sapali-^(ti)

This lexeme is found in various grave inscriptions as well as on 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. pret. ind. act.

sapalit(e)

TL 44d.9 (Xanthos)

The grammatical analysis given here follows DLL:128 and Schürr 2018b:79. Differently, Shevoroshkin 2011b:148 segments sapali=te epn͂, regarding sapali as a noun instead. Again differently Gehrisch 2018a:90, who divides the same sequence into sa=palite (e)pn͂, seeing at the beginning the conjunction se (with vowel harmony), which is very unlikely due to the rarity of this conjunction in Lycian B. Nonetheless, the decision depends on the understanding of the whole syntax of the passage, which is not obvious; cf. under Meaning.

[D.S.]

The verb sapalit(e) is followed by the adverb epn͂ ‘back’, which occurs after the verb instead of before, as it is more common. If sapali- is a verb, the direct object could be qñnãtba : xuzrñta xerigasa : tu[k]adrala : palaraima ‘the twelve(?) statuary portrayed(?) xuzrñta of Gergis’ (see palaraime/i-). The word sap- recalls šappa- ‘to peel, scrape (off)’, a Luwian word in Hittite transmission (see under lemma). However, more work on the context is needed, in order to shed more light on what is really meant in this context.

[D.S.]

If the word is correctly analyzed, it would be a denominative verb in -i-^(ti), derived from a nominal base *sapal-, an unclear formation. An agent noun in -ala- is not likely, since the suffix -i-^(ti) derives mainly mutated or consonant stems (see Sasseville 2021a:162).

[D.S.]