ḫuršalamma/i-

The term occurs twice in evocation rituals (from MS onwards).

[E.R.]

Checked against the photographs in the Mainzer Fotoarchiv.

[E.R.]

The lexeme used as the epithet of a bovine animal sacrificed to the Storm-god mostly remained untranslated (DLL:49, Haas & Wilhelm 1974a:44, CLL:77, HHw:56, Ünal 2007a:238, Beckman 2013a:142, and DCL:80). Haas 2003a:610 (followed by Beckman 2013a:142) assumes that the animal is represented by a kind of figurine, since it is waved over the image of the Storm-god, and he seems to see in ḫuršalamma/i- the name of that figurine. Differently, HW 2nd ed. Ḫ:764 suggests as a meaning ‘fattened(?), fat(?)’ (“gemästet(?), fett(?)”). The authors of the dictionary are certainly right in that ḫuršalamma/i- is a positive feature of the animal, but ‘strong’, ‘fertile’ vel sim. is also possible (see the speculations under Reconstruction).

[E.R.]

The restoration of geminate -mm-, demanded by the width of the lacuna, points to a participle (thus already DLL:49, HW 2nd ed. Ḫ:764), ultimately based on a derivative in -ala- from a root ḫurš‑.

[E.R.]

On account of the suffix, the lexeme is generally regarded as a borrowing from Luwian (DLL:49, HEG A-K:308, CLL:77, HHw:56, DLL:80, HW 2nd ed. Ḫ:764). A connection with the PIE root *h₂wers- ‘to rain’ (also contained in the word for the ‘bull’; cf. Skr. vṛṣan- ‘bull’, vṛṣya- ‘strong’ etc.; NIL:722-724 with references) is of course tempting, but circular as long as the exact meaning ḫuršalamma/i- cannot be contextually elucidated. See also HLuw. /hursa/i-/.

[E.R.]