mẽmija-
‘language’
- Language
- Lycian B
- Grammar
- subst, c.
- ID
- 1722
1. Individual Anatolian Languages
1.1 Lycian B
mẽmija-
‘language’1.1.1Transmission
This lexeme is found in the inscription of the inscribed pillar of Xanthos dated contextually to shortly after the ascension of Artaxerxes II in 405-404 BCE and stylistically to around 400 BCE (Borchhardt & Eichner 1997-1999a:19f.).
[D.S.]
1.1.2Forms
| dat. sg. | mẽmi | TL 44c.59-60 (Xanthos) |
1.1.3Graphic Features
Schürr 2016d:160 analyses the word mẽmi as m(e)=ẽmi, in order to recover the sentence introductory particle me and the possessive pronoun ẽmi ‘my’, which is formally possible, but unattractive vis-à-vis the agreeing adjective mawili; see below.
[D.S.]
1.1.4Meaning
Shevoroshkin 1968c:66 n. 1 (and Shevoroshkin 1977a:142) analyzes the sequence mẽmi mawili convincingly as meaning ‘in the mawili language’ (cf. mawile/i-), by equating Lyc. B mẽmi to Hitt. memiya(n)- c. ‘speech’. The context is also adequate, since it refers to the way the Lycian king Gergis makes sacrificial offerings as compensation to the angry deities. The word mẽmi is missing in DLL:120f. Neumann 2007a:213 remains skeptical regarding Shevoroshkin’s suggestion.
[D.S.]
1.1.5Stem
The stem of the dat. sg. mẽmi can be posited as mẽmija- c. For the dative of stems in -ija- c. cf. malija- c. → dat. sg. mali. The morphological analysis is supported by the Hittite cognate memiya(n)- c.
[D.S.]
For the lemma head see *mẽmije-(ti).