kñtuni
‘(unknown)’
- Language
- Lycian A
- Grammar
- subst
- ID
- 1424
1. Individual Anatolian Languages
1.1 Lycian A
kñtuni
‘(unknown)’1.1.1Transmission
This word is found in a long bibliographical grave inscription, which is dated contextually to shortly after the conquest of Alexander the Great over Persia (331-330 BCE).
[D.S.]
1.1.2Forms
| acc. sg. (?) | kñtuni | TL 29.8 (Tlos) |
Melchert (DLL:33) interprets kñtuni as nominative plural and thus as the subject of the verb, which is formally possible; cf. under Meaning. Gehrisch 2018a:39 does not offer any meaning, but takes it as indirect object in the sentence.
[D.S.]
1.1.3Meaning
Lyc. A kñtuni is found in a sentence that is ill-understood:
se=de=plm͂mi : kñtuni : mlm͂meite (TL 29.8)
‘They mlm̃mei-ed the kñtuni to the plm̃mi…’
Since plm̃mi must be a dative singular (see plm̃ma-), kñtuni could be accusative singular. However, this depends on the semantics. Neumann 2007a:172 compares the Lycian name Κενδονις in Greek transmission and Schürr 2005a:141 concludes based on the personal name that Lyc. kñtuni must be one as well, which is not tenable. Instead, it is probably the appellative upon which the personal name is based. Regarding its semantics, one could compare the words in kñt- found in Lycian B, e.g. kãtaqe-, kñtre. If the base *kñt- is related to Hitt. kant- c. a kind of grain, Lyc. A kñtuni could relate to something pertaining to grain. Based on the current state of research, this is not provable.
[D.S.]
1.1.4Stem
The word kñtuni appears to contain a suffix -un-, which could have been mutated, i.e. -une/i-, or transferred to the a-stems, i.e. -una-.
[D.S.]