dumantiyal- or dumantiyala-

This word is attested only once on a LNS Sammeltafel in Hittite context (with many Luwianisms) in the birth ritual of Pittei (CTH 767.7).

[A.B.] [E.R.]

dat./loc. pl.

⸢du⸣-ma-an-ti-⸢ia⸣-la-aš

KBo 13.241+KUB 44.4 rev. 15

(CTH 767, LNS)

The attestation follows CLL:233, Starke 1990a:334 and HEG T, D:433 (cf. Ünal 2007a:734, Ünal 2016a:547, EDHIL:412, van den Hout 2007a:251 and Zorman 2016a:594; not in Laroche 1959a). The transliteration has been checked against the photos of the Mainzer Fotoarchiv.

[A.B.] [E.R.]

The meaning of this word is generally assumed to be a body part, probably ‘ear canal’ or sim. (cf. CLL:233; Beckman 1983a:177, 190; Starke 1990a:134, 334; HEG T, D:433; Tischler 2008a:203, Tischler 2016a:386; EDHIL:412; Haas 2003a:119f.; Giorgieri 2004a:410; Bachvarova 2013a:144; Zorman 2016a:594; Yakubovich 2010d:373 [‘ear cavities’?]; additionally, Ünal 2007a:734, Ünal 2016a:547 and Bachvarova 2013a:138 also consider a more general meaning ‘ear’).

The context of KBo 13.241+KUB 44.4 rev. 15 (the transliteration is based on photos of the Mainzer Fotoarchiv and the hand copies, furthermore, the transliterations and translations of Beckman 1983a:176f.; Starke 1985b:235, Starke 1990a:334; Giorgieri 2004a:410; Haas 2004a:120; Yakubovich 2010d:373; Bachvarova 2013a:137,139 and HEG T, D:433; Torri & Barsacchi 2018a:269 have been taken into account) describes the recipe for an ointment that is applied to the child, more specifically to his dumantiyal- or dumantiyala- (pl.), which must be a body part that comes in pairs or more and that can be reached from the outside:

⁽¹⁵⁾nu-kán a-na dumu.nita ⸢du⸣-ma-an-ti-⸢ia⸣-la-aš an-da i-ia-an-⸢du⸣ (…)

⁽¹⁵⁾Let them apply (it) on the child, into (his) dumantiyala-s.

With Starke 1990a:334, the base of the Glossenkeilwort is most probably the CLuw. verb tūmmanti-^(ti) ‘to hear’, which is itself based on the Luwian word for ‘ear’ attested in Hittite transmission as Luw. tumman(t)- (see under Stem for the morphological details). The obvious derivational connection to these words combined with the ritual action described in the attested context led to the generally accepted translation of the word as ‘ear canal’.

[A.B.] [E.R.]

Starke 1990a:334 submits that the Luwian word underlying the Hittitized form du-ma-an-ti-ia-la-aš is the putative Luwian noun *tummantiyal-, derived from the verbal base tummanti-^(ti) by means of the instrument suffix -al- (followed in CLL:233) that forms neuter nouns from verbs in Luwian (cf. Melchert 2003b:197). The suffix -al- is also productive in Hittite (cf. Hoffner & Melchert 2008a:54), but since there is no fitting Hittite base word (Hittite ‘ear’ is the cognate ištama(n)-), the most probable verbal base is tummanti-^(ti) as attested in Luwian and, accordingly, its -al- derivative provided the source for the Glossenkeilwort. In the course of its adaptation to Hittite, the l-stem was probably thematized and appears with a-stem inflection (cf. Hoffner & Melchert 2008a:54), although this cannot be demonstrated with only the oblique case form in -aš attested. Thus, the stem is either dumantiyal- or dumantiyala-.

[A.B.] [E.R.]

As is generally accepted, the word is clearly of Luwian origin (cf. CLL:225 and the lists of Luwianisms by van den Hout 2007a:251 and Ünal 2016a:973, though not in that by Melchert 2005a, and is furthermore assumed to be of Luwian origin by Starke 1990a:334; HEG T, D:433, Tischler 2008a:203, Tischler 2016a:386; EDHIL:412). This emerges from the Luwian base tumman(t)- showing the specifically Luwian sound change #st- > #t- (cf. Melchert 1994a:63). An additional reason for the assumption of this word as a Luwianism is the gloss marker and although its use does not constitute proof of a word´s Luwian origin (cf. Schwartz 1938a:75, 78 and Melchert 2005a:445) the vast majority of words provided with this marker are in fact of Luwian origin.

[A.B.] [E.R.]

For the lemma head, see Luw. /tummanti-^(ti)/.