karmalašša-⁽ⁱ⁾

The verb appears only in the New Hittite Script parallel version of the Hittite Laws.

[E.R.]

3sg. pres. act.	kar-ma-la-aš-ša-i	KBo 6.4 i 28	(CTH 291, NS)
	kar-ma-la-aš-ša-i	KBo 6.4 i 29	(CTH 291, NS)
	kar-ma-la-aš-ša-i	KBo 6.4 i 31	(CTH 291, NS)
	kar-ma-la-aš-ša-i	KBo 6.4 i 32	(CTH 291, NS)

Checked against the photographs in the Mainzer Fotoarchiv.

[E.R.]

Already Hrozný 1922a:82f. was able to elucidate the meaning of karmalašša-⁽ⁱ⁾, ‘rester estropié’, by contextual analysis (for contexts see HW 2nd ed. K:165f.). The basic semantics of his interpretation have been unequivocally accepted in the dictionaries and handbooks, cf. HW:101, CLL:101, HED K:90f