ḫarši(ya)-

The lexeme is attested once in a song of the Ištanuwa ritual.

[E.R.]

nom./acc. pl.

DUGḫar-šiḪI.A

KBo 4.11, 29

(CTH 772, NS)

The form is analyzed as a neuter acc. pl. (object of aruwaru(wa)-⁽ⁱ⁾ ‘to lift (?)’). Since neuter i-stems do not exist in Luwian (Starke 1990a:407), also a collective form in -i is not likely to be part of the paradigm (thus suggested in Hawkins 1981a:152). Instead, the neuter plural forms ending in -i are now mostly explained as syncopated forms in -i < *-iya (Plöchl 2003a:47, Yakubovich 2017d; differently Starke 1990a:407 for HLuw. /zurni(ya)-/).

[E.R.]

Checked against the photographs in the Mainzer Fotoarchiv.

[E.R.]

Unfortunately, the beginning of the clause containing ^DUGḫar-ši^ḪI.A is broken off. Only ] ^DUGḫar-ši^ḪI.A a-ru-wa-ru-un-ni is left, which is tentatively translated as “we lift(?) the ḫarši” (see under aruwaru(wa)-⁽ⁱ⁾). It is certain that the form ^DUGḫar-ši^ḪI.A is somehow related to Hitt. ^DUGḫarši- c. ‘pithos’. However, due to their weight, pithoi cannot be easily lifted just for ritual purposes, and the translation as ‘pithos’ found in the handbooks (CLL:60, HHw:44) therefore cannot be correct. Instead, it is very likely the lids of the pithoi that were lifted in rituals. This in turn agrees with the neuter nom./acc. pl. ḫarši < *ḫaršiya posited above (under Forms), since that could go back to a stem *ḫarši(ya)- ‘related to a pithos’ and surface as a substantivization with the concrete meaning ‘lid’.

[E.R.]

For the substantivized neuter stem in -i(ya)-, see under Meaning.

[E.R.]

Melchert (in CLL:60) considers the possibility that ^DUGḫar-ši^ḪI.A does not represent a Luwian lexeme. However, there is no indication for this, and even assuming a borrowing from Hittite bears no advantage under the analysis presented under Meaning.

[E.R.]