tesast(i)-
‘right’
- Language
- Lydian
- Grammar
- adj
- ID
- 2735
1. Individual Anatolian Languages
1.1 Lydian
tesast(i)-
‘right’1.1.1Transmission
This word is found in a grave inscription from the Necropolis that cannot be dated accurately.
[D.S.]
1.1.2Forms
| nom./acc. sg. n. | tesastid | LW 5.2 (Sardis) |
The neuter plural or collective mλola agrees with a neuter adjective in -id, whose ending does not seem to distinguish between singular and plural; cf. Gusmani 1964a:44f., Sasseville 2017a:132, 141.
[D.S.]
1.1.3Meaning
On contextual grounds, Meriggi 1935a:111 n. 102 suggests for tesastid and srfastid, two adjectives standing in opposition to each other, the meanings ‘left’ and ‘right’.Zgusta 1955a:527-520 rightly discards the outdated interpretation of tesastid as a personal name, but does not suggests any alternative translation. This is partially accepted by Haas 1962a:178. who agrees that ‘right’ and ‘left’ would make good sense, but adds that ‘below’ and ‘above’ would equally fit the context, comparing Lyd. srfasti- to Lyc. hrppi ‘on top of’ (rejected by Gusmani 1985a:129). Meriggi 1935a’s interpretation is also followed by Gusmani 1964a:212 (likewise Gusmani 1985a), who however points out that tesastid should mean ‘right’ rather than ‘left’, especially considering the etymology with Lat. dexter ‘right’ (followed by Melchert 1999e:366, doubted by Neumann 1965a:274, hesitant Gérard 2005a:130); see below.
[D.S.]
1.1.4Stem
On the stem formation in -ast(i)-, see Melchert 1999e:366, Rieken 1999a:223, Sasseville 2017a:141.
[D.S.]
2. Reconstruction
2.1Reconstruction
Within the Anatolian branch, the word tesast(i)- ‘right’, compared by Gusmani 1964a:212 to Lat. dexter, could be linked to Lyc. tese- n. ‘oath’ and Hittite takš-(mi) ‘to unite, reconcile’ (for the broad range of meanings, see HEG T:40). This would imply that the root had acquired positive semantics for it to develop to the meaning ‘right’. The reduction of the sequence *-ks- to Lyd. -s- is made awkward by the personal name Akša-, unless that goes back to a sequence *-ḫš- instead; cf. CLuw. āḫša-. If correct, the Lydian word tesast(i)- can be reconstructed as *Téks-os-to- or -ti-.
[D.S.]
3. Proto-Indo-European
3.1Semantic Reconstruction
Since there is no direct cognate of Lyd. tesast(i)- ‘right’, no reconstruction is provided.
3.1.1Root etymology
The PIE adverb *dék̑s ‘right’ can be reconstructed on the basis of various derivatives. However, its further etymology is debated (cf. LIPP II:137f.). It seems most promising to connect it with the root PIE *dek̑- ‘to accept, perceive’ (LIV²:109–112). If this root connection is correct, the local meaning of PIE *dék̑s, ‘on the right’ is secondary compared to the basic modal or moral meaning ‘what is acceptable, pleasing, proper, right’, cf. Stüber 2002a:77 and for a discussion of previous proposals LIPP II:137f. The underlying formation then is an s‑stem nomen rei actae identical to Lat. decus ‘ornament, grace’, etc. (Stüber 2002a:77).
3.2Morphological Reconstruction
Since there is no direct cognate of Lyd. tesast(i)- ‘right’, no reconstruction is provided.
3.2.1Root etymology
The basic morpheme *dek̑s- ‘right’ may very well go back to the s‑stem noun PIE *dék̑‑os- ‘what is acceptable, pleasing, proper, right’ (cf. Lat. decus ‘ornament, grace’) which is derived from the verbal root PIE *dek̑- ‘to accept’ (LIV²:109–112). According to LIPP II:138, it is, however, not necessary to propose a nominal origin insofar as *deks can equally well be explained as a “Wurzeladverb” *dek̑‑s.On the modal adverbial ending *‑s (and *‑is), cf. LIPP I:167–173, esp. p. 170 on deradical adverbs.Due to the lack of independent and direct evidence for the proposed adverb *dek̑s ‘acceptable, right’, the former solution morphologically – double zero grade of the derivational base with prop vowel (*dek̑s- > *dek̑s‑) or secondary full grade (e.g., *dék̑s‑osto‑/ti‑, cf. above) – is more attractive.
[A.O.]
4. Transmission
Ved. dákṣa- ‘able, fit’
Ved. dákṣiṇa- (RV+), YAv. dašina- ‘on the right, southern’
EWAia I:689f., 690f., KEWA II:10f., Grassmann 1996a:570f., 571f., Bartholomae 1904a:703f.On the connection of Ved. dakṣ- ‘to be able’ and the PIE word for ‘right’, cf. LIV²:112 n. 1 (contra LIV¹:96 n. 1).
Lat. dexter ‘on the right’, Umbr. acc. sg. f. destram=e, etc., Osc. destrst ‘on the right’, Umbr. acc. sg. f. desua etc. ‘on the right’
WH I:331, EM:171, EDLIL:168, Untermann 2000a:169f., 170f.
Goth. taihswa ‘on the right’, OHG zeso, zesawer ‘id.’
EDPG:512
Alb. *djathë, djathtë ‘on the right’
Neri in DPEWA s.v. *djathë (i), djathtë (i) (2022-06-12)