kawe-
‘priest’
- Language
- Lydian
- Class
- Derivative
- Grammar
- subst, c.
- Certainty
- high
- ID
- 212
1. Individual Anatolian Languages
1.1 Lydian
kawe-
‘priest’1.1.1Transmission
The lexeme kawe- c. is attested several times in inscriptions from Sardis (6th-4th BCE). It is also attested in Greek sources, notably in Hipponax of Ephesus (6th BCE) as καύης ‘priest’ (Hippon. 3, Degani 1991a) and in late Greek inscriptions of Sardis as καυειν acc. sg. c. ‘priestess’ (IGRom. 4.1755), see O. Masson 1950a, Gusmani 1964a:278.
[D.S.]
1.1.2Forms
| nom. sg. | kawes | LW 23.6 (Sardis),LW 24.2 (Sardis), LW 28.1 (Sardis) |
| ḳạwes | LW 26.2 (Sardis) | |
| kawe(s) | LW 22.9 (Sardis) | |
| dat. sg. | [ka]weλ | LW 24.21 (Sardis) |
1.1.3Meaning ‘priest’
The meaning of Lydian kawe- c. was discovered by Littmann (apud Buckler; Robinson 1913a:363 n. 1) by comparing it with the word καυειν ‘priestess’ found in Greek inscriptions of the same locality. The lexeme kawe- (c.) is often modified by a divine name inflected as a possessive adjective. O. Masson 1950a:185 points out that the lexeme in question might mean ‘seer’ or ‘mage’ instead of or in addition to ‘priest’. The evidence is taken from various scholia on Hipponax. Unfortunately, these claims cannot at present be verified for the instances of kawe- attested in the Lydian corpus.
[D.S.]
1.1.4Origin
Pace Eichner (apud Grestenberger 2009a:57), there is no indication that Lyd. kawe- c. ‘priest’ is an Iranian loanword, see the discussion in Gerstenberger (ibid.). Oreshko 2013c:87-89 suggests that kawe- is borrowed from Phrygian and then tries to find a lexical match in the “gavos”-part of Phryg. akenanogavos (title (?)), which is overall highly speculative. The fact that no cognates of Lyd. kawe- have been identified in another Anatolian language so far, is not an argument for taking it as a loanword. Until definite proof of the contrary, the assumed origin of kawe- remains Lydian.
[D.S.]
1.2 Miscellaneous
κοίης / κόης
‘priest of the Kabeiroi’1.2.1Transmission
This word and its derivatives are known only from Hesychian glosses (for possible epigraphic evidence see Ure 1951a). κοίης / κόης is traditionally explained by an internal Greek etymology with or without connecting Lydian kaves (since de Saussure 1879a:113; see also O. Masson 1950a:184f.; GEW I:894; DELG:553; Hawkins 2013c:184f.; all with further refs.), but a direct borrowing from Lydian kaves was rightly rejected by O. Masson 1950a:184 on phonological grounds (but contrary to his statement, the scholars quoted by him did not claim such a borrowing), followed by Hawkins 2013c:184f. Alternatively, Beekes 2010a:732 suggests that “the group could well be Anatolian or Pre-Greek” (an undefined Anatolian origin was implied already by Ramsay 1927a:172 and Kerényi 1943a:112 n. 3), see also Oreshko 2013c:87, who rightly points out that κοίης / κόης cannot be a Greek word due to its connection with the Kabeiroi and its attestation (cf. already Pettazzoni 1936a:176–182). The gods called Kabeiroi, however, originate from the Northern Aegean, and their linguistic background is unknown: they do not show any Anatolian connection and based on their geography and a remark of Herodot (2.51) they can be connected with the Tyrrhenians, at best (most recently see Simon 2015a:12f. with refs., cf. also Pettazzoni 1936a:176–182). The lack of the Anatolian connection makes the Anatolian origin of κοίης / κόης and thus any immediate connection with Lydian kaves implausible (cf. also Bonfante 1955a:108f. [refused by Hawkins 2013c:187 n. 1] and Oreshko 2013c:89, who argue for a Thracian origin of κοίης / κόης).
[Zs.S.]
2. Reconstruction
2.1Reconstruction
Up to now, no cognates have been convincingly identified within the other Anatolian languages. The connection suggested by Carruba 1960a:34 n. 7 with the city name found in the ethnicon HLuw. ka-wa/i-za-na(URBS) (Karkamiš A11b+c, §7) cannot be verified and must be left aside until further evidence emerges, cf. Neumann 1965a:274. Outside of Anatolian, O. Masson 1950a:184f. proposes an etymological connection with Skt. kaví, see Part II Proto-Indo-European Etymology.
