uriyann(i)-

The lexeme occurs only in the context of oracle texts (letter and report). Its first attestation goes back to the MH period.

[E.R.]

nom. sg.	u-ri-an-ni-ešMUŠEN	KBo 15.28 obv. 4	(CTH 195, MS)
	[u-ri-an]-ni-ešMUŠEN	KBo 15.28 obv. 9	(CTH 195, MS)
	u-ri-ia-an-ni-iš	KUB 18.3, 11’	(CTH 579, NS)

The assignment of ]x-ia-an-ni-iš at KUB 18.1, 4’ and 7’ to the present lemma remains unclear, contra HEG U:95.

[E.R.]

Checked against the photographs in the Mainzer Fotoarchiv.

[E.R.]

There is no reason to doubt that uriyann(i)-^MUŠEN is a synonymous variant of the much more frequently attested designation of an oracle bird urayann(i)-^MUŠEN (HEG:95). Confirmation comes from the fact that also the term for a high official in Hittite administration, i.e. ^LÚuriyanni-/^LÚurayanni-, shows the same alternation, although with the opposite ratio. Obviously, the name of the functionary represents the eponym for the bird’s name (thus also DCL:s.v.), a phenomenon frequently observed in animals’ names; cf. German Zaunkönig (a bird), Füsilier (a fish), Zwergkaiser (a fish).

[E.R.]

For the derivational chain, see under ^LÚuriyann(i)-.

[E.R.]

For the Luwian origin of uriyann(i)-^(MUŠEN), see under ^LÚuriyann(i)-.

[E.R.]

For the lemma head see CLuw. ura/i-.