ušāi-

This word is attested with gloss marker in a letter of a Hittite king to the king of Aḫḫiyawa (“Tawagalawa-letter”).

[A.B.]

1sg. prt. ind. act.

˹ú˺-ša-a-i-ḫa

KUB 14.3 rev. iii 60

(CTH 181, NS)

The attestation follows Laroche 1959a:102f., CLL:245, HEG U–Z:106f., Starke 1990a:377 (cf. Rosenkranz 1950a:197, Güterbock 1956a:126), Ünal 2007a:767 and Ünal 2016a:569. The transliteration has been checked against the photo of the Mainzer Fotoarchiv.

The Glossenkeilwort has previously been listed together with the forms of CLuw. uša- for which cf. under the respective lemma. This is now doubted by Melchert (pers. comm.) and indeed neither the precise meaning of this word is known nor do the contexts (cf. under Meaning) of the attested forms support the conflation of both words (setting aside the difference in the phonological forms ending in -āi- vs. -a-). The uncertain circumstances require a separation of both words, at least for now.

For the form ú-ša-i-aš-kán in KUB 22.28 rev. 11 (considered by Laroche 1959a:103 and Güterbock 1956a:126 to belong here), cf. HEG U–Z:107 and under the lemma ušaya/i-.

[A.B.]

Two different meanings have been suggested for this word: ‘to deny, defend’ (or sim.) or ‘to forgive’ (or sim.). The first one goes back to Forrer 1929a:117, 179 ‘verwehren’, followed by many scholars, cf. the summary in HEG U–Z:106, who cautiously suggests “etwa ‘(jemanden) von etwas abhalten’”, cf. Tischler 2008a:188 and Tischler 2016a, similarly Ünal 2007a:767 ‘prevent, delay’ (with question mark, cf. Ünal 2016a:569, cf. the translation of Hoffner 2009a:310 for the meaning ‘prevent’). Götze & Sturtevant 1938a:75 considered a connection between the Glossenkeilwort for which they assumed the meaning ‘to hinder, prevent’ and a verb *ušai- with the meaning ‘impregnate’ or ‘press hither’ for which they suggested a stem formation consisting of the preverb u- ‘hither’ and a verb šai- ‘to press down, to crush’, presumably as cognate to Hitt. šāi-, šiye- ‘to impress, seal’ (and many other meanings) cf. CHD Š:15–21.

Differently, Starke 1990a:377 suggests: “zugute halten/nachsehen”, cf. below (Laroche 1959a:102f., CLL:245 do not indicate a meaning).

The context of KUB 14.3 rev. iii 59’–61’ shows the following (the transliteration is based on the photo of the Mainzer Fotoarchiv, additionally the recent hand copy of Rieken 2020a as well as the transliterations, restorations and translations of Heinhold-Krahmer et al. 2020a:32,34 (the latest comprehensive edition, taking into account earlier editions); Heinhold-Krahmer et al. 2020b:263; Hoffner 2009a:310; Starke 1990a:377 with n. 1361 and HEG U–Z:106f. have been taken account of):

^(59’)˹a˺-pa-a-aš-ma kur-ti-ia wa-˹al-aḫ-ḫi˺-ìš-ke-ez-˹zi˺ ^(60’)[m]a-a-an-ma-ši-ia-at-kán ˹ú˺-ša-a-i-ḫa ^(61’)na-aš egir-pa ina kur-ka ú-˹ez˺-zi

‘^(59’)However, this one keeps striking my land. ^{(60’­–61’)}But if I ušāi- it (to) him on the spot, he will return to your land.’

The sender of the letter complains about the circumstance that the enemy, who keeps striking his land, is supported by the addressee of the letter who accomodates the family of his enemy.

The verb ušāi- seems to be a reaction to the aggression and the enemy thereupon returns to the land of the addressee, where he is apparently allowed to recover and strike again later.

Starke 1990a:377 translates “ich habe (es ihm) zugute gehalten/nachgesehen”. His proposal is based on the assumption that ušāi- forms a suppletive stem with an unattested denominative verb *ušyi- (only in theory attested as a derivative ušnuwa-), based on Luwian wašu(i)- ‘good’. This does not fit in the context here and also HEG U–Z:107 doubts this proposal based on the lack of evidence and the uncertainty in the meaning of this word. The other meanings ‘to deny, defend’ or ‘to hinder, prevent’ could describe the military reaction against the enemy who strikes the land. But the exact meaning of the verb remains unclear.

As noted under Forms, the Glossenkeilwort has previously been considered to belong together with CLuw. uša-. The meaning of this word is probably something like ‘to lead (here)’ (cf. under the respective lemma), which does not actually fit in the context. There is also a HLuwian word u-si-ti-sa (cf. under the respective lemma) with a meaning ‘to supply’ (?) or the provision of something, which does not fit either (except maybe some kind of figurative meaning which escapes our knowledge). Note that there are also phonological differences in the vowels of the Glossenkeilwort (attested with -āi-), the CLuwian word (attested with -a-) and the HLuwian word (attested with -i-).

Hence, a connection to one of these words cannot be proven at the moment and based on the context, the meaning of ušāi- cannot be further determined other than it is some kind of military reaction to continuous attacks.

[A.B.]

The word is generally assumed to be Luwian because of its Luwian inflection (already Forrer 1929a:117, 179, cf. Güterbock 1956a:126, Laroche 1959a:102f. and CLL:245 and the lists of Luwianisms of Melchert 2005a:451 and van den Hout 2006a:245). Since it appears in Hittite context, the Glossenkeilwort ušāi- is a Luwian foreign word in Hittite (cf. HEG U–Z:113, Tischler 2016a:402). As noted under Meaning, a connection to similar Luwian words remains uncertain.

[A.B.]