wašḫašša[

Hapax in a Hittite cult inventory (LNS).

[Zs.S.]

x. sg.

URUDUwa-aš-ḫa-aš-ša[

KUB 38.1 iv 21

(CTH 527, LNS)

The attestation follows HEG U-Z:395 and Ünal 2007a:794, Ünal 2016a:587 (cf. also Laroche 1959a:109 and CLL:263) checked against the photograph of the Mainzer Fotoarchiv. The word is preceded by the number ‘1’ and thus, its singular status is clear.

[Zs.S.]

Since the context (description of the cult inventory in the township of Pirwaššuwa) is completely fragmentary, the researchers either left this word untranslated (Haas 1994a:495 and Cammarosano 2018a:315) or referred to the determinative which implies an object made of/with copper (Ünal 2007a:794, Ünal 2016a:587 [but without meaning in Ünal 2016a:975]; Tischler 2008a:223, Tischler 2016a:429, HEG U-Z:395). The word is obviously a derivative of wašḫa- (see under Origin), which is, however, not very helpful, since its meaning is not entirely clear (see s.v.), but probably a kind of implement. This fits, but it does not lead to a better understanding.

[Zs.S.]

There is a general agreement that this word is a derivative of Luwian wašḫa- (Laroche 1959a:109; CLL:263; HEG U-Z:395 [“möglicherweise”]; Ünal 2016a:975 [implicitly]), which, despite the only vaguely known meanings, is probably correct considering the formal identity and its Luwian suffix and thus, this is a Luwian loanword in Hittite (but not included as such in the lists of Luwianisms of Melchert 2005a and van den Hout 2007a; it is not included in EDHIL, either, which implies that he treats it as a loanword in Hittite).

[Zs.S.]

Last updated: 24 November 2020