/kumabi/, ku-ma-pi
‘together with’
- Language
- Hieroglyphic Luwian
- Grammar
- adv
- ID
- 3701
1. Individual Anatolian Languages
1.1 Hieroglyphic Luwian
/kumabi/, ku-ma-pi
‘together with’1.1.1Transmission
This lexeme is attested twice in an inscription from Tabal, dating to the late 8th century BCE.
[A.P.]
1.1.2Forms
| indecl. | /kumabi/ | ku-ma-pi | KARABURUN, §8 (Tabal) |
| KARABURUN, §10 (Tabal) |
[A.P.]
1.1.3Graphic Features
1.1.3.1Phonological Interpretation
Even though the word is spelt fully syllabically, its phonological interpretation should be regarded as provisional. So far, the word seems to be without inner-Anatolian cognates, leaving the quality of the bilabial in the dark, but cf. under Reconstruction below for an interpretation with /b/. It is also possible that the /m/ should be regarded as a geminate /mm/.Meriggi (HHG:75) combined the word with the following /tawa/ into one long string 〈ku-ma-pi-ta-wa/i〉, corrected by Mittelberger 1963a:106.
[AH.B.]
1.1.4Meaning
The word occurs twice in very similar wording, and the interpretation ‘together with’ was suggested by Meriggi 1967a:104f. (followed by Plöchl 2003a:78) on the basis of the context. It is used to recruit a second deity into punishing a person for breaking an agreement, as in KARABURUN, §8: si-pi-ia-pa-wa/i-ta REX-ti hara/i-na-wa/i-ni-sa(URBS) (DEUS)ku+AVIS-ia ku-ma-pi ta-wa/i PES-zi-ha INFRA á-za-tu, approx. /SiPiya=ba=wa=tta hantawatti Harranawannis Kubabaya kumabi tawa padinzi zanta aztu/, meaning ‘(If King SiPi wishes evil for Ni’s son SiPi), then for King SiPi, the Harranean (moon-god), together with (the goddess) Kubaba, shall wolf down (his) eyes (and) feet!’ (cf. e.g. Hawkins 1981a:174 and Poetto 1981a:275f.).
[AH.B.]
1.1.5Stem
It seems reasonably clear that the word constitutes an adverb, possibly used postpositionally.
[AH.B.]
2. Reconstruction
2.1Reconstruction
Dunkel (LIPP II:425) connects HLuw. ku-ma-pi with the PIE adverb *km̥ (*kóm) ‘together with’ and posits a development *km̥ > Luw. /kum-/ (for which see Melchert 1994a:260f.). Further he assumes that -pi reflects the PIE instrumental morpheme *bhí , which is also found in Hitt. kuwapi ‘where’ (HED K:232) with the various extensions kuwapikki and kuwapit(ta). This is indeed very attractive and adopted here, except that the hieroglyphic script does not tell us exactly whether there is an actual vowel (whether binding or analogical) between the two labials, i.e. /kumbi/ or /kumabi/, which does not obstruct the etymology in any way.
[D.S.]