*(h2)u̯orsó-
‘rain (vel sim.)’
- Language
- Proto-Anatolian
- Grammar
- subst
- ID
- 2754
1. Individual Anatolian Languages
1.1 Palaic
warša-
‘rain, downpour’1.1.1Transmission
This word is found in a mythological passage.
[D.S.]
1.1.2Forms
| dat./loc. sg. | wa-ar-ši | KUB 48.69 iv 1 | (CTH 754, NS) |
1.1.3Graphic Features
Checked against the photograph in the Konkordanz (Mainzer Fotoarchiv).
[D.S.]
1.1.4Meaning
The word warši refers to something in which something else should prosper. An etymological comparison with Hitt. warša- ‘a heavy fall of rain, downpour’ yields a plausible sense for the context.
[D.S.]
1.1.5Stem
A common gender a-stem is assigned based solely on the Hittite cognate.
[D.S.]
1.2 Hittite
warša-
‘a heavy fall of rain, downpour’1.2.1Literature / Comments
HEG W-Z:356-359
2. Reconstruction
2.1Reconstruction ‘rain (vel sim.)’
The reconstruction of the Hittite word using Saussure’s Law and the Indo-European comparanda finds consensus (Eichner 1973a:54, Oettinger 1986a:19, Melchert 1994a:49, 163, Kimball 1999a:351, 380, HEG W-Z:357-359) and the Palaic evidence can now be added. A stem in *-eh2- has also been considered, which remains uncertain, since the stems in *-eh2- have not been properly delimited from the o-stems in either language, but the o-grade of the root is necessary to account for the loss of the laryngeal before the glide. Pace EDHIL:972, the retention of the sequence -rs- between vowels can be accounted for by assuming that the accent was on the suffix; cf. Hitt. ārra- ‘ass’ < *h1órs-o- (cf. the similar situation with pre-tonic *´-rḫ- > ´-rr- vs. post-tonic -rḫ-´). For a possible cognate in Ištanuwa Luwian, see CLuw. wašša.
For the rest of the Indo-European material, see NIL:356f.
[D.S.]