trbbele/i-

This lexeme is attested in different inscriptions, both funerary and dedicatory.

[D.S.]

acc. sg. c.	trbbeli	TL 65.11 (Isinda)
		TL 118.5 (Limyra)
		N 324.12 (Xanthos)
nom./acc. pl. n.	trbbala	TL 106.2 (Limyra)
		TL 131.5 (Limyra)

Differently, Thomsen 1899a:10f. and Carruba 1970b:34 take the sequence trbbala hati as one word, i.e. a verb trbbalaha-^(ti), which is morphologically possible (thus also Bryce 1986a:85), but not supported by the bulk of the data.

For the full reading of TL 118.5, see Christiansen 2020a:252f.

[D.S.]

Melchert (DLL:69) suggests the sense ‘hostile’ (cf. Lyc. A trbbi ‘against’), which provides a plausible interpretation of tawa trbbala ‘hostile eyes’ fitting a curse formula (followed by Sasseville 2014-2015a:110, Sasseville 2021a:60, sceptic Christiansen 2020a:251). Lebrun 1999a:51f. suggests equating Lyc. trbbele/i- with CLuw. tarpalla/i- ‘substitute’, which does not yield a convincing translation of the passages, nor does it account for the nom./acc. pl. n. trbbala. Differently, Schürr 2006a:120 (Schürr 2009b:113) suggests a connection with the Cuneiform Luwian word for ‘wood’, tāru-, and takes Lyc. trbbele/i- as the corresponding adjective meaning ‘wooden’ (followed by Christiansen 2009a:49f.). Oudated Meriggi 1978c:248 “posterior”, Bryce 1986a:85 n. 99, Neumann 2012a:403f. and Gehrisch 2018a:156 “Germ. rückgängig (machen)”.

All three attestations of acc. sg. c. trbbeli are found in fragmentary contexts, which is why the semantic interpretation of the lexeme cannot be considered proven yet.

[D.S.]

The word trbbele/i- reflects an adjective in -ele/i- (for which see Sasseville 2014-2015a:109f., pace Schürr & Dönmez 2015a:139), probably derived from an action noun *trbbe/i- ‘opposition’ preserved in the preposition trbbi ‘against’ (as a frozen dative).

[D.S.]

For the lemma head see Lyc. A trbbi.