pssa-^(ti)

This lexeme is attested 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.]

3sg. pres.(?) ind. act.

pssat[i?]

TL 44d.23 (Xanthos)

The restoration with [i] follows Shevoroshkin 1988b:289 and Gehrisch 2018a:89, although a preterit form, i.e. pssat[e^?] cannot be entirely excluded. Pace Schürr 2018b:76 (who considers a noun), it is the best choice for the predicate in the sentence.

[D.S.]

The vocabulary of the sentence in which pssa-^(ti) occurs is obscure, rendering the analysis difficult. Its possible relationship with *psse- (and derivatives) does not help to elucidate its semantics, although it denotes perhaps an action performed by a harmful person (see zajala-). The meaning ‘to deliver regularly’ suggested by Shevoroshkin 2002a:230 (and Shevoroshkin 2014a:252) is based on the awkward etymology with the verb pibije-^(ti) ‘to give’ and is not followed here. Likewise, the connection with Hitt. peššiye/a-^(mi) ‘to throw’ suggested in Shevoroshkin 1988b:289 is morphologically unlikely; see under Stem.

[D.S.]

Formally, pssa-^(ti) should be a factitive verb derived from a non-attested noun *pssa- (for the conversion theory, see Sasseville 2015a).

[D.S.]