fẽtwinta-^(t)

This lexeme is attested in a metrical inscription from Sardis that has not been dated accurately.

[D.S.]

3sg. pres. act.

fẽtwintat

LW 12.4 (Sardis)

The medio-passive interpretation of the sequence -tat is outdated (contra Carruba 1960a:59 n. 42, Gusmani 1964a:126), for which see Melchert 1992a:44f., Sasseville 2015a:291. Furthermore, it is refuted by the nominal derivative fẽtwinte-.

[D.S.]

The verb f-ẽt-winta-^(t) has been associated with winta- and their meanings and grammatical interpretations have always been regarded as dependent on one another. Melchert 1992a:44f. recognizes rightly a factitive verb derived from the nominal base winta- (followed by Sasseville 2015a:291f.). Whereas the verb was taken as part of the relative clause, it seems more likely that it is the finite verb of the transitive main clause, which would otherwise lack a predicate (contra Meriggi 1935a:114, Gusmani 1964a:126, Oreshko 2018b:234). Since the text is metric, it is preferable to assume discontinuous syntax and, thus, the relative clause as a nominal sentence:

ak=aν mλwẽšiš wνišλ lẽν šawkarplos cinaλ qiš qiraλ fẽtwintat tutrloλ (LW 12.3-4)

‘The šawkarplos of the *mλwẽn, who/which (is) for the cina property pertaining to the daughter(?), fẽtwinta-s it/him wνišλ lẽν.’

Taking the meaning of the base winta- ‘bed camp/chamber (?)’ into consideration, the factitive derivative would mean approximately ‘to make (something) into a bed chamber’ or ‘to place something or someone into a bed chamber’. This type of factitive is known from Lycian prñnawa-^(ti) ‘to build (a grave-house)’ and qla- ‘to make a precinct’. Oreshko 2018b:234 translates fẽtwinta- intransitively/passively as ‘to be situated, be built’, which is not supported, especially since šawkarplo- most likely represents an agent noun and thus the subject of the transitive verb fẽtwinta-^(t). Since the context is altogether obscure, any suggestion must be considered highly tentative.

[D.S.]

1. fẽtwinte-

For the derivational base see winta-.