wazza-

The single attestation of this lexeme can be found in one of the letters excavated in Assur, but probably originating from somewhere else. It dates to the late 8^th century BCE.

[AH.B.]

The meaning ‘request’ was first suggested by Morpurgo Davies 1980a:99 and has since largely been accepted by scholars. Because it is attested in a clause in ASSUR letter f+g, §18 with a very similar looking verb, it is generally assumed to be part of a figura etymologica (thus e.g. Melchert 1987a:198 and Hawkins 2000a:551): pa+ra/i-la-ri+i-ha-wa/i-tu-u (“*205”)á-tu-na-ri+i kwa/i-na-´ (“*69”)wa/i-za-na (“*69”)wa/i-zi-ha-na, i.e. /paralladi=ha=wa=du adunadi kwin wazzan wazzihan/, possibly translating as ‘Which requests I requested from you from/with the paralla- provisions, (send everything!)’. However, the precise meaning of /wazza-/ is difficult to pin down based on its sole occurrence, and other likely denotations include ‘demand’ and ‘wish’, either in addition to or replacing ‘request’. Further finds will facilitate a more detailed assessment.

[AH.B.]

The noun is evidently common gender without showing i-mutation. It likely constitutes a formation in -a- (from *-eh₂-), which never undergoes i-mutation, cf. the comparison to Lycian nouns in Hajnal 1994a:166-168 and the analysis of other non-mutating a-stems in Luwian in Sasseville 2014-2015a:105-107, Sasseville 2020c. Outdated is Melchert 2012a:208 n. 5, who suggests a simple thematic o-stem, which, however, would be expected to i-mutate.

[AH.B.]

1. /wazz(a)i-^(di)/

Only two attestations of the word are found, both coming from the same passage in a NS oracle fragment.

[E.R.]

Checked against the photographs in the Konkordanz.

[E.R.]

The passage with the two mentions of the word proposes to the Sun-goddess of Arinna that the queen go to Arinna to pray to the deity for the benefit of His Majesty. It continues: ma-a-an-ma-an DINGIR^LUM iš-ta-ma-aš-zi wa-za-an-ši i-ia-ši MUNUS.LUGAL-kán ^dUTU^ŠI a-pé-e-el ˹wa˺-az-za-za ḪUL-u-wa-za ar-ḫa SUD-zi “but if the deity listens to her, (i.e.) you do for her the w., (i.e.) the queen pulls His Majesty by means of her w. (done/granted by the deity) out of the evil, …” Melchert (pers. comm.) translates waz(z)a- as ‘request’, thus interpreting lit. ‘do a request’ as ‘to grant a request’. Additionally, he separates the ablatives apēl wazzaza and ḪUL-u-wa-za, and is therefore able to arrive at a coherent interpretation of the text. It is confirmed by the use of the asyndetic construction of the last two clauses, which indicates that all three basically convey the same content (rendered here by “i.e.”), an action favorable to the king and queen. Incoherent and therefore less plausible the translation of Groddek apud HEG W-Z:459f.

[E.R.]

In accordance with the lack of i-mutation in the acc. sg. c. form and the abstract meaning, Melchert (pers. comm., contra Melchert 2012a:208 n. 5) analyzes wazza- as a common gender a-stem.

[E.R.]

1. wazzaimma/i-

Apart from the use of the gloss wedges, the phonological shape, i.e /ts/ before /a/, points to a Luwian origin. Corroborating evidence comes from the comparandum (“L69”)wa/i-za- ‘request’ in Hieroglyphic Luwian.

[E.R.]

For the lemma head see Luw. *wazz-.