SURPASSINGLY BIG

The easiest way to create new Sumerian words was to omit Akkadian word endings and then shift the stem vowels. The simple trick was performed by a dull scribe who had run out of options in the effort to create adjectives. Hence he borrowed the Akkadian adjective rabű "big; noble" and changed -a- > -i-

rib [SURPASSING] (62x: ED IIIb, Old Babylonian) wr. rib; ri-ba "(to be) surpassing, outstanding; (to be) strong, massive" Akk. ešqu; šūtuqu

[1]		rib
[2]		ri-ba

19 distinct forms attested; click to view forms table.

1. (to be) surpassing, outstanding (62x/100%)

~ LEX/Old Babylonian/Sippar [[rib]] = = [KAL] = šu-tu-qum MSL 14, 122-127 09 1012; [[rib]] = = = eš-qum MSL 14, 122-127 09 1013. ELA/ED IIIb/Girsu geš-ur₂ ^gešgi-gid₂ x-bi da-rib-ba VS 27, 082 o i 2; ^gešgi-gid₂ geš-ur₂ geš-zi-geš-nu₂-dim₂ rib-ba VS 27, 082 o i 3. ELA/Ur III/Drehem gu₄ niga ri-ba-na CTMMA 1, 009 4;  maš₂ kišib₃ bi-in-gu-bi-iš kurušda re-ba-a MVN 02, 100 1;  šabra ri-ba-a YOS 04, 056 11. ELA/Ur III/Girsu ur-šuš₃ dumu ri-ba OTR 160 r i 2; u₃ ri-ba-a LB 0610 o ii 14. ELA/Ur III/Ur ri-ba-da-[da] UET 3, 1452 5. unknown/Ur III/Nippur ri-ba-a BBVO 11, 295, 6N-T632 2.

2. (to be) strong, massive

Akk. ešqu "solid, massive"; šūtuqu "surpassing, outstanding".

[2004] P. Attinger and M. Krebernik, St Schretter 68 n143.

See ETCSL: rib=to be outstanding.

---