asawãzala-
‘(professional title)’
- Language
- Lycian A
- Grammar
- subst, c.
- ID
- 1419
1. Individual Anatolian Languages
1.1 Lycian A
asawãzala-
‘(professional title)’1.1.1Transmission
This word is found in two grave inscriptions.
[D.S.]
1.1.2Forms
| gen. sg. | asawãzalaḥ!? | TL 3.3 (Telmessos) |
| unclear | asawãza[l … ] | TL 83.4-5 (Arneai) |
1.1.3Graphic Features
Following the interpretation of Kalinka 1901a:15, Neumann 2007a:27, Schürr 2010b:120, and Christiansen 2020a:176 read the letter ḥ at the beginning of line 4 in TL 3, which would make the noun a genitive, the most likely option in the context. However, the collation of this inscription is based on 19th century autographies, for which see Christiansen 2020a:176 with further literature.
[D.S.]
1.1.4Meaning
This word has been considered a professional title by Carruba 1977a:283f. Likewise, Schürr 2010b:125 compares parallel sentences in other inscriptions and interprets asawãzala- as a professional title. Melchert (DLL:92) sees it instead as a personal name (likewise Gehrisch 2018a:3). Following the interpretation as a personal name, Christiansen 2020a:176 assumes a case of asyndetic coordination of the personal name of the father and that of the mother, i.e. of Sppñtaza (and) Asawãzala, for which there would be no independent evidence. For the only clear case where both parents are mentioned, see [xer]igah tideimi sej=upẽneh (N 311). Sasseville 2014-2015a:114 points out that the professional title of the father can be encoded with the same genitive ending -h (differently Schürr 2010b:125), i.e. sppñtazah asawãzalah tidemi ‘child of Sppñtaza, the asawãzala’, which is otherwise reserved for personal names, whereas appellatives generally take the genitival adjective -he/i-. Indeed, the few instances of “professional titles” found after fathers’ names, i.e. xñtlah (TL 43.1), armanazah (N 334), are words built with agent suffixes, such as -ala- and -aza-, which renders the possibility that they are personal names less likely.
[D.S.]
1.1.5Stem
Neumann 2007a:27f. tentatively analyzes the word as put together of the preverb asa, the base wãnz-, and the suffix -ala-. Sasseville 2014-2015a:114 brings more solid evidence for the existence of Lycian agent nouns in -ala- c.
[D.S.]
1.1.6Origin
No etymology possible.
[D.S.]