ardāl-

This lexeme is attested in the song of Ullikummi.

[E.R.]

nom./acc. pl. n.	URUDUar-da-a-la	KUB 33.106 iii 52’	(CTH 345, NS)
	URUDUar-⸢da⸣-a-la	KBo 26.65 ii 61’	(CTH 345, NS)
	[URUDUar-da-a]-la	KBo 26.65 ii 26	(CTH 345, NS)

Checked against the photographs in the Mainzer Fotoarchiv. – Restoration at KBo 26.65 ii 26 according to Starke 1990a:306.

[E.R.]

After the indication of Güterbock 1952a:28f., 41f. (cf. also Güterbock 1946a:78f.) that ardāl- denotes an instrument for cutting like Hitt. kuruzzi- ‘cutting device’ used a few lines before, Friedrich (HW:33) tentatively suggested ‘Säge?’. This meaning has been accepted since (HW²:348, Kronasser 1966a:172, HEG A-K:69, HED A, E, I: 175, Ünal 2007a:62, EDHIL:211, Melchert 2014a:210). Only Starke 1990a:305-209 (followed in Tischler 2008a:s.v.) prefers, more specifically, a stone saw, describing it as a saw with a non-serrated blade. The context is fully compatible with this semantic assignment: ^(52’)nu-kán ka-ru-ú-li-ia ^URUDUar-da-a-la ^(53’)[pa-r]a-a ti-ia-an-du ne-pí-iš te-kán-na ku-e-ez ar-ḫa ku-e-re-er ‘They shall bring out the (stone) saw, with which they cut apart Heaven and Earth.’ (KUB 33.106 iii 52’f.).

[E.R.]

Obviously, the word is derived from the verb ard- ‘to saw’ (EDHIL:211 posits ardu-). While the form ardāla may belong to either an a-stem ardāla- (Friedrich 1952a HW: 33, HW²:348, Kronasser 1966a:172, HEG A-K:69, HED A, E, I: 175) or an l-stem ardāl- (Starke 1990a:305-309, HHw:24, Rieken 1999a:448, Melchert 2014d:210; undecided EDHIL:211), an l-stem is preferable, because (a) no suffix -āla- is known for neuters, and (b) Starke 1990a:300-342 established the Luwian suffix -āl- for instrument nouns (cf. Melchert 2014d:210 contra Starke 1990a:301).

[E.R.]

Starke 1990a:306f. (followed in Rieken 1999a:448) pleads for a Luwian origin of ardāla not only because of the suffix -āl-, which he believes to be limited to Luwian, but also on account of the abundance of Luwianisms in KUB 33.106+, as well as the plural form being used for reference to a single tool (unusual in Hittite), and the plene spelling of the suffix. However, Melchert 2014d:210 assigns the word to Hittite without giving a reason, but probably because the verbal base is also present in Hittite, and the fact that, for a word in Hittite transmission, the burden of proof for its Luwian origin lies on the side of its proponents. In addition, Kloekhorst argues that the stem ardu- ‘to saw’ based on the 1pl. pres. ardumēni and the verbal noun ardumar is primary, and that ardāla goes back to *ardu̯ól(o)- by way of the specifically Hittite sound change *-du̯o- > -da-.

Although Kloekhorst’s conclusions are possible, there is a more economical alternative available. Hitt. ardumēni and ardumar can be classified as forms of a consonantal ḫi-verb ard-. Accordingly, the derivation envisaged by Melchert (ard- + -āl- < *-ó-lo-) is possible and it applies to both languages, without reference to *-du̯o- > Hitt. -da-. In sum, the most important argument that speaks for a Luwian origin is the plene spelling of the suffix syllable in ar-da-a-la, which is found so far only in accepted Luwianisms (pappaššāl-, kuwappāl-, ḫutḫuttāl-). Therefore, Starke’s conclusion leading to the proposal of a Luwian synchronic l-stem ardāl- are followed here.

[E.R.]

For the lemma head see CLuw. *art-.