busawñnala

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.]

unclear

busaw{w}ñn[a?]la

TL 44d.41-42 (Xanthos)

As pointed out by Neumann 2007a:35, the double ww must be a mistake of diplography and therefore we emend to busaw{w}ñn[.]la; thus also Schürr 2018b:64. In the following line, there is a huge gap, most of which is likely to have been left blank (cf. Kalinka 1901a:41 and Schürr 2018b:60). In Kalinka 1901a:43, it is assumed that only one letter is missing, i.e. busaw{w}ñn[.]la, since the carver has begun his previous lines further inside. This is also made probable by the fact that the line after, i.e. 43, does not seem to be missing any sign, i.e. ⁴²m̃qr-⁴³eime. If this is correct, we may be dealing with a derivative in -ala- c. (or -ele/i- in the neuter plural) from an (ethnicon) adjective *busawñne/i-, i.e. busaw{w}ñn[a]la. Shevoroshkin 2002a:228 suggests restoring busaw{w}ñn[a : q]la ‘Busan precincts’, which implies restoring more letters. Nonetheless, all of this remains hypothetical as long as a second attestation of the word has not been found. As implied by Schürr 2018b:64, the base word was surely *abusa-, which would have undergone aphaeresis, since no genuine Lycian word is supposed to begin with b. Furthermore, he compares the personal name prijabuhãmah, which may contain the word abuha- (= Lyc. B *abusa-) as second member of the compound. His postulation of an ethnicon busa-wñne/i- (thus also Gusmani 1968c:6), which he takes as complete, is possible, but highly tentative.

[D.S.]

No semantics are assigned here; cf under Graphic Features.

[D.S.]