kukupalātar

The word is found already in MS manuscripts including the Madduwatta text, a treaty, and an instruction text, but also in a NS instruction text of Tudḫaliya IV.

[E.R.]

Checked against the photographs in the Mainzer Fotoarchiv.

[E.R.]

In contrast to kupiyat(i)- ‘plot, scheme’, the meaning of kukupalātar focuses more on the concept of ‘deceit, breach of an oath’ (HW:115, Carruba 1970f:85, HEG A-K:639); cf. the most informative passage from the end of an instruction text: ⁽⁴⁹⁾na-aš-ma ki-i ku-iš-ki me-ma-i ke-e-da-ni-wa-kán ṭup-pí ⁽⁵⁰⁾ke-e inim^MEŠ ú-ul gar-ri nu-wa-ra-at-mu-kán ⁽⁵¹⁾pa-ra-a tar-na-an e-eš-du nu a-pa-a-aš me-mi-aš ⁽⁵²⁾le-e e-eš-zi ku-it im-ma ku-it ku-ku-pa-la-tar ⁽⁵³⁾gam ni-eš dingir^LIM gar-ru “Or (if) someone says this: ‘On this tablet these words are not to be found, so it shall be permissible for me.’ That utterance shall not be made! Any and every kukupalatar shall be placed under oath!” (KUB 26.1 iv 49-53; see Miller 2013a:306f.).

Similar translations are: ‘conspiracy (?)’ (CLL:105), ‘Betrug, Täuschung, Beleidigung (?)’ (HHw:82 and 84), ‘intrigue, sedition, plot’ (Ünal 2007a:357), ‘advance plotting, malice aforethought, premeditated deceit’ (HED K:256); ‘underhandedly’ for the dat./loc. sg. (Beckman, Bryce & Cline 2011a:90f.); no translation was offered in DLL:56; outdated Sturtevant 1936b:s.v.).

[E.R.]

In spite of the use of gloss wedge marking, which frequently, but not always indicates the scribe’s intuition that a word represents a borrowing from Luwian, the consistent spelling with a single -l- and the suffix -ātar point to an inner-Hittite formation instead: reduplicated *ku-kup- + substantival suffix -āla- (cf. arnu- + -āla- → arnuwāla- ‘deportee’) + -ātar/-ann- (see Carruba 1970f:85 and HED K:256; differently with positing a suffix -alla-, HEG A-K:639; mixed Luwian and Hittite formation assumed in CLL:105; undecided DLL:56; outdated Kronasser 1966a:251).

[E.R.]

A Luwian connection of the word is considered in DLL:56 and, more concretely, by Melchert (CLL:105), who assumes that the suffixes (see under Stem) are attached to a Luwian base. van den Hout 2006a:242 presupposed a Luwian origin without further comment.

[E.R.]

For the lemma head see Luw. kup-.