mle-
‘ritual, ritualistic offering (?)’
- Language
- Lycian B
- Grammar
- subst, c.
- ID
- 2290
1. Individual Anatolian Languages
1.1 Lycian B
mle-
‘ritual, ritualistic offering (?)’1.1.1Transmission
This lexeme 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.]
1.1.2Forms
| acc. sg. | mlẽ | TL 44d.3(x2) (Xanthos) | |
| acc. pl. | mlez | TL 44d.39 (Xanthos) |
These forms must belong to a lexeme different from mla- c. (thus DLL:121, contra Meriggi 1978c:264 and Neumann 2007a:219), since they reflect a different stem formation; see under Stem.
[D.S.]
1.1.3Meaning
Melchert (DLL:121) claims that there is no meaning discernable between mle- c. and mla- c. ‘votive offering’, which is entirely possible, but not cogent (Shevoroshkin 2014a:229 “offering, meal”, contra Shevoroshkin 2002a:229 “temple, precinct”). In TL 44d.3, the mle- refers to something that is religiously offered to bolster agricultural gains, which is why the meaning ‘ritual (?)’ or ‘ritualistic offering (?)’ would be adequate (Shevoroshkin 2002a:51). Nonetheless, it remains tentative until further evidence is found.
[D.S.]
1.1.4Stem
The common gender stems in -e- c. are explained by Sasseville 2021a:206-208, 213f. as derivatives from a-stems via the addition of an i-suffix, i.e. mla- c. → mle- c., comparable to Luwian and Palaic -aḫi- c.
[D.S.]
For the derivational base, see Lyc. mla-.