ulaxa-
‘attack (?)’
- Language
- Lycian B
- Grammar
- subst, c.
- ID
- 1916
1. Individual Anatolian Languages
1.1 Lycian B
ulaxa-
‘attack (?)’1.1.1Transmission
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.]
1.1.2Forms
| abl./instr. | ulaxadi | TL 44c.47 (Xanthos) |
This word is to be separated from Lyc. B laxadi (thus also Shevoroshkin 2014a:235; contra Melchert (DLL:119), Schürr 2016d:174, Gehrisch 2018a:82), since we expect two different roots from a comparative perspective with Hittite laḫḫ- vs. walḫ-.
[D.S.]
1.1.3Graphic Features
The Lycian A fragmentary [… ]laxati (N 328.2) is not pertinent to the present lemma (cf. DLL:35).
[D.S.]
1.1.4Meaning
The word ulaxadi is an ablativus causae, referring to why the protector of Kaunos, i.e. Natri-Apollo, resents the Lycian king Gergis. If one takes the root ulax- seriously, an equation with Hitt. walḫ-(mi) ‘to hit, attack’ is the most straightforward approach, and thus the action noun ulaxa- can be translated with ‘because of the attacks (?)’ (Sasseville 2021a:157, Sasseville 2021d, contra DLL:119 to la- ‘to die’; see also the root etymology under Lyc. A la-(ti) ‘to die’). For a list of outdated hypotheses, see Neumann 2007a:403.
[D.S.]
1.1.5Stem
The ablative-instrument in -adi shows clearly that ulaxa- is an a-stem.
[D.S.]