. L. 4); i (Os. XVIII. 1); it would naturally be more simple if this n were to be the prefix of the first person plural.
Among the isolated prepositions the followin occur in the inscriptions :
1st. y upon, to; this is identical with the Arabic isle, and occurs in the following: Yimi Who's wing (Hal. 49, 12), who carried help to (= b1) Halikamir.' Also you by thg (Hal. 152, 13, 14), upon all men.'
2nd. p, from, of: e.g. op DVD (H. 149, 10), of any malediction whatever;' for (ib. 152, 8), pprmo p (ib. 152, 8), "from this sanctuary (?). The form p is more frequent : poa (Os. xxvi. 9), he has preserved him from blows ;' 13001 ohm 1711 (Os. XVII. 8-10),
that he may conceal them from sickness, from malediction, and from witchcraft. 3rd. until, towards : e.g.
(Fr.. LVI. 2), and they came till Maryaba ;' DEN P poo (Hal. 535, 1), 'from the foundations till the roof (?). This preposition is also speltw, e.g. OSTO povo my ruin mia (Hal. 682, 5, 6), 'and because she has gone out towards impure places.! This is Halévy's rendering of the phrase translated as follows in the Z. d. D. M. G.: "and because she kept herself pare in impure places' (und weil sie sich rein hielt in unreinen Orten). In Os. XI. 7, 8 the word seems to mean 'in that which concerns.' In the dialect of Hadramaut
מי בך-עד appears to correspond to הראד thelocution
in several passages : Na z ... phir (Fr. XLV.) * Yta'mir...of the (cultivated) plain of Saba,' TOO (Hal. 681, 5), 'it (the illness) retired from her, abandoned her ;' 7
(Hal. 412, 3) and with transition to a: man (Os. XIII. 11) and above that ;' likewise in the preposition by, equivalent to the Hebrew opp.
There is yet an interesting peculiarity to be noticed concerning the Y's particles. These particles seem, according to the analogy of the relative to possess the faculty of combining with without changing their signification. Thus it may be seen that no 2 (Hal. 221, 2) supersedes the usual formula no Hal. 226, 2,
(N. H. 1. 2). The inscription of Obne shows also opo # (1. 5)..
4th. Between, among, amidst : é... ETO . (H. 535, 1), between their two?) towers ;'
2 (Os. xiv. 4), 'amidst his sheep.' 5th. appears to mean in consideration, in exchange : Tomo 1 (Os. 1. 7)'in consideration of their gift.'