ARGENTUM.DARE-si-
‘costly’
- Language
- Hieroglyphic Luwian
- Grammar
- adj
- ID
- 1770
1. Individual Anatolian Languages
1.1 Hieroglyphic Luwian
ARGENTUM.DARE-si-
‘costly’1.1.1Transmission
This hapax is attested in a single inscription from Karkamiš, dating to the 10th or early 9th century BCE.
[A.P.]
1.1.2Forms
| nom. pl. n. | /…/ | ARGENTUM.DARE-si-ia | KARKAMIŠ A11a, §17 (Karkamiš) |
1.1.3Graphic Features
1.1.3.1Phonological Interpretation
The phonological interpretation of this adjective is largely opaque, because the logograms cover nearly all of the stem. Only the adjectival suffix /-iya-/ can be seen attached to an /-s-/.
[AH.B.]
1.1.4Meaning
The meaning was first suggested by Hawkins & Morpurgo Davies 1982a:95, who naturally connect the other evidence for ARGENTUM as well, although a phonological interpretation is still pending. The context in KARKAMIŠ A11a, §17 fully supports their suggestion: *a-wa/i-tà FRONS-la/i/u ARGENTUM.DARE-si-ia *a-sa-tá, approx. /a=wa=ada hantili …-siya asta/, meaning ‘They (scil. the aforementioned gates fixed with orthostats) were very costly’ (cf. Hawkins 2000a:95, 98f.).
[AH.B.]
1.1.5Stem
The present adjective is built with the well-known suffix /-iya-/, which forms adjectives of appurtenance. The derivational basis may be an s-stem (perhaps ARGENTUM- ‘(a weight measure, ingot?)’?), but this cannot be verified without further data and thus remains speculative.
[AH.B.]