/irwa(/i)-/, (CAPRA)i+ra/i-wa/i-
‘gazelle (?)’
- Language
- Hieroglyphic Luwian
- Class
- Base
- Grammar
- subst, c.
- ID
- 3908
1. Individual Anatolian Languages
1.1 Hieroglyphic Luwian
/irwa(/i)-/, (CAPRA)i+ra/i-wa/i-
‘gazelle (?)’1.1.1Transmission
This lexeme is attested nine times in inscriptions from the Amuq, Commagene, and Tabal, dating from the late 9th to the late 8th century BCE.
[A.P.]
1.1.2Forms
| nom. sg. | /irwa(/i)s/ | CAPRA(ANIMA) | |
| CAPRA(ANIMA)-sa | ANCOZ 1, §3 (Commagene) | ||
| acc. sg. | /irwa(/i)n/ | CAPRA(ANIMA) | BOHÇA, §13 (Tabal) |
| CAPRA[(ANI]MA) | ANCOZ 11, §2 (Commagene) | ||
| CAPRA(ANIMA)-na | ANCOZ 9, §2 (Commagene) | ||
| abl./instr. | /irwadi/ | (CAPRA)i+ra/i-wa/i-ti-i | HİSARÇIK 1, §2 (Tabal) |
| i+ra/i-wa/i-ti | HİSARÇIK 1, §4 (Tabal) |
Transliterations are somewhat inexact as regards the order of ANIMA and the animal sign; it is ultimately governed by iconic principles, this is discussed in full in Payne 2014a.
[A.P.]
1.1.3Graphic Features
1.1.3.13.1 Phonological Interpretation
The phonological interpretation of the lexeme is tentative, since it is attested twice in fully syllabic spelling, but suffers from the usual vagaries of the HLuw. writing system. Suggestions for cognates have so far been tentative, because there appear to be none in the other Anatolian languages. Hawkins 2000a:484 proposes a link with Akkadian arwium (cf. CAD A2:294, further defended by Simon 2023a:229), but Blažek 2003-2004a:6 advocates for an Indo-European origin; cf. the discussion of the reconstruction below. If neither link should prove correct, the spelling could also be interpreted as /irawa-/, /irawi-/, /iriwa-/ or /iriwi-/, since both 〈ra/i〉 and 〈wa/i〉 are both underspecified as to the quality of their vowel.
The spelling of the word nearly always involves the logogram CAPRA (sign *104), whose general meaning as denoting horned animals such as goats and gazelles has long been clear, cf. Laroche 1960c:65f.
[AH.B.]
1.1.4Meaning
The meaning assigned here tentatively follows the suggestion by Morpurgo Davies & Hawkins 1987a:277, reiterated by Hawkins 2000a:480, 484, and the translation is usually ‘irwa-gazelle’ rather than ‘gazelle’. It is not clear from any of the contexts whether /irwa(/i)-/ constitutes the general word for ‘gazelle’, or whether it is used to denote a specific type. In any case, the animal is one that can be hunted as well as sacrificed, the latter meaning being more frequent, cf. e.g. HİSARÇIK 1, §2: a-wa/i-mi MONS-ti-na ha+ra/i-ha+ra/i-na 9-ta (CAPRA)i+ra/i-wa/i-ti-i á-ha, approx. /a=wa=mi wattin Harharin nuwatta irwadi aha/, probably meaning ‘I celebrated Mount Harhari on/in the ninth with a gazelle?’ (cf. Hawkins 2000a:483f. andHLuw. /nuwatt(i)-/ ‘ninth’).
Earlier, the word was taken to mean ‘horse’, cf. Meriggi 1934b:87 and Hrozný 1937a:414 incl. n. 2, when much of the syllabary was still unclear and/or wrongly identified.Hrozný’s transcription is hence 〈[long-eared/horned animal head]-a(r)-va-tà-a〉 for a string of signs today read 〈(CAPRA)i+ra/i-wa/i-ti-i〉 in HİSARÇIK 1, §2. Despite the new sign readings, the meaning ‘horse’ was retained in Poetto 1978c:256.
[AH.B.]
1.1.5Stem
While it becomes clear from the attested forms that the lexeme is a common gender noun, it cannot be assessed whether or not it undergoes i-mutation. Nothing else can be said about the stem for now; cf. Oettinger 2015a:162 “a u-stem”.
[AH.B.]
2. Reconstruction
2.1Reconstruction
Hawkins 2000a:484 suggests that the word HLuw. /irwa(/i)-/ ‘gazelle’ is a borrowing from Akkadian arwium ‘male gazelle’ (see CAD A2:294, further defended by Simon 2023a), although Blažek 2003-2004a:6 argues for an Indo-European origin with Lat. hircīnus, hirquīnus ‘of a goat’ (see below). Furthermore, Oettinger 2015a:162 distances himself from the loanword hypothesis, because a foreign vowel /a/ is never rendered by Luwian /i/, suggesting instead a connection with Greek ἔριφος ‘young goat’. More recently, Viredaz 2021a has suggested an etymological connection with ζορκ-/δορκ- ‘deer, gazelle’ including other potential Indo-European cognates, which he however ends up rejecting on phonological and morphological grounds.
A Luwian pre-form can be either *h1i, *h1ē, *h1ei̯ or begin with a glide *(h1)i̯- instead. The sequence /-rw-/ can come from *-ru̯-, *-rgu̯- or *-rku̯- with subsequent lenition and in either case with a development from *gu̯ to /w/ (but cf. below for the possibility of reading a vowel between /-r-/ and /-w-/). The stem formation can go back to either *-o-, *-i-, -u- or *-eh2-, which cannot be determined yet. Because of too many uncertainties, the origin of HLuw. /irwa(/i)-/ ‘gazelle’ is left here open.
[D.S.]