alattar-

This word is only once attested in a NS cult inventory (CTH 582).

[A.B.]

nom./acc. sg.

a-la-at-tar-ša

KUB 42.91 obv. ii 9

(CTH 528, NS)

The attestation follows CLL:9, Starke 1990a:511, van den Hout 2006a:248 (not in Laroche 1959a). The transliteration has been checked against the photos of the Mainzer Fotoarchiv.

The form includes the Luwian particle -ša/-za, which appears frequently with nom./acc. sg. n. (cf. Melchert 2003b:186f. with references and in detail Jasanoff 2010a). (For Hitt. ^NINDAaladdari-, laddari- cf. HW 2nd ed. A:57, HEG A–K:15, HED A:32, Ünal 2007a:16, Ünal 2016a:55).

[A.B.]

Starke 1990a:511 translates alattar=ša with “Obst”, assuming that gurun is the Sumerographic rendering of alattar (followed by CLL:9, Tischler 2008a:14, Tischler 2016a:7 “fruit”, Ünal 2016a:949). The context of KUB 42.91 obv. ii 9 shows the following (the transliteration is based on the photo of the Mainzer Fotoarchiv, furthermore the hand copy as well as the transliterations and translations of Starke 1990a:511, Hazenbos 2003a:111-115 have been considered):

⁽⁸⁾lu-ka[t-ti-m]a a-na ^d10 ezen₄ gurun i-ia-an-zi ^GIŠšú.a ^d10 da-an-zi  ⁽⁹⁾a-la-at-*tar*-ša-ma-aš sig₅ še-eš-ḫa-an-zi ^GIŠzag.gar.ra dù-an-zi ⁽¹⁰⁾iš-tu gurun ú-nu-wa-an-zi *^GIŠšú.a ^d*10-kán ša-ra-a ti-ia-[an-zi]

‘On the next day, they celebrate for the Storm-god the fruit festival: They take the throne of the Storm-god. They choose good fruits. They make an altar. They decorate (it) with fruits and set up the throne of the Storm-god.’

The semantic assignment is thus contextually supported.

[A.B.] [D.S.]

While Starke 1990a:511f. sees a heteroclitic -ttar/n-, Melchert (CLL:9) suggests an original thematic instrument noun in *-tro-. Neither can be proven until further evidence has surfaced.

[D.S.]

Starke 1990a:511 and CLL:9 assume a Luwian origin for this word (cf. also the lists of Luwianisms of van den Hout 2006a:248 Ünal 2016a:949).

This is supported by the use of the Luwian particle -ša/-za as well as the gloss marker. Although its use does not constitute proof of a word’s Luwian origin (cf. Schwartz 1938a:75, 78 and Melchert 2005a:445), the vast majority of words provided with this marker are in fact of Luwian origin.

Pace Starke 1990a:513, there is no need to assume that the actual Luwian word has a geminate -ll- (^NINDAal(l)āttri- is not considered here to be cognate, also sceptical Melchert in CLL:9; cf. HED A:32 “Hurrian”, Richter 2012a:16 “Hurrian (?)”), because the root al- pertaining to fruits or nourishment is also found in Lyc. B al(i)- and certainly goes back to the same root as the one of Lat. alimentum.

[A.B.] [D.S.]