/wassiyazza-(i)/, BONUS-si-ia-za-
‘to be dear, beneficial (?)’
- Language
- Hieroglyphic Luwian
- Grammar
- verb
- ID
- 1820
1. Individual Anatolian Languages
1.1 Hieroglyphic Luwian
/wassiyazza-(i)/, BONUS-si-ia-za-
‘to be dear, beneficial (?)’1.1.1Transmission
The two occurrences of this lexeme originate from Tabal, and both inscriptions probably date to the second half of the 8th century BCE.
[AH.B.]
1.1.2Forms
| 1sg. pret. ind. act. | /wassiyazzahha/ | BONUS-si-ia-za-ha | KULULU 4, §6 (Tabal) |
| AKSARAY, §5 (Tabal) |
1.1.3Graphic Features
1.1.3.1Phonological Interpretation
Both attestations show identical spelling, in which part of the root is represented by the logogram BONUS (sign *165) and thus phonologically obscured. Due to the strong connection between this logogram and the word family around /wasu/ ‘well’ and /wass-/ ‘to be dear’, however, the reading of the present lexeme is reasonably certain. Moreover, the suffixes evident in the stem, /-iya-/ and /-zza-/, are well-known from other formations.
[AH.B.]
1.1.4Meaning
In both contexts of attestation, /wassiyazza-(i)/ is used to express a benevolent action towards someone. Yakubovich 2002a:197f. calls attention to the fact that it does not necessarily become clear in each case who the recipient of the benevolent action is, because the dative-coded participant in the clause may represent either the beneficiary or the benefactor. In KULULU 4, §§6-7, the relevant clauses run: wa/i-ta DOMINUS-na-za-a á-mi-ia-za BONUS-si-ia-za-ha wa/i-mu LEPUS+ra/i-ia-la-ta, and its two possible meanings are ‘I was dear to my masters, and they made me governor’, and ‘I was beneficial/obedient/(vel sim.) to my masters, and they made me governor’. In fact, it is possible that both meanings are intended at the same time, because one can imply the other in a circular fashion: the masters treat their subjects well because the latter serve them well, and the subjects render services and fealty because their masters treat them well. Contra Yakubovich 2002a:197, this same double meaning is also inherent to AKSARAY, §5: wa/i-ta á-mi-ia-ti (IUSTITIA)tara/i-wa/i-na-ti (DEUS)TONITRUS-hu-ti-i tara/i-ma-za-ha DEUS-ni-za za-ti BONUS-si-ia-za-ha, meaning ‘By/because of my loyalty, I was dear/beneficial to the storm-god and all the gods here’.
[AH.B.]
1.1.5Stem
The formation of the stem was first pointed out by Yakubovich 2002a:198, who reanalysed the words belonging to the family around /wass-/ ‘to be dear’. It consists of the root /wass-/ ‘to be dear’, first suffixed with /-iya-/ and then with /-zza-/, which can mark imperfectives.
Outdated is the view advanced by Hawkins 2000a:447, 477, 523 that /wassiyazza-/ and /wassazza-/ are variants of the same stem.
[AH.B.]
For the lemma head, see HLuw. /wass-/.