sabadi

This word 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.]

abl./instr.(?)

sabadi

TL 44c.32 (Xanthos)

This word sabadi is interpreted as the ablative/instrumental of a noun saba- (Gusmani 1968c:12, Shevoroshkin 2002a:214, DLL:128, Schürr 2016d:169). This is entirely plausible, although it is not the only option; a 3sg. pres. verb in asyndetic relation with mrccdi=pe is also possible. Another viable interpretation would be a noun in -ad(i)-, which would allow sabadi to be interpreted as a dative singular. Until the meaning is known, the grammatical assignment should be considered tentative.

[D.S.]

The meaning of sabadi depends on its morphological interpretation (see under Forms). Shevoroshkin 2014a:246 attempts to connect the root sab- with CLuw. šapašalla/i- ‘scout’ and thus suggests the meaning ‘watch, protection’ for Lyc. B sabadi, which is inadequate in a ritual context. Gehrisch 2018a:83 ventures an etymological connection with Hitt. šappā(i)-^(mi) ‘to scrape, peel’ (cf. Luw. *šapi(ya)- ‘to scrub’), interpreting sabadi as a verb meaning ‘to write’ and mrccdi as ‘stele’ in the instrumental, yielding an implausible sense. According to the contextual interpretation of Sasseville 2021d, sabadi could be the instrument with which the priest cuts the bread or, if it is a verb instead, it would refer to a second action performed with the bread. Due to the lack of a solid etymology and the exact lexical and morphological nature of the word, no meaning will be provided here.

Shevoroshkin 2002a:214 relates sabadi to sebedi and to sabaka (Shevoroshkin 2014a:246). These suggestions are possible, but hardly provable until their meanings are recovered.

[D.S.]