*pii̯etEr-
‘(unknown)’
- Language
- Proto-Luwic
- Grammar
- verb
- ID
- 1708
1. Individual Anatolian Languages
1.1 Hieroglyphic Luwian
/piyattara(/i)-/, (ARGENTUM)pi-ia-tara/i-
‘a kind of gift, reward (?)’1.1.1Transmission
A hapax legomenon, this lexeme can be found in an inscription from Karkamiš, dating to the late 10th or early 9th century BCE.
[AH.B.]
1.1.2Forms
| acc. sg. | /piyattar…/ | (ARGENTUM)pi-ia-[ta]ra/i-[...] | KARKAMIŠ A12, §12 (Karkamiš) |
1.1.3Graphic Features
1.1.3.1Phonological Interpretation
The phonological interpretation of this hapax legomenon is very tentative for the reason that its attestation is damaged. Its lexical root appears clear, because it belongs to the word family around the verb /piya-(i)/ ‘to give’, but the remainder of the form is less well understood for want of more comparable nouns in HLuw.
[AH.B.]
1.1.4Meaning
The word is evidently derived from the verb /piya-(i)/ ‘to give’, but as a hapax legomenon, its precise meaning is difficult to ascertain. Used in a context of items given to the a god (probably the storm-god) in gratitude for his putative assistance in winning a battle, the noun in all likelihood constitutes the direct object of the verb /pazza-/ ‘to carry’, together with two other accusatives: (ARMA)wa/i+ra/i-pi-ha-wa/i-tú (“*272”)hara/i-li-ha (ARGENTUM)pi-ia-[ta]ra/i-[...] (PES2)pa-za-ha, i.e. /warpin=ha=wa=du harallin=ha piyattar[an=za?] pazzaHa/ ‘I carried a weapon and a h.-weapon as a reward? to him’ (cf. Yakubovich 2019a:547).
The meaning ‘selling’, suggested earlier by Hawkins & Morpurgo Davies 1986a:72f., does not seem warranted in light of the context.
[AH.B.]
1.1.5Stem
The form is built from the verb /piya-(i)/ ‘to give’, using the suffix /-tar(i)-/, which is not at all common in HLuw. (cf. Melchert 2003b:196, following a similar suggestion by Hawkins & Morpurgo Davies 1986a:72f.). The suffix usually forms neuter nouns, but this cannot be proven on the basis of the available evidence for the present lexeme.
[AH.B.]
1.2 Lycian A
*pijatra-
‘daughter-in-law (?)’1.2.1Transmission
This lexeme is found in Greek transmission attested as πιατρα in Greek inscriptions from Lycia (as pointed out by Schürr 1999b comparing HLuw. (ARGENTUM)pi-ia-tara/i-).
[D.S.]
2. Reconstruction
2.1Reconstruction ‘(unknown)’
The equation of HLuw. (ARGENTUM)pi-ia-[ta]ra/i-[...] with Lyc. *pijatra (πιατρα in Greek Transmission) allows for the reconstruction of a Proto-Luwic noun in *-ter- or -tor-, i.e. *pii̯etEr-. This noun was clearly derived from the Luwian verb piya-(i) ‘to give’ (Lyc. pije-(ti)). The semantic relationship between some kind of gift or reward in Luwian and daughter-in-law in Lycian is obvious from the concept of marriage involving giving one’s daughter away. However, it is questionable whether the original function of the agent suffix *-tEr- is to be understood here or whether the suffix had acquired a different function. More research is needed.
[D.S.]
For the derivational base see PAnat. *pói̯h1-/-ih1-´.