ušantaraḫi(t)-

This word is only attested in NS and LNS manuscripts of the same mythological text about the creation of mankind, mentioning the gul-š-deity (for this deity cf. Waal 2019a).

[A.B.]

nom./acc. sg.	ú-ša-an-⸢ta⸣-ra-ḫi-ša	KBo 13.104+ obv. i 10’/8’	(CTH 434, NS)
	]ša-an-[ta-ra-]ḫi-ša	Bo 3617 obv. ii 13’	(CTH 434, NS)
	-š]a	Bo 3078++ obv. ii? 13’	(CTH 434, LNS)

The attestations follow CLL:246, Starke 1990a:165 (not in Laroche 1959a), HEG U–Z:112, cf. van den Hout 2006a:248. The transliterations have been checked against the photos of the Mainzer Fotoarchiv.

The instance at Bo 3078++ obv. ii 13’ is very uncertain and has gone without mention in dictionaries, but the duplicates support this restoration, cf. under Meaning.

For the use of the Luwian suffix -ša/-za with stems in -aḫi(t)-, cf. Jasanoff 2010a:170f.

[A.B.]

Starke 1990a:165 assumes a meaning “Ergiebigkeit, Wohlstand”, cf. CLL:246 ‘prosperity, well-being’, cf. similarly HEG U–Z:112 “Fortpflanzungskraft, Ertrag, Erfolg, Wohlstand” (cf. Tischler 2008a:211, Tischler 2016a:403).

The assumed meaning is only partially based on the ritual context, in which ušantaraḫi(t)- appears in a sequence of terms of well-being. Bo 3617+ and its duplicates show the following (the transliterations are based on the photos of the Mainzer Fotoarchiv, and also the hand copies as well as the transliterations, restorations and translations of García Trabazo & Groddek 2005a:273, Fuscagni 2016a, Otten & Siegelová 1970a:34, Starke 1990a:165 with n. 541 and HEG U–Z:112f. have been taken into account):

Bo 3617+ obv. i 9’/7’–10’/8’

(9’/7’)zi-ik-ma-za íd-aš pár-ku-nu-mar dumu-an-na-aš ḫu-u-i-du-mar (10’/8’)u-ša-an-⸢ta⸣-ra-ḫi-ša ta-at-ta

(9’/7’–10’/8’)But you, the river, took purification, vitality of descendants (and) ušantaraḫi(t)-

Cf. the more fragmentary duplicates KBo 13.104+ obv. i 13’–14’

(13’)[z]i-i[k- …] íd-aš pár-ku-nu-mar (eras.) dumu-la-an-⸢na-aš ḫu-i⸣[- …] (14’)[(u-)]ša-an-⸢ta-ra⸣-ḫi-ša da-at-ta

and Bo 3078++ obv. ii^? 12’–13’

(12’)[… p]ár-ku-nu-mar dumu-an-na-aš ḫu-u-i-du-mar (13’)[… -š]a ta-at-ta

Starke 1990a:165 (cf. HEG U–Z:112) suggests that ušantaraḫi(t)- is derived from a denominal verb ušantara(i)- “Ertrag bringen” (or sim.)  which is morphologically problematic, since the base should be a noun or adjective (cf. under Origin). However, for the above mentioned verb Starke 1990a assumes a base noun *ušantar-, cf. Starke 1990a:165, 349, 374, 376 which could formally be the base of ušantaraḫi(t)-, but this derivation is not very likely (cf. under Origin).

Otten & Siegelová 1970a:33 assume that the adjective ušantari- ‘fertile’ (a positive attribute of sacrificial animals and a deity, cf. under the respective lemma) is the base for the abstract noun. Although a direct derivation is problematic, a connection to this adjective is still likely, cf. under Origin for the details. Based on the context of ušantaraḫi(t)- and the semantics of the base word, the meaning is probably something like ‘fertility, prosperity’ (or sim.).

[A.B.]

The Luwian origin of this word is clear because of its Luwian morphology (cf. CLL:246; Starke 1990a:165, 376; HEG U–Z:112; Tischler 2008a:211 and Tischler 2016a:403; also included in the list of Luwianisms by van den Hout 2006a:248, though not in that by Melchert 2005a).

It is attested with Luwian inflection, for the Luwian suffix -ša/-za cf. Melchert 2003b:186f. with references and particularly with stems in -aḫi(t)- cf. Jasanoff 2010a:170f. Moreover, the suffix -aḫi(t)- is productive in Luwian forming abstract nouns from other nouns and adjectives (cf. Melchert 2003b:198), which is why the proposal by Starke 1990a:165, 376 mentioned under Meaning does not fit.

The base of this abstract noun could either be a noun or an adjective *ušantar-. The noun *ušantar- (assumed byStarke 1990a:165, 374, 376) could formally include the Luwian suffix -tar- (forming neuter nouns, cf. Melchert 2003b:196), but this suffix is only rarely attested. Otten & Siegelová 1970a:33 suggested that the adjective ušantari- could be the base of ušantaraḫi(t)-, but this is only possible if ušantari- represents a Hittitizied form of a Luwian adjective *ušantar(i)-, which could be a rhotacised form of ušandal(i)- (cf. under the lemma ušantari- for details).

[A.B.]