wašūḫ-

This lexeme is found within the incantations of the festival for the Palaic pantheon.

[D.S.]

2sg. impv. act.

wa-šu-u-ḫ°

KUB 35.165 rev. 23’

(CTH 751, OS or MS)

The grammatical and lexical analysis of the sequence wa-šu-u-ḫa is debated. It is here interpreted as an imperative form of a factitive in -aḫḫ-, i.e. wašuwaḫḫ-, derived from the adjective wāšu- ‘good’ followed by the particle -(y)a (Sasseville 2021a:536 n. 8). The sequence -uwa- was contracted to -ū-, i.e. wašūḫ. Differently, Bossert 1954a:99 interprets wa-šu-u as substantive meaning ‘goods’ and -ḫa as enclitic particle meaning ‘and’ (likewise Kammenhuber 1959a:36f., Melchert 1984b:32, Melchert 2009a:152 and Goedegebuure 2014a:217). Instead, Carruba 1970a:78 assumes tentatively a verbal form in the 1^st person singular preterit, which would be an isolated case within the context. As a third possibility, Watkins 1982a:256 suggests that -u-ḫa represents the collective ending comparing the length in the ending in Hitt. āššū coll. ‘goods’ (followed by Eichner 2010a:53 n. 47). Our interpretation suggested above eliminates the existence of the particle =ḫa for Palaic, which has not found support by the discovery of many new Palaic fragments. For the contextual and syntactic interpretation of KUB 35.165 rev. 23’, see under meaning.

[D.S.]

The Palaic verb wašūḫ is found in a context, where the king is addressed. Preceding this passage, it is said that drinking cups have been filled for Ziparwa. Afterwards, the attention is turned to the king, when he is asked to perform the same gesture towards the god.

[a=]an mar-ḫi-i-na-an-ta ma-˹a-n=a˺-aš mar-ḫa-an-za a=an-ni-i wa-šu-u-ḫ=a [ta-b]a-ar-na ti=ku-ar [] šu-ú-na a=du pí-i-ša (KUB 35.165 rev. 23’-24’)

‘They invited him (scil. Ziparwa) as a guest. If he has come as a guest, be good as well to him, Tabarna, pour (him) yourself (the cups) and give (them) to him!

The imperative sentence following the conditional clause is paralleled with another passage occurring earlier in the text, for which see Sasseville 2019a:27:

ma-a-an=ti ma-ar-ḫa-a-an-za ma-a-an=t[i i-i]a-an-za [a-]a-pa a-ri-e (KUB 35.165 obv. 7-8)

‘Whether you have come as a guest or have wandered by, pick them (scil. bread) up!’

This comparison brings contextual support for the interpretation of wašūḫ as an imperative form. The particle =(y)a found after the verb wašūḫ with the meaning ‘also’ refers to the previous action of pouring the cups made by the servants. In this way, the Tabarna should also be good to the god Ziparwa.

[D.S.]

For the derivational base see Pal. wāšu-.