/nisa-/, ni-sà-
‘(unknown)’
- Language
- Hieroglyphic Luwian
- Grammar
- subst, n.
- ID
- 3237
1. Individual Anatolian Languages
1.1 Hieroglyphic Luwian
/nisa-/, ni-sà-
‘(unknown)’1.1.1Transmission
This hapax is attested in a single inscription from Tabal, possibly dating to the second half of the 8th century BCE.
[A.P.]
1.1.2Forms
| nom./acc. pl. | /nisa/ | ni-sà-a | AKSARAY, §1 (Tabal) |
[A.P.]
1.1.3Graphic Features
1.1.3.1Phonological interpretation
The phonological interpretation of this word follows the spelling attested at AKSARAY, §1 and is to be regarded as provisional. So far, the word has not been connected to any possible cognates in HLuw. or the other Anatolian languages. The choice of 〈sà〉 after /i/ suggests that the sibilant could be considered a palatalised /ʃ/, although the distribution of the SA signs is no longer reliable at this point in time, see Rieken 2010b:658f.
[AH.B.]
1.1.4Meaning
The word is still lacking a semantic interpretation (see already Hawkins & Morpurgo Davies 1978a:105), despite being identified as the most likely candidate for the direct object in the clause at AKSARAY, §1: [… (DEUS)TONIT]RUS-[h]u-za-sa ni-sà-a ARHA la-tà-ta, approx. /… Tarhunzas nisa ahha laratta/, probably translating as ‘(The storm-god) Tarhunt prospered the nisa-’ (cf. Hawkins 2000a:476).
[AH.B.]
1.1.5Stem
The word is most likely a neuter a-stem noun, cf. Hawkins & Morpurgo Davies 1978a:105. Without any semantic interpretation or an etymological connection, nothing further can be said about its derivational history.
[AH.B.]