ork

Attested in two votive inscriptions of unclear provenance from the 6th c. (C.Ha 1: c. 500 [Jucker & Meier(-Brügger) 1978a:105–108, not “6th century BC”, contra Adiego 2019a:31], on its probable Egyptian origin see the refs. s.v. san; the 6th c. date of C.xx 1 is not assured [Gusmani 1978c:67, not “late 6th – 5th century BC”, contra Adiego 2019a:32], on its probable Egyptian origin see the refs. s.v. san).

[Zs.S.]

acc. sg. c.	orkn	C.Ha 1
		C.xx 1

The attestation follows Adiego 2007a:391, checked against the photographs in Jucker & Meier(-Brügger) 1978a:Pl. 2; Gusmani 1978c:Pl.I & II. The gender assignment is based on its congruence with snn ‘this (acc. sg. c.)’ in both inscriptions, cf. s.v. san.

[Zs.S.]

There is no doubt regarding the meaning (established by Melchert 1993d:80 [cf. also Melchert 2002b:309, Melchert 2010f:178, 183] and followed by all other scholars [Janda 1994a:177; Yakubovich 2005a:248; Adiego 2007a:282f., 391, Adiego 2010b:154, 172f., Adiego 2019a:32; Simon 2008b:461, Simon 2019a:302, and Gander in Çörtük & Gander & Holler 2018a:116]), since the votive inscriptions on the phiales literary say “snn orkn” (C.xx 1) and “orkn (…) snn” (C.Ha 1), i.e. ‘this ork (acc.)’.

[Zs.S.]

G. Neumann and E. Brown apud Melchert 1993d:80 compared ork with Greek ὕρχη ‘jar (for pickles, wine)’ and lat. orca ‘a large narrow-necked earthenware vessel’. Melchert as well as Janda 1994a:177 and Adiego 2007a:391, Adiego 2010b:172 considered this as an attractive idea (latter adding even Latin urceus ‘pitcher, jug’ and urna ‘pitcher’), but none of the scholars elaborated the precise relations. While previous accounts on Greek ‒ Carian contacts (Adiego 2007b and van den Hout 2014a) have not included this word, Simon 2019a:302‒304 re-investigated the case and argued that a phonologically regular solution can be provided, if ork is a loanword from ὕρχη.

[Zs.S.]