MAGNUS.INFANS
‘heir apparent (?)’
- Language
- Hieroglyphic Luwian
- Grammar
- subst
- ID
- 3275
1. Individual Anatolian Languages
1.1 Hieroglyphic Luwian
MAGNUS.INFANS
‘heir apparent (?)’1.1.1Transmission
This hapax is attested in a single inscription from Karkamiš, dating to the 13th-11th or 10th-9th century BCE.
[A.P.]
1.1.2Forms
| nom. sg. | /…/ | MAGNUS.INFANS | KARKAMIŠ A30h, §4 (Karkamiš) |
The shape of the sign INFANS (sign *45) is noteworthy insofar as its regular composition of a version of the sign MANUS (*59) with the sign VIR2 (*386) placed above and below is missing the upper VIR2; this is likely due to the presence of the volute-shaped MAGNUS (*363), the similarly composed sign REX.INFANS (*46) shows the same replacement only with REX.
[A.P.] [AH.B.]
1.1.3Graphic Features
1.1.3.1Phonological Interpretation
For a lack of syllabic renditions, the phonological interpretation of this word remains unclear, but a possibility may be /nimuwizzura-/ vel sim. The logograms MAGNUS (*363) and INFANS otherwise usually represent HLuw. /ura(/i)-/ ‘great’ and HLuw. /nimuwizza-/ ‘child’ respectively; the sign MAGNUS is consistently placed above other signs it belongs with, and its relative placement therefore does not necessarily have any bearing on the order of the words; cf. the discussions below.
[AH.B.]
1.1.4Meaning
The word occurs once in a dedicatory inscription, in which the relevant clause appears on the side of the stele instead of the front like the main text. The clause consists only of a personal name followed by two titles, and Meriggi 1975a:328 (followed by Hawkins 1981a:160f.) regards the latter as the HLuw. equivalent to Hittite GAL DUMUMEŠ É.GALLIM ‘Great of the sons of the palace’. KARKAMIŠ A30h, §4 reads: X(-)DARE.TONITRUS MAGNUS DOMUS+DOMINUS MAGNUS.INFANS, likely translating as ‘Piyattarhunza, Chief house-master, Chief child (i.e. heir apparent?)’ (cf. Hawkins 2000a:177f.).
[AH.B.]
1.1.5Stem
Since the word can be assumed to refer to an animate entity, it can be hypothesised to be a common gender. If it should represent a compound of the type MAGNUS.REX, i.e. /hantawattura-/ ‘Great King’, and others, it would likely have the shape /nimuwizzura(/i)-/, cf. Yakubovich 2017a:41f.
[AH.B.]