nu^?

Hapax in an inscription on the socle of a votive lion from Egypt (for arguments for Naukratis see Herda & Sauter 2009a:99) dated to the first Persian period (525-404), perhaps around 500 (O. Masson 1976a:83).

[Zs.S.]

unknown

nu

E.xx 7

The attestation follows Adiego 2007a:390, the only published photograph (O. Masson 1976a:Planche I) does not show this part of the text. It is important to note that the segmentation of nu is not assured: the sequence oršanumδane is segmented by most scholars as orša nu mδane (Hajnal 1997b:154; Melchert 2002b:306; Adiego 2007a:128, 285, 451, Adiego 2010b:171, Adiego 2019a:34; Herda & Sauter 2009a:98 n. 282; but cf. O. Masson 1976a:83) based on the recurrent sequence mδane of heavily debated meaning (see s.v.) and on the circumstance that orša and nu are written on two different sides of the socle, which is, however, not a decisive argument for segmentation in Carian epigraphy. For an alternative segmentation that eliminates the word nu see Simon forthcoming and under Meaning.

[Zs.S.]

This word has been translated in very different ways. Melchert 2002b:308 cautiously translated it as ‘now’ (followed by Herda & Sauter 2009a:98 n. 282 [“nun”]), but it is semantically not clear why this word would appear in a typical votive inscription consisting of the recipient (ntros prŋidas ‘to Apollo of the Branchidai vel sim.’, see s.v. prŋidas), the votive object and the verb of dedication (oršanumδane) as well as the dedicator (uksi wrmś ‘Uksi (son) of Wrm’).

Adiego 2019a:38 correctly looks for the verb of dedication in the sequence of oršanumδane and suggested already in Adiego 2007a:286 that nu is this verb (although claiming in Adiego 2007a:390 that its function and meaning are unknown). This is possible, but it depends on the interpretation of mδane, which is also identified as a verb by other scholars (see s.v. and most recently Simon forthcoming with refs.).

Finally, Simon (Simon forthcoming), who sees the verb of dedication in mδane, proposes a different segmentation and identifies oršan u as the object of the dedication, i.e. ‘this lion’ (for u as a demonstrative pronoun see Melchert 2009a:154, Melchert 2010f:180 and s.v.). If this is correct, the word nu does not exist.

[Zs.S.]

Last updated: 26 October 2020