asina-

This noun is attested once in an inscription from the cemetery of Sardis. The date of the inscription is uncertain, but probably falls within the range of 5^th-4^th centuries BCE. For an earlier dating of the inscription in the second half of the 6^th century BCE, see Euler & Sasseville 2019a:135f.  

[I.Y.]

nom. sg.

asinas

LW 4a.1 (Sardis)

The combinatorial analysis of Zgusta 1955a:515-517 suggests that asinas refers to a false door, which features two burial inscriptions belonging to the same tomb. One inscription contains the general curse formula against the desecrators of the tomb or its parts, whereas the other one focuses on the desecration of asina-, presumably the very object carrying both inscriptions (Gusmani 1964a:67). It is unclear whether this noun denotes a false door as such or a more generic term, such as ‘installation’. A tentative argument in favor of the second solution is the possible etymological connection between asina- and Lyd. asa- ‘seat’. Perhaps asina- was derived from a causative verbal stem meaning ‘to set, install’.   

[I.Y.]

This is an a-stem noun, which appears to contain a suffix -in-. It can be analyzed either as a verbal suffix, likely attested in the Lydian verbal stem ẽndipl-in- (Sasseville 2021a:538f.), or as a nominal suffix, in which case Lyd. ẽm(in)- ‘my’ should be compared, and possibly also ištamin- ‘family’. If asina- means ‘installation’ or something similar, its derivation from a causative verbal stem would be more compatible with the former solution.     

[I.Y.]