tapašša/i-
‘(an oracle bird)’
- Language
- Cuneiform Luwian
- Grammar
- subst, c.
- ID
- 3565
1. Individual Anatolian Languages
1.1 Luwian in Hittite transmission
tapašša/i-
‘(an oracle bird)’1.1.1Transmission
This designation of an oracle bird occurs only in NS oracle reports. The attestations cited below are representative for the ca. 30 instances found in the Hittite corpus.
[E.R.]
1.1.2Forms
| nom. sg. | ta-pa-aš-ši-iš-š(=) | KBo 16.98 ii 21 | (CTH 577, NS) |
| ⸢ta⸣-pa-aš-ši-iš | KUB 16.69 obv.? 14’ | (CTH 573, NS) | |
| acc. sg. | ta-pa-aš-ši-in | KUB 16.46 iv 2, 10 | (CTH 573, NS) |
| ta-pa-aš-ši-i[n] | KUB 16.46 iv 16 | (CTH 573, NS) | |
| ⸢ta⸣-pa-aš-ši-in | KUB 16.69 obv.? 12’ | (CTH 573, NS) | |
| acc. pl.(!) | ta-pa-aš-ši-iš | KUB 16.46 iv 15 | (CTH 573, NS) |
For the morphological analysis of ta-pa-aš-ši-iš at KUB 16.46 iv 15, see Archi 1975a:143 n. 65. – On account of the different meaning and spelling, the unclear lexeme tapāša-, tāpaša-, tapašša- must be regarded as unconnected (see Neu apud HEG T:122 with references, Klinger 1996a:371f.; contra Sakuma 2009a:403).
[E.R.]
1.1.3Graphic Features
Checked against the photographs in the Mainzer Fotoarchiv.
[E.R.]
1.1.4Meaning
The lexeme occurs in the typical contexts for the movements of oracle birds, leaving no doubt about its general meaning, although a more precise specification remains impossible; cf. HW:211, Ertem 1965a:220, Kronasser 1966a:228, Ünal 1973a:30, Archi 1975a:143 with n. 65, HHw:165, Melchert 2005a:449, van den Hout 2006a:245, Sakuma 2009a:403, Ünal 2007a:686.The early attempt by Boissier 1935a:36 (“avis pestifera?; qui donne des ‘auspicia pestifera’”) relies only on the assonance with tapašša- ‘(an illness)’.
[E.R.]
1.1.5Stem
It seems clear that the word contains the Luwian relational suffix -ašša/i-. However, the derivation with CLuw. tappaš- ‘heaven, sky’ proposed by Kronasser 1966a:228 (followed in Zinko 1987a:17f.) ignores the consistent spelling with singleton -p- in the bird’s name and the need to assume an unlikely haplology of -aš-. The alternative considered by Zinko 1987a:17f., who posits a suffix -ši-, lacks any parallel. A connection with tāpa/i- ‘bad, shoddy, of minor value (?)’ would be possible, but without foundation.
[E.R.]
1.1.6Origin
The identification of stem -aššiš/-aššin as the Luwian relational suffix led to the plausible classification of tapašša/i- as a Luwian borrowing into Hittite; cf. Kronasser 1966a:228, Melchert 2005a:449, van den Hout 2006a:245, Sakuma 2009a:403.
[E.R.]