/asta-/, (“LIGNUM”)*a-sa-tá-
‘to give in compensation (?)’
- Language
- Hieroglyphic Luwian
- Grammar
- verb
- ID
- 1393
1. Individual Anatolian Languages
1.1 Hieroglyphic Luwian
/asta-/, (“LIGNUM”)*a-sa-tá-
‘to give in compensation (?)’1.1.1Transmission
Attested once, this hapax legomenon occurs in one of the inscriptions from Maraş, dating to around 800 BCE or a later.
[AH.B.]
1.1.2Forms
| 1sg. pret. ind. act. | /astahha/ | (“LIGNUM”)*a-sa-tá-ha | MARAŞ 14, §6 (Maraş) |
1.1.3Graphic Features
1.1.3.1Phonological Interpretation
The phonological interpretation of this lexeme is somewhat tentative, because the word is probably, yet not securely, linked with CLuw. ašta- ‘penance, compensation’ and its word family. The connection presupposes that the sign 〈a〉 written at the end of the word be an instance of initial-a-final, i.e. 〈(“LIGNUM”)*a-sa-tá-ha〉, which could represent /asta-/ vel sim. (Yakubovich pers. comm.).
However, it should be kept in mind that the occurrence of initial-a-final after a logographic determinative is extremely rare (so far it is only found in a handful of spellings of /alant-/ ‘place’), despite the high frequency of the phenomenon in spellings without determinatives. Moreover, initial-a-final writing is only really practised until the early 9th century BCE, whereas the sole attestation of the present lexeme dates to the late 9th century BCE or later. Further evidence is needed to resolve the issue.
[AH.B.]
1.1.4Meaning
Since the word is a hapax and so far only with a tenuous etymological connection to CLuw. ašta- ‘penance, compensation and related words, the meaning suggested here is to be understood as provisional. Use of the logogram LIGNUM (sign *382) strongly implies that the verb belongs to the semantic field around power, since other words spelt with LIGNUM, which depicts a wooden staff, are /salhant-/ ‘greatness’, /sukkala-/ ‘vizier’, /tabari(ya)-(ti)/ ‘to rule’ etc., besides wooden objects such as /taru-/ ‘wood, stick’ and /tarud-/ ‘statue’ etc.
In MARAŞ 14, §6, the relevant clause runs: a+wa/i PRAE (“LIGNUM”)sa-tá-ha-´ (“CAELUM”)ti-pa-si (“TERRA”)ta-sà-kwa/i+ra/i-ha, approx. /a=wa pari astahha tippasi taskwari=ha/, possibly meaning ‘(He who shall become my son, or grandson, or great-grandson), I gave (him) in compensation(?) to heaven and earth, (and there shall be this offering to this statue of Astiwassu)’ (cf. Hawkins 2000a:266). In the HLuw. context, the word is clearly positive just like the putative CLuw. cognates.
[AH.B.]
1.1.5Stem
If the word is indeed related to CLuw. ašta- ‘penance, compensation’ and its word family, it would represent a factitive in /-a-(ti)/, deriving from the in HLuw. unattested noun */asta-/ of a similar meaning, cf. Sasseville 2021a:19-21.