mimma-
‘to regard well, favor’
- Language
- Cuneiform Luwian
- Grammar
- verb
- ID
- 2797
1. Individual Anatolian Languages
1.1 Cuneiform Luwian
mimma-
‘to regard well, favor’1.1.1Transmission
The sole attestation of the verb in Cuneiform Luwian context comes from the song incipit embedded in the Ištanuwa ritual.
[E.R.]
1.1.2Forms
| 3pl. impv. act. | mi-im-ma-an-du | HT 78, 7’ | (CTH 773, MS?) |
1.1.3Graphic Features
Checked against the photographs in the Mainzer Fotoarchiv.
[E.R.]
1.1.4Meaning
The assignment of the meaning goes back to Melchert 1988b:218-220, who used the occurrences of the lexeme in Hittite transmission (see under Lemma, with further references). Most recently, Sasseville 2021a:24 argued plausibly that the present collocation mi-im-ma-an-du-wa-an a-a-ru-na-an-du-[wa-an] “let them mimma- him, let them rear [him]!” (HT 78, 7’ + KUB 25.38 obv. 15’) strongly resembles the ka-ni-iš-⸢ša⸣-[an-za šal-l]a-⸢nu-wa-an-za mi-im-ma⸣-me-iš-ša “acknowle[dged, rea]red and favored” (KUB 6.45 + KUB 30.14 iii 74f.), which provides further support for Melchert 1988b’s semantic interpretation.
[E.R.]
1.1.5Stem
For the stem formation, see under mimma- in Luwian transmission.
[E.R.]
1.2 Luwian in Hittite transmission
mimma-
‘to regard well, favor’1.2.1Transmission
In Hittite transmission, the lexeme is limited to a prayer and a ritual text.
[E.R.]
1.2.2Forms
| part. nom. sg. c. | ⸢mi-im-ma⸣-me-iš-š(=) | KUB 6.45 + KUB 30.14 iii 75 | (CTH 381, NS) |
| me-em-ma-⸢mi⸣-iš-š(=) | KUB 6.46 iv 44 | (CTH 381, NS) | |
| part. acc. pl. c. | me-em-ma-me-uš | KBo 20.82 iii 6’ | (CTH 434, NS) |
For the interpretation me-em-ma-me-uš at KBo 20.82 iii 6’ as a Hitt. common gender acc. pl. form of a Luwian participle, see CHD L-N:268.
[E.R.]
1.2.3Graphic Features
Checked against the photographs in the Mainzer Fotoarchiv.
[E.R.]
1.2.4Meaning
The semantics of the verb were established by Melchert 1988b:218-220, who, building on Starke 1980b, demonstrated that the participle mimmamma/i- means ‘favored, well-regarded’. It occurs in the sequence of “acknowledged, reared and m.-ed” in king Muwattalli’s acknowledgment of the Storm-god’s benevolence towards himself: nu ḫa-an-da-an ú-uk ki-iš-ša-an me-ma-al-lu iš-tu D10 pí-ḫa-aš-ša-aš-ši-wa-za ka-ni-iš-⸢ša⸣-[an-za šal-l]a-⸢nu-wa-an-za mi-im-ma⸣-me-iš-ša “I truly must say this: ‘I have been acknowle[dged, rea]red and favored by the Storm-god of Lightning.’” (KUB 6.45 + KUB 30.14 iii 73-75; Rieken et al. 2016–2017b). The interpretation was accepted in CLL:147, HED M:160, Dempsey 2015a:298f., Steer 2015b:221f., and further confirmed by Sasseville 2021a:24; skeptical Lehrman 1998a:159; without translation CHD L-N:268, Ünal 2007a:444.Outdated Eichner 1975b:165 ‘gediehen’, HEG L-N:212 ‘gefördert’, HHw:106 ‘beachtet’.
[E.R.]
1.2.5Stem
Melchert’s (Melchert 1988b:218-220) derivation of mimma- from the root *men- also seen in CLuw. manā-(di) and mammanna-(i) superseded Eichner’s (Eichner 1975b:165) earlier account as the reduplicated root known from Hitt. māi-/mi(ya)-(ḫi) ‘to prosper’ (still followed by Starke 1990a:492, HEG L-N:212, HHw:106). However, the attested forms do not permit an identification of the synchronic stem class (in spite of Starke 1990a:492 “mimma-i”).
[E.R.]
1.2.6Origin
The participial suffix and the i-mutated ending as well as its occurrence in Luwian context (see under Lemma) reveal the Luwian origin of the lexeme (cf. Melchert 1984a:169 and Melchert 1988b:218-220, Starke 1990a:492, CLL:147, CHD L-N:268, HED M:160, HEG L-N:212, HHw:106, Ünal 2007a:444, Dempsey 2015a:257, Sasseville 2021a:24).
[E.R.]
For the lemma head see CLuw. manā-(di).