lūlu(t)-

This lemma is attested in various text genres, such as historical (CTH 42, 67, 76, 81) and administrative texts (CTH 427) as well as rituals (CTH 78) and omen/oracle texts (CTH 535, 575). The oldest attestation comes from the ritual of Šalašu.

[D.S.]

nom./acc. sg.	lu-ú-lu	KBo 5.3 ii 13	(CTH 42, NS)
		KBo 5.4 l.e. 4	(CTH 67, NS)
		KUB 21.5 iv 49	(CTH 76, NS)
		KBo 19.145 ii 20	(CTH 788, MS)
		KUB 43.2 iii 8’	(CTH 535, NS)
	lu-ú-lu	KUB 1.1 i 20	(CTH 81, NS)
		KUB 1.2 i 18	(CTH 81, NS)
		KBo 3.6 i 17	(CTH 81, NS)
	lu-lu-ú	KUB 21.4 iv 16	(CTH 76, LNS)
	lu-lu-u˚	KBo 6.34 iv 10	(CTH 427, NS)
dat./loc. sg.	lu-lu-u-ti	KBo 53.107 ii 11’	(CTH 575, LNS)
	˹lu-lu-u˺[-ti]	KBo 53.107 i 13	(CTH 575, LNS)
	lu-lu-ti	IBoT 1.33, 5, 27, 49, 92, 103, 105	(CTH 575, LNS)
	[]lu-lu-ti	IBoT 1.33, 94	(CTH 575, LNS)
	lu-lu-ti	KUB 18.6 iv 1	(CTH 575, LNS)
		KBo 58.86 ii 5	(CTH 575, LNS)
	˹lu-lu˺-[ti]	KUB 18.6 ii 7’	(CTH 575, LNS)
	[lu-]lu-ti	KBo 58.86 ii 8	(CTH 575, LNS)

Contra Berman 1972b:466 and HED L:115, the attestation [ … ]lu-lu at KBo 17.61 iv 4’ is not an additional attestation, but rather a misreading for [DUMU.L]Ú.U₁₉.LU (see Fuscagni 2013c).

[D.S.]

Checked against the photographs in the Konkordanz (Mainzer Fotoarchiv).

[D.S.]

The word lūlu(t)- denotes a favorable condition. It is often used with the verb au(š)-^(ḫi) ‘to see, look’ in the sense of ‘to be sustained’ (CHD L-N:84). It is left untranslated by Laroche 1958e in his edition of the oracle IBoT 1.33, although he accepts on page 162 that the word in general means ‘prosperity (?)’ (likewise Weitenberg 1984a:167f., CLL:129, Rieken 2006a:288 “growth, prosperity”, Wilhelm 2013b). Otten 1981a:5 translates it instead with ‘welfare’ (likewise HEG L-M:75). Puhvel (HED L:113f.) sees rather a meaning ‘security’, which is an overinterpretation and not supported by independent evidence.

The denominative verb luluwā(i)-^(mi) ‘to sustain, survive’ (CHD L-N:82f.), a late Hittite creation (contra Melchert 2005a:449, otherwise the dental would have been preserved in a Luwian derivative) based on the strong stem of the noun (after loss of word-final /-d/), sheds light on the semantics of lūlu(t)-, which consequently refers to the state of being alive and healthy. Thus, all the meanings ‘growth, prosperity, welfare’ are suitable for lūlu(t)-.

For the interpretation as a kind of place or hole, into which the snake crawls in the snake oracle text, see HEG L-M:75, CHD L:84, Lefèvre-Novaro & Mouton 2008a:33-36, Soysal 2009a:301.

[D.S.]

As per Rieken 2006a:288, lūlu(t)- is best analyzed as a reduplicated root noun from a root lud- (see under Reconstruction). The word-final dental is lost regularly in the nom./acc. sg. (contra Starke 1982b:363 “lulut(t)i-”). To be rejected is the assumption by Starke 1979a:255 that the recoverable verb *luli(ya)- in lulimma/i- and luliyašḫa- is a derivative of lūlu- with deletion of the stem vowel u, which is morphologically unexpected (likewise rejected by Weitenberg 1984a:168).

[D.S.]

1. ^Dlulutašši- (Laroche 1958e:162 n. 8, Starke 1982b:363, CLL:129, HED L:116)

A Luwian origin has always been assumed based on the Glossenkeil (Starke 1979a:255, HEG L-M:75, CLL:129, Melchert 2005a:450, Rieken 2006a:288, van den Hout 2006a:239). However, the appearance of the root verb in Palaic context (Pal. lulummi) might point towards a Palaic origin instead, although one cannot exclude that both Luwian and Palaic had the root in question, a hypothesis made likely by the divine name ^Dlulutašši- with the Luwian genitival adjective in -ašša/i-. Therefore, we will leave the origin of the Glossenkeil word as Luwian.

[D.S.]