dāyalla/i-

There is only one attestation of this word in a LNS letter of a commander.

[A.B.]

nom./acc. pl. n.

da-a-ia-al-la

KUB 40.1 rev.! 16

CTH 203, LNS

The attestation follows HEG T, D:26 (cf. Ünal 2007a:710 and Ünal 2016a:531), not yet in Laroche 1959a or CLL. The transliteration has been checked against the 3D-scan of the Mainzer 3D-Archiv.

Additionally, HEG T, D:26 points out (following a remark by E. Neu) the unclear form (-)]ta-ia-al-la-aš-ši in KUB 56.13 rev. iii 12’, which could, however, be acephalic.

[A.B.]

No meaning has yet been suggested for this word (cf. HEG T, D:26, Tischler 2008a:181, Tischler 2016a:345, Ünal 2007a:710, Ünal 2016a:531).

The context of KUB 40.1 rev.^! 15–16 shows the following (the transliteration given here is based on the 3D-scan of the Mainzer 3D-Archiv, and in addition to that, the hand copy as well as the transliterations of Hoffner 2009a:360; Hagenbuchner 1989a:69, 71; Valério & Yakubovich 2010a:110; Marizza 2009a:151; CHD L–N:241 and HED PA:180 have been taken into account):

⁽¹⁵⁾[... ^d]⸢utu-ši-ma en-ia⸣ [... -]x-an ke-e-ez-za zag-za nu-un-tar-aš a-u-wa-an ⸢ar-ḫa⸣ ⁽¹⁶⁾[da^?-]⸢a⸣-i pár-za-aš-š[a- … -]⸢e⸣-ka₄ da-a-ia-al-la me-ḫur-riḪI.A ⸢ar⸣-ta-ri-⸢i⸣

^(15–16)[...] But the [Ma]jesty, my lord, […] from this border quickly [tak]es far away; the parzašš[a …] dāyalla times are stan[ding ...]

Hagenbuchner 1989a:75 assumes a third Glossenkeilwort in the break and suggests that this word together with parzašša (of uncertain meaning, cf. below) and dāyalla refers to meḫurriḪI.A. In addition to the possibility that both forms, parzašša and dāyalla, modify meḫurriḪI.A, Valério & Yakubovich 2010a:110 consider the possibility that the lacuna in the middle of line 16 contains another noun functioning as the syntactic head for parzašša. For the second option they suggest that either dāyalla meḫurriḪI.A could function as a second subject asyndetically coordinated with parzašša (which would be modifiying the assumed noun in the lacuna); or that dāyalla meḫurriḪI.A is to be interpreted as an accusative modifier of time “in the dāyalla times”. Both of the last mentioned options provide no further information on the actual meaning of dāyalla, other than that it modifies meḫurriḪI.A ‘the times’.

Valério & Yakubovich 2010a:110f. propose that if parzašša modifies meḫurriḪI.A (translating “times of parza-”), it could mean something like “Iron Times” because parza- is associated with black iron (cf. under the respective lemma), they also consider the possibility of a negative metaphoric meaning of the sequence. But as the authors admit, except for a cross-cultural perception of black as an inauspicious color, there is no support for Hittite metaphoric expressions involving iron with a negative connotation. Hence, the meaning of the Glossenkeilwort dāyalla/i- cannot be further determined from this context alone.

[A.B.]

The Glossenkeilwort dāyalla/i- appears in the lists of Luwianisms by Melchert 2005a:451 and van den Hout 2007a:245. It is also assumed to be of Luwian origin by Valério & Yakubovich 2010a:110 and Marizza 2009a:151 n. 6.

Valério & Yakubovich 2010a:110 suggest that the scribe who provided the word with the gloss marker perceived dāyalla/i- as a foreign word (which is, though by far the most common usage, not the only function of the gloss marker, cf. Schwartz 1938a:75, 78 and Melchert 2005a:445) but, more importantly, they also correctly point out that dāyalla/i- shows the very productive Luwian suffix -alla/i-, forming adjectives from nouns (cf. Melchert 2003b:195). The base of this word would be a Luwian noun *dāy(a)- (of unknown meaning), which needs further research. But dāyalla/i- is most probably a Luwian loan or foreign word in Hittite.

[A.B.]