maraḫšiwal(i)-

This lexeme is attested in the songs of the festival of Ištanuwa.

[D.S.]

Checked against the photographs in the Konkordanz (Mainzer Fotoarchiv).

[D.S.]

The adjective maraḫšiwališ is used as an attribute of SÍG-la-ni-iš ‘wool’, which supports its etymological connection with the base mariḫš(i)- ‘fuzz, loose thread’ found in Hittite texts (Laroche 1959a:68, van Brock 1962a:119f.). In the Luwian strophe, it is said that the wool that has fuzzes (a negative state of the wool!) envelops the naḫišra, which probably denotes something negative as well. The translation ‘impure, soiled (?)’ as suggested by Melchert (CLL:139) represents an overinterpretation and is hence misleading; consequently, the literal meaning is preferred here.

[D.S.]

The formation behind mariḫš-i-wa(/i)-al(i)- reveals an original i-stem formation from which an adjective in -wa/i- was derived, subsequently substantivized, and then followed by an adjectival formation in -al(i)-, although it is highly possible that the sequence -wal(i)- was reinterpreted as one derivational suffix, i.e. maraḫš-i-wal(i)-; for the same derivational chain, see Starke 1990a:271 with n. 919 and Pal. kuliwali-. For the different vocalism between the base and the derivatives, see the lemma head under Reconstruction.

[D.S.]

For the lemma head see CLuw. mariḫš(i)-.