psnλ(o)

Hapax in a votive inscription from c. 500 (Jucker & Meier(-Brügger) 1978a:105–108, not “6th century BC”, contra Adiego 2019a:31), probably from Egypt and not from Halicarnassus, as it was previously assumed (Meier-Brügger 1994a:113, Schürr 2010e:134, Simon 2019e:294, Simon forthcoming contra Adiego 2007a:144, Adiego 2019a:32f.).

[Zs.S.]

dat. sg.?

psnλo

C.Ha 1

The attestation follows Adiego 2007a:403 checked against the photograph of Jucker & Meier(-Brügger) 1978a:Pl. 2. On its grammatical definition see under Meaning.

[Zs.S.]

Adiego 2007a:283f. proposed that psnλo is either a verb resembling the Carian verb pisñoi (allegedly ‘to give’) or a personal name (as proposed already by Melchert 1993d:81 on contextual grounds as well as by Schürr 2001d:108, Schürr 2001c:63f., Schürr 2010c:202 but without arguments or references). However, there is no evidence that pisñoi is a verb (see the discussion s.v.) and even if it is a verb, it requires an explanation of the part °λo, which was not given. Melchert (Melchert forthcoming) rejected Adiego’s proposal as a verb (and chose the personal name or a title instead, cf. also Melchert 2010f:183), since psnλo recalls the dative singular forms ending in -o. From the point of view of the structure of the inscription C.Ha 1, psnλo is ambiguous, because it can be both the donator (then in nom. sg., thus Melchert 2010f:183) and the recipient (then in dat. sg., thus Melchert 1993d:81 and Melchert forthcoming). Simon 2020d:404f. calls attention to the structural identity of C.Ha 1 with C.Si 2, which decides the question in favour of the latter analysis, which is supported also by the above mentioned formal identity of psnλo with other dative singular forms (although another syntactic function, such as ‘as a gift’ would also be possible, Simon 2020d:404 excludes it due to its structural identity with C.Si 2, where the parallel word is referring to the recipient, also this circumstance makes a title as proposed by Melchert less probable). Thus, Simon 2020d:404f. opts for Adiego’s second proposal, a personal name and specifically as a derivative of the (probable) personal name pisñ(o) (see s.v.) with the ubiquitous Carian suffix -oλ / -eλ (already Schürr 2001d:108, Schürr 2001c:63f., Schürr 2010c:202 identified psnλo as a cognate of pisñ(o), but without details).

[Zs.S.]