wanīti(ya)-

The adjective is attested only once in a tiny fragment of unknown content (MS^?).

[E.R.]

nom. sg.

⸢wa⸣-ni-i-ti-i-iš

KUB 35.91, 4’

(CTH 767, MS?)

Checked against the photographs in the Mainzer Fotoarchiv.

[E.R.]

Due to the fragmentary context (only the co-occurrence with waniyant(i)- built from the same stem is noteworthy), the elucidation of the meaning must rely on the stem formation. The plene spelling of the final syllables points to a relational adjective (Carruba 1982a, Melchert 1990a:199-201, Rieken 2017a:24). It is derived from a stem *wanī(t)- ‘stone block, stele’ (Starke 1990a:187, CLL:255) and, accordingly, a meaning ‘related to a stone block, related to a stele’ can be posited (similar CLL:255 ‘of rock (?)’; no translation in Starke 1990a:187 and HEG U-Z:282), which would be compatible with what little of the context is preserved: wanītīš ḫantiš could be rendered with ‘the front of a stone block/stele’. New attestations will hopefully bring further confirmation. Less likely is the suggestion of Carruba 1982a:44. He derives wanīti(ya)- from waniyant(i)- with suppression of the nasal, which affords an extra step.

[E.R.]

For the synchronic assignment as an adjectival stem in -i(ya)-, see under Meaning. The base is *wāni(t)- n. ‘item made of rock, stele, stone block’. According to Rieken 2017a:24, its regular nom./acc. sg. *wani was extended with the productive thematic suffix, following the same pattern as ḫirūn/ḫīrūt- ‘perjury’: *ḫīru (with the regular loss of the final alveolar) → *ḫīruwan > ḫīrūn (with syncope), for which see Melchert 2004d. The length of the syncopated vowel of the neuter nom./acc. ending *-īn < *-iyan was then transferred to the oblique case forms, hence *wānī(t)-.

[E.R.]

For the derivational base see CLuw. *wānī(t)-.