ol-^(t)

The shape of the lexeme is based on various attested verbal forms, whose appurtenance to one another is not certain, and thus, it should be considered very tentative. Nonetheless, there is one attestation found in a decree datable to the reign of Artaxerxes III. (358-338 BCE) and even more precisely to the Satrapy of Rasakas (LW 115) that appears more reliable than the rest; see under Forms. The grave inscription LW 3 can be dated to the third year of the reign of Alexander the Great (i.e. 330-329 BCE), whereas LW 14 is a metrical inscription that has not been dated accurately.

[D.S.]

3sg. pres. act.	ẽtolt	LW 14.5 (Sardis)
3sg. pret. act.	fadol	LW 3.2 (Sardis)
	oḷl	LW/N 115.4 (Koloe)

These lexemes are generally treated separately, cf. Gusmani 1964a:109 and 116 and Gusmani & Akkan 2004a:148. However, by assuming a root ol- (thus Sasseville 2021a:284), we may bring all three attestations into a single lexeme instead (i.e. fadol for *fa-d(a)-ol-l). For the analysis of ẽtolt as ẽt-ol-t, see Gusmani 1964a:109 against the previous literature. For oll, an infinitive interpretation would be formally possible, but syntactically less likely.

[D.S.]

The word fadol has been translated as ‘to erect’ based on the context, in which it takes as direct object the rock-carved grave and the stele (both as nominativus pendens). This view is tentatively adopted by Gusmani 1964a:116 (and Gusmani 1960a:278 n. 13, Dusinberre 2003a:235) and he hypothesizes to assign the root of fa-do-l to the same root as cuwe- (followed by Melchert 1994a:338). A different analysis is found in Yakubovich 2005b:76, who analyzes the word as fa-d-o-l, seeing a form of the verb ow- instead, which is formally possible. Sasseville 2021a:284 instead regards the root as ol-, which is supported by the occurrence of ẽt-ol-t and ol-l. However, no meaning is suggested there and nor is one given here until more evidence surfaces.

Regarding ẽtolt, the obscure context hinders any reliable semantic interpretation. In the more recently found inscription LW/N 115, Gusmani & Akkan 2004a:146 suggests for oll the meaning ‘(Germ.) würdigen, bekanntgeben’, thinking of the root ow- traditionally translated with ‘to announce’. This is contextually possible, but not cogent. The verb oll appears to be intransitive, although it is not certain whether the clause is finished or continues after.

[D.S.]

On the analysis as a root verb, see Melchert 1992a:46 “ol- < *u̯él(H)-” and Sasseville 2021a:284.

[D.S.]