*u̯ElHo-
‘thigh’
- Language
- Proto-Anatolian
- Class
- Derivative
- Grammar
- subst
- ID
- 2379
1. Individual Anatolian Languages
1.1 Luwian in Hittite transmission
wall(i)-
‘shank, thigh’1.1.1Transmission
The Luwian lexeme appears in ritual texts and once in the manuscript of a festival for Ištar (from MS onward).
[E.R.]
1.1.2Forms
| acc. sg. | wa-al-li-in | KUB 35.146 ii 19’ | (CTH 767, MS) |
| w[a]-⸢al⸣-li-in | KUB 12.58 i 22’ | (CTH 409, NS) | |
| UZUwa-al-li-n(=) | KBo 19.142 ii 23’ | (CTH 721, NS) | |
| nom. pl. (Hitt.) | wa-al-li-e-eš | KUB 29.1 iv 10 | (CTH 414, NS) |
| wa-al-li-i-e-eš | KBo 4.1 rev. 20 | (CTH 413, NS) | |
| acc. pl. | wa-al-li-in-za | KUB 35.146 ii 8’ | (CTH 767, MS) |
Forms taken from HEG U-Z:233f. and EDHIL:943. – Tischler (HEG U-Z:233) and Yakubovich 2017d interpret wallinza at KUB 35.146 ii 8’ as a nom./acc. sg. n. of a stem in -i(ya)- probably assuming that it modifies preceding ḫaštāi ‘bones’. However, this contradicts the evidence of KUB 35.146 ii 18’f. Here, ḫaštāi and wallin are treated separately.
[E.R.]
1.1.3Graphic Features
Checked against the photographs in the Mainzer Fotoarchiv. – Reading at KUB 12.58 i 22’ according to from HEG U-Z:234 (with reference to Haas 2002b:506f.). For details, see under lemma †
alli-.
[E.R.]
1.1.4Meaning
The equation with Hitt. UZUwalla- c. ‘shank, thigh’ is accepted in DLL:105, HHw:s.v., HEG U-Z:233f., and also considered by Melchert in CLL:252. The remaining doubts may safely be given up now, since not only the determinative UZU confirms the semantics within the group of fleshy body parts, but also the collocation with ḫaštāi ‘bones’ found at KUB 35.146 ii 8’ and KUB 12.58 i 22’. Haas 1997b:506f. (building onStarke 1990a:123) assumes also a metaphoric sense of the two words for the stone and flesh of fruit.
[E.R.]
1.1.5Stem
The forms with i-mutation point to a stem wall(i)-, corresponding regularly with the Hittite a-stem walla-.
[E.R.]
1.1.6Origin
The Luwian origin is guaranteed by the Luwian acc. pl. in -nza. Further confirmation is provided by the i-mutation in forms with Hittite endings and such forms that are ambiguous as to which language they belong to.
[E.R.]
1.2 Hittite
walla-
‘thigh’1.2.1Literature / Comments
HEG U-Z:233f.
2. Reconstruction
2.1Reconstruction ‘thigh’
The comparison of Hitt. walla- and Luw. wall(i)- allows for the reconstruction of a Proto-Anatolian common gender noun *u̯ElHo-. For an etymology with Ved. ūrú- ‘thigh’ and a Proto-Indo-European reconstruction, leading to a PIE pre-form *(H)u̯ElH-(l)o-, see Nikolaev 2021b; cf. HEG W-Z:234, who prefers to attribute the assimilation to an *-ln- sequence.
[D.S.]