malḫaššallaḫit-

This lexeme is found in a liver oracle (CTH 570), a mythological fragment (CTH 457).

[D.S.]

dat./loc. sg.	ma-al-ḫa-aš-šal-la-ḫi-ti	KUB 5.6 ii 44’	(CTH 570, NS)
	ma-al-ḫa-šal-la-ḫi-ti	KUB 5.6 ii 67’	(CTH 570, NS)

The word ma-al-ḫa-[ (KUB 43.60 iii 18’) is listed in CHD L-N:128 as a possible additional attestation, although it may belong to another derivative of CLuw. *malḫa-.

[D.S.]

The meaning is obtained via the etymological connection with CLuw. malḫašša- and by the abstract suffix -aḫit-, which yields a coherent sense within the oracle context with the malḫaššallaḫit- as the potential cause for a problem; Laroche 1959a:66 “à l’aide de la magie”, Archi 1979b:89 “per mezzo di magia”, CLL:132 “practice of ritual magic”, Melchert 2005a:452 “performance of a ritual”, CHD L-N:128 “performance of a sacrifice or ritual” (similarly Beckman, Bryce & Cline 2011a:193), HED M:29 “ritual-relatedness”, Ünal 2005a:75f. “malḫaššallaḫit-Opfer”. Differently, Starke 1990a:172 suggests that it refers to the person performing a ritual, which means that it would have been built from a substantivization of malḫaššalla/i-, i.e. “unter der Amtsführung eines Magiers”. Though morphologically possible, this does not conform to the general understanding of the context.

[D.S.]

The lexeme malḫaššallaḫit- is an abstract formation in -aḫit- derived form the adjective malḫaššalla/i-.

[D.S.]

The posited Luwian origin is based on the etymological connection with CLuw. malḫašša- and the suffixes -alla/i- and -aḫit- (Otten 1953a:67, Laroche 1959a:66, Starke 1990a:172, HEG L-M:105f., HED M:29, CLL:132, Melchert 2005a:452, van den Hout 2006a:245).

[D.S.]

For the lemma head see CLuw. *malḫa-.