tesẽni

This lexeme is found 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.]

3sg. pres. ind. med. (?)

tesẽni

TL 44d.35 (Xanthos)

Although tesẽni could be taken as a noun in -ẽne/i- (or an n-stem), it is the only candidate in the sentence for a predicate and therefore taken as a medio-passive verbal form (thus DLL:130, contra Shevoroshkin 2014a:256). Schürr 2018b:80 likewise assumes a verbal form, though in the 2sg. impv., which is formally possible for a verb in -i-^(ti).

[D.S.]

Concerning the semantics of tesẽni, Melchert (DLL:130) suggests tentatively a connection with Lyc. ta-^(di) ‘to put, lay down’ and the iterative form tas-^(ti). This is possible, but difficult to prove due to the semantic obscurity of the word qñza, which is either the subject or the direct object of the verb. A connection with Lyc. tese- n. ‘oath’ is equally attractive (as suggested in Korolev & Shevoroshkin 1969a:524), but unfortunately unprovable. It is noteworthy that the clause with tesẽni is followed by a beneficial formula for the Lycian king (see Sasseville 2018a:310). Therefore, something favorable for the king could be expected from the previous clause with tesẽni, which is also accompanied by the enclitic pronoun =tu ‘for you’. No proper suggestions have been made concerning the semantics of tesẽni either in Gehrisch 2018a:91 or Schürr 2018b:80.

[D.S.]

The stem formation is not clear due to the lack of other paradigmatic forms. A root verb is possible as well as an iterative verb in -s-^(ti), which was tentatively suggested by Melchert (DLL:130).

[D.S.]

For the potential lemma head see Lyc. tese-.