ñzzi(je)-

This lexeme is found in a grave inscription including a long biography, which can be dated on contextual grounds to the reign of Alexander the Great.

[D.S.]

gen. adj. nom./acc. pl. n.

ñzzijaha

TL 29.8 (Tlos)

Tekoğlu 2006a:1705 reads zztijaha and emends to zz〈a〉tijaha, which is highly unconvincing. The letters ñ, z and t look alike, and his published photo is of too poor quality to be of any use to the scholarly community. Therefore, the reading of Kalinka 1901a:27 is maintained for the moment.

[D.S.]

Melchert (DLL:46) analyzes the initial sequence ñzz- as a reflex of the personal pronoun of the 1^st person plural, as found in Hittite anzaš ‘us’. This is entirely convincing, especially since the phrase features a verb in the 1^st person singular:

ẽmu m͂maja hrmazaxa ñzzijaha (TL 29.8)

´I performed my function of hrm̃maza (one in charge of the temenos) upon the (things) that belong to our houses.´

The genitival adjective in -ehe/i- derived from the substantivized possessive pronoun ñzzi(je)- ‘our’ can be understood in the same way as the English process: our → ours → of ours. No translation is given in Gehrisch 2018a:39.

[D.S.]

The etymological connection between ñzzijaha and Lyc. B ãzi had already been suggested by Meriggi 1937a:514 n. 5 and is here further supported, i.e. ãzi ‘us’ → (with secondary aphaeresis) ñzz-i(je)- ‘our’ or ñzz-ij-ehe/i- ‘of ours’.

[D.S.]

For the derivational base see Lyc. ãzi.