†šimaši

This word is assumed to appear only once in a NS festival fragment (CTH 645).

[A.B.]

In KBo 11.32 obv. 31, van Gessel 1998a:876 (cf. van Gessel 2001a:86) reads ši-ma-ši and assumes that it represents an epithet (cf. Ünal 2007a:636 and Ünal 2016a:480). The word is not included in any of the other Luwian or Hittite dictionaries.

[A.B.]

On the photo from the Mainzer Fotoarchiv, the text does not show a gloss marker, but rather the similar-shaped sign GAM (cf. the hand copy and below).

[A.B.]

In Hittite, there are no words attested that would fit for the sequence gam-ši-ma-ši but an enclitic chain is very likely (cf. below). The context shows the following (the transliteration is based on the photo of the Mainzer Fotoarchiv, and the hand copy as well as the transliterations of Haas 1970a:100 n. 2, Mouton 2014b:21 and EDHIL:502 have also been taken into account):

⁽³¹⁾ne-pí-<ša->aš ^d10-aš gam-ši-ma-ši an-na-aš ki-aš

⁽³¹⁾the storm god of heaven and with him the mother of earth

The Sumerogram gam is used in Hittite texts as Sumerographic writing for Hitt. katta/kattan ‘down/below’. But gam has been translated as ‘with, next to’ by Haas 1970a:100 n. 2 and later authors, based on similar text passages in which the partially homophonous postposition Hitt. katta/kattan/katti ‘beside, next to, with’ is used. gam-ši appears in a deity list of a type that frequently shows the (syllabically spelled) sequence katti=ši=ma ‘but with him/her’ (cf. EDHIL:502 for examples), including the Hittite postposition katta/kattan/katti which usually appears in combination with the enclitic possessive pronoun. Otten 1973a:37 cites also the similar passage in Bo 3895 (CTH 645) l. col. 9’–10’ (no photo available): ne-pí-ša-aš ^d10-aš kat-ti-iš-ši-ma an-na-aš ta-⸢ga⸣-a-zi-pa-aš (cf. also KUB 58.38+ obv. ii 11’).

Although the attestation of gam-ši in KBo 11.32 obv. 31 is a rare example for this use of the Sumerogram, the parallel text passages show that gam is most probably the Sumerographic equivalent of Hitt. katta/kattan/katti in this case.

Consequently, there is no basis to assume a Glossenkeilwort †šimaši and it is hence treated here as a ghost word.

[A.B.]