Same Source, Different Outcomes ? A Reassessment of the Parallel between Ancient Egyptian and Akkadian 'Stative' Conjugations

Abstract : The uses of the Akkadian 'Stative' and of the Egyptian 'Pseudoparticiple' are compared in order to assess the relevance of their historical relationship to a better understanding of the Egyptian form. The a priori assumption that they share a common function is challenged by numerous morphosyntactic, lexical and systemic differences. The importance of Egyptian-internal evolution is emphasized, and superficial similarities are showed to be irrelevant on a structural plane. An explanation of the rise of a Stative Pseudoparticiple in Egyptian, correlative with the change from Verb-Subject predication to Subject-Predicate situational predication, is sketched.