nakkuššaḫi(t)-
‘scapegoat rite’
- Language
- Cuneiform Luwian
- Class
- Derivative
- Grammar
- subst, n.
- ID
- 3887
1. Individual Anatolian Languages
1.1 Cuneiform Luwian
nakkuššaḫi(t)-
‘scapegoat rite’1.1.1Transmission
The word is found in rituals from the Kuwattalla tradition (from MS onwards).
[E.R.]
1.1.2Forms
| dat./loc. sg. | [na-ak-ku]-uš-ša-[ḫi-ti] | KUB 35.14 iv 5’ | (CTH 760, NS) |
| na-ak-ku-uš-ša-a-ḫi-t[i] | KBo 9.141 iv 18’ | (CTH 761, MS) |
1.1.3Graphic Features
Checked against the photographs in the Mainzer Fotoarchiv.
[E.R.]
1.1.4Meaning
See under nakkuššaḫi(t)- in Hittite transmission.
[E.R.]
1.1.5Stem
See under nakkuššaḫi(t)- in Hittite transmission.
[E.R.]
1.2 Luwian in Hittite transmission
nakkuššaḫi(t)-
‘scapegoat rite’1.2.1Transmission
The lexeme occurs in the Hittite instructions of rituals from the Kuwattalla tradition and in rituals with a Kizzuwatnean background (from MS onwards).
[E.R.]
1.2.2Forms
| dat./loc. sg. | na-ak-ku-uš-ša-ḫi-ti | KUB 17.18 ii 24’ | (CTH 448, NS) |
| KBo 5.2 iii 30 | (CTH 471, NS) | ||
| KBo 5.2 iii 33 | (CTH 471, NS) | ||
| KBo 29.3 i 9 | (CTH 760, NS) | ||
| [na-ak-ku-uš-ša-ḫ]i-ti | KUB 35.65 ii 12’ | (CTH 763, MS) |
More attestations are listed in CHD L-N:375, but the reading at KUB 39.87, 11 should be corrected to na-ak-ku-uš-ša-u-⸢en⸣, a 1pl. pret. act. (considered already by Görke 2016b).
[E.R.]
1.2.3Graphic Features
Checked against the photographs in the Mainzer Fotoarchiv.
[E.R.]
1.2.4Meaning
The meaning assigned to the -aḫi(t)- derivative of nakkušša/i- depends on the semantic interpretation of the base noun. When nakkušša/i- was translated as ‘substitute’, nakkuššaḫi(t)- was assumed to mean ‘substitution’ (DLL:73, HW:148, 385, 425, Friedrich 1947b:14 and Otten 1953a:72 with n. 64 following Götze apud Sturtevant 1936b:107), but with the change of interpretation of nakkušša/i- to ‘scapegoat, sin carrier’, nakkuššaḫi(t)- is interpreted as ‘status of a scapegoat, of a sin carrier’ (van Brock 1959a:26-139, HW:402, Starke 1990a:168f., CLL:153, CHD L-N:375, HHw:110, HEG:266, HED N:56, Ünal 2007a:471, Melchert 2014b:225, DCL:s.v.). Only recently, Yakubovich & Mouton 2023a:286 (and Yakubovich & Mouton 2023b:286, 414) suggested that the word denotes the rite itself, lit. ‘release of the scapegoat’. This is confirmed by the parallelism between [kel]diyaš ana sískur ‘for the keldi- rite’ and nakkuššaḫiti ‘for the nakkušši-rite’ at KBo 29.3 i 8f.Erroneous is the connection with Hitt. nakkuš- ‘damage’ by Laroche 1986a (followed by Starke 1990a:118 and Rieken 1999a:203; corrected by Melchert 2014b:225) and any semantic conclusions following from it.
[E.R.]
1.2.5Stem
Building on Götze 1954a:75, it became common sense that nakkuššaḫi(t)- derives from nakkušša/i- with the Luwian abstract suffix -aḫi(t)- (for references, see under Meaning).
[E.R.]
1.2.6Origin
Starke 1990a:168 assumes that Hitt. nakkuššatar does not form an inner-Hittite derivative of the Hurrian borrowing, but represents a calque of Luw. nakkuššaḫi(t)-, which may or may not be the case. For the Hurrian origin of the base word nakkušša/i-, see under lemma head.
[E.R.]
For the lemma head, see nakkušša/i-.