There is a general agreement that Lydian kawe- reflects a hysterokinetic i-stem, cf. Melchert 1994a:345, Oettinger 1995a:218, Melchert 2004b:140, Gérard 2005a:45, 47-48, Oettinger 2014a:313. It is important to note that the form kawe- excludes a zero-grade of the root. The reconstruction of a full grade is in contradiction with the hysterokinetic type and therefore, it cannot represent a primary formation. Consequently, a secondary or tertiary formation based on an o-stem is here posited: *kawa- + -e- (< *ḗi̯) + sigmatization; cf. Grestenberger 2009a:57).
For a possible derivational base of the reconstructed o-stem, see Lyd. ko-(t).
[D.S.]
3. Proto-Indo-European
3.1Semantic Reconstruction
Ved. kaví- ‘wise’ continues the derivational base of individualizing PIE *kou̯h1-éi̯- ‘the wise one’. Semantically, the development from ‘the wise one’ to ‘priest’ (Lyd. kawe-) and ‘seer; sovereign’ (Av. kauuaii-) is trivial.
As a proterokinetic i-stem, Ved. kaví- ‘wise’ can be explained as a nomen agentis meaning ‘seeing; knowing’, built on the underlying root *(s)keu̯h1- ‘perceive (optically), watch’.
3.2Morphological Reconstruction
The “old Indo-European word for the poet-seer and priest” (Watkins 1995b:88) is attested in at least two individual Indo-European languages, cf. Lyd. kawe- ‘priest’, Av. kauuaii- ‘seer; souvereign’.On Ved. kaví- cf. below and the semantic reconstruction above.The Avestan case forms clearly (cf. above) point to a hysterokinetic i-stem. The root vowel has to be reconstructed as *-o-, which is phonologically supported by Lydian and the lack of palatalization in Ved. kaví- ‘wise’However, the lack of palatalization as well as the accent of Ved. kaví- can be analogical transfers from the weak stem *kuh1-éi̯-.which is taken to represent the derivational base of PIE *kou̯h1-éi̯-. Eventually, the full grade vowel in the root has to be interpreted as secondary, although its provenance is not clear.There are different possible sources for the o-grade: (a) PIE *(s)kou̯h1-o- ‘perceiving’, (b) an unattested acrostatic i-stem *(s)kóu̯h1-i-/*(s)kéu̯h1-i- or (c) an equally unattested eh2-stem *(s)kou̯h1-éh2-. Furthermore, secondary o-grade of the root can be observed in other hysterokinetic stems as well, cf. Oettinger 2009a:345 n. 14 (on Luw. tāīn ‘oil’ < *sog(h)énh2- et passim), Nikolaev 2015a:261f.It is recommended, thus, to reconstruct PIE *kou̯h1-éi̯-/*kou̯h1-i̯-´ ‘the wise one’.
3.2.1Derivational base
Contrary to the communis opinio,Cf., e.g., EWAia I:328, Schaffner 2001a:89 n. 100, Schaffner 2005a:184f., Gotō 2013a:29; Dybo 2002a:368: “probably […] restructured”Ved. kaví- ‘wise (man)’ is taken here as what it appears to be, namely a simple proterokinetic i-stem like, e.g., Ved. agní- ‘fire’Cf. on originally proterokinetic i-stems AiGr III:139f., Gotō 2013a:24f., 29.The attestation suggests primary adjectival status with subsequent nominalization:Cf. Grassmann 1996a:318–320, KEWA I:178, sceptical Neisser 1930a:56: “als Adj. wohl nicht zu halten” but cf. ibid. p. 57 ad RV.5.4.3.
Ved. adj. kaví- ‘wise’ (< *‘seeing’) → Ved. sbst. kaví- ‘the wise one, seer; poet’.
Beside the obvious adjectival use (29 times in the RV) the exclusively early attested (RV.2–7) comparative and superlative forms as well as a Rigvedic formulaCf. višā́m kavíṃ višpátim “the wise Lord of the peoples” occuring three times in the oldest layer of the Rigveda (RV.3.2.10 = RV.5.4.3 = RV.6.1.8, cf. also RV.8.44.26). The word order in this formula suggest that kavíṃ is an attribute of višpátim, cf. Delbrück 1888a:19f.promote the view that Ved. kaví- originally is an adjectival formation.
