/hwasatt(i)-/, hwa/i-sa-ti-

This lexeme is attested four times in inscriptions from Emirgazi, dating to the 13^th century BCE.

[A.P.]

nom. sg.	/hwasattis/	hwa/i-sa-ti-sa	EMİRGAZİ 1A, §11 (Emirgazi)
		hwa/i-sa-ti-sa	EMİRGAZİ 1A, §12 (Emirgazi)
		hwa/i-sa-ti-sa	EMİRGAZİ 1C, §11 (Emirgazi)
		˹hwa/i˺[-sa-]˹ti-sa˺	EMİRGAZİ 1C, §12 (Emirgazi)

The EMİRGAZİ 1C attestations could not be verified, because the quality of the currently available photographs of the stele is too poor.

[A.P.]

The meaning of this word is not entirely clear, and the proposed interpretation (see Michel 2015a:21, followed by Yakubovich 2017e:s.v.) is to be understood as approximate, mirroring Hittite ^NA4/GIŠḫuwaši- ‘stele, cult stone’. Earlier, Hawkins 1995a:94f. had left the meaning open, while drawing a tentative connection to CLuw. ḫwišt(i)- ‘cry of (birth) pain’, whose meaning was unknown at the time, but now seems to make a link less than likely.

On two near-identical inscriptions, the word is used in adjoining clauses whose boundaries are not altogether clear due to a lack of word-dividers.Around the boundary between §11 and §12, the sign string 〈hwa/i sa ti sa i(a) za/i tá sa wa/i tá〉 has been parsed in different ways: as 〈hwa/i-sa-ti-sa i(a)-za/i-tá-sa wa/i-tá〉 by Hawkins 1995a:88 and Rieken 2004b:185 with remarks on the missing clause initial /a=/, and as 〈hwa/i-sa-ti-sa i(a)-za/i-tá-sa wa/i-tá〉 by Michel 2015a:21. Judging by the hand copy of EMİRGAZİ 1A, however, a reading as 〈hwa/i-sa-ti-i(a)-sa za/i-tá-sa-wa/i-tá〉 would reflect the ordering of the signs more accurately, yet it brings with it a new set of challenges regarding morphology and syntax. Moreover, the syntax of the clauses has seen some discussion due to the lack of an overt inflection on STELE and unclear case interpretations for some other words, cf. the discussions in Hawkins 1995a:94f., Rieken 2004b:185, and Michel 2015a:20-23. Following the parsing suggested by Michel 2015a:21,But with assuming 〈wa/i-tá〉 to be enclitic, of course. This is likely a misprint in Michel’s article. EMİRGAZİ 1A, §§11-12 runs: DEUS-ní-za/i STELE kwa/i-i(a)-sa hwa/i-sa-ti-sa i(a)-za/i-tá-sa-wa/i-tá STELE *a-pa-sa hwa/i-sa-ti-sa i(a)-za/i-i(a)-ru, approx. /massani(ya)nz wani(d)=za kwis hwasattis izziyattas=wa=tta wani(d)=za abas hwasattis izziyaru/, perhaps meaning ‘Which sacred stone (is) a stele for the gods, the stele of (i.e. in?) the making shall be made that sacred stone’. Future investigation may result in a reappraisal.

[AH.B.]

The word is a common gender noun derived with the suffix /-att(i)-/ from an unattested stem */hwas(a)-/, cf. Michel 2015a:22. The latter is likely full-grade root cognate with HLuw. /husan-/ ‘life’.

[AH.B.]