/sitta(r)-/, (“FUSUS”)si-tara/i-

This hapax is attested in a single inscription from Cilicia, dating to the early 7^th century BCE.

[A.P.]

abl./instr.

/sitta(ra)di/

(“FUSUS”)si-tara/i

KARATEPE 1 (Hu.), §35 (Cilicia)

An abl./instr. represents the most straightforward analysis for the spelling attested at KARATEPE 1 (Hu.), §35, not least since rhotacism for intervocalic /d/ was ubiquitous at that point in time and the abl./instr. ending /-adi/ is frequently spelt with one of the R-containing signs. However, since the word appears to be cognate with Hittite šittar(a/i)- ‘(sun-)disk (?)’ (CHD Š:457-461), Tischler (HEG Š:1071) wonders if the spelling may be defective with a possible emendation to 〈(“FUSUS”)si-tara/i〈-ti〉〉 vel sim. for /sittaradi/. Further textual evidence is needed.

[A.P.]

Since the word is attested in the bilingual KARATEPE 1 inscription, the assigned meaning is secure. It was elucidated by Bossert 1950-1951a:280, drawing mainly on the very pictographic nature of the logographic determinative FUSUS, which is easily identifiable as a spindle. The Hittite cognate šittar(a/i)- ‘(sun-)disk (?)’ has so far only received a tentative semantic interpretation, cf. CHD Š:457-461 and HEG Š:1070-1073.

The context at KARATEPE 1 (Hu.), §35 reads: kwa/i-pa-wa/i-a mi-ia-za (“DIES”)há-li-ia-za FEMINA-ti-zi-há (“FUSUS”)si-tara/i PES₂.PES₂-tà-ti, approx. /kwiba=wa ammiyanz halliyanz wanattinzi=ha sitta(ra)di …-danti/, meaning ‘In my days, indeed even women with spindles walk (about)’ (cf. Hawkins 2000a:53). The Phoenician version of the same clause has several slightly different interpretations.Çambel 1999a:52f. passim translates lḥdy dl plkm “alone with (her) spindles”, whereas Krahmalkov 2001a:47 passim instead interprets the phrase as “alone without bodyguards”, which hinges on their different interpretation of the word dl as either ‘without’ or ‘with’, cf. Krahmalkov 2001a:240 and 271f.

[AH.B.]

Based on the attestation, the grammatical gender of the word remains opaque, particularly if the word is complete as attested (see the discussion under Forms). If, however, the spelling should be defective, a neuter r-stem may be possible, although a mutated stem (cf. the Hittite word) cannot be excluded.

[AH.B.]