Since Ved. kaví- ‘wise’ is assumed to continue the derivational base of PIE *(s)kou̯h1-éi̯- ‘the wise one’, PIE status of *(s)kÉu̯h-i- has to be accepted. This adjective belongs to the root *(s)keu̯h1- ‘to perceive (optically), watch’.The unexpected o-grade can have different sources, cf. above.
[A.O.]
4. Transmission
Ved. adj./sbst. kaví- ‘(adj.) skillful, wise; (sbst.) seer, sage, poet’ (RV+)Cf. also the comparative kavítara- ‘wiser, more kaví-like’ (RV) and superlative kavítama- ‘wisest’. The adjectival occurences in the positive are, ordered by case and number: nom. sg. (RV.1.91.14, 1.95.8, 1.149.3, 1.151.7, 1.164.16, 1.188.1, 4.15.3, 5.44.7, 8.49.3, 9.73.5), acc. sg. (3.2.10 = 5.4.3 = 6.1.8 ≈ 8.44.26, 6.7.1), dat. sg. (5.15.1), gen. sg. (2.28.1), nom. du. (1.13.8, 1.142.8, 1.188.7), nom. pl. (1.163.12, 5.52.13, 10.103.5), gen. pl. (10.11.10).
The dual forms are not listed in the table below: Ved. voc. du. kavī sbst. (RV.1.117.23+), nom. du. kavī́ adj./sbst. (RV.1.13.8+)
|
sg. |
pl. |
|
|
voc. |
kave sbst. (RV.1.13.2+) |
kavayas sbst. (RV.1.185.1+) |
|
nom. |
kavís adj./sbst. (RV.1.91.14+) |
kaváyas adj./sbst. (RV.1.163.12+) |
|
kavítaras adj. (RV.7.86.7) |
||
|
kavítamas adj. (RV.3.14.1, RV.7.9.1) |
||
|
acc. |
kavím adj./sbst. (RV.3.2.10+) |
kavī́n sbst. (RV.1.164.6, RV.3.38.1) |
|
kavítamam adj. (RV.5.42.3, RV.6.18.14) |
||
|
instr. |
kavínā sbst. (RV.6.49.10, RV.9.26.6) |
kavíbhis sbst. (RV.3.8+) |
|
dat. |
kaváye adj./sbst. (RV5.15.1+) |
|
|
gen. |
kavés adj./sbst. (RV.2.28.1+) |
kavīnā́m sbst. (RV.2.23.1+) |
|
kavítamasya adj. (RV.5.85.6) |
kavīnáam adj./sbst. (RV.10.11.10+) |
EWAia I:328f., KEWA I:187f., Grassmann 1996a:318–320 s.v. kaví- 1.
Av. sbst. kauuaii- m. ‘seer; non-Mazdayasnian sovereign (Gotō 2013a:29); (visionary) poet (Skjærvø 2013a); warlord, hero (Schwartz 2012a)’
|
sg. |
pl. |
|
|
nom. |
OAv. kauuā (Y.44.20, Y.46.14, Y.51.16, Y.12.7) |
OAv. kāuuaiias⸗čīt̰ (Y.32.14) |
|
OAv. kauua⸗ča (Y.53.2) |
OAv. kāuuaiias⸗ča (Y.46.11) |
|
|
YAv. kauua (Yt.5.108+) |
YAv. kauue (Yt.19.72) |
|
|
acc. |
YAv. kauuaēm (Yt.19.71+) |
|
|
gen. |
YAv. kauuōiš (Yt.13.132+, Ny.5.5+) |
YAv. kaoiiąm (Y.9.18, Yt.13.135) |
Bartholomae 1979a:442f. s.vv. 1./2.kavay-Pace Bartholomae 1979a:442 s.v. 1kav-) neither OAv. kauu- v. ‘versehen’ nor Ved. *KAV ‘erniedrigen’ (EWAia I:326f.) do belong here, cf. EWAia I:328 s.v. KAVi).
Gk. sbst. καύης nom. sg. m. ‘priest’, καυειν acc. sg. f. ‘priestess’This is a loan from Lydian, cf. Latte 1948a:43, O. Masson 1962a:107f.
(?)Thrac. κοίης/κόης ‘(Gk.) ἱερεῦς Καβείρων, ὁ καθαίρων φονέα; priest’ (Hsch. κ 3230, Latte)
Cf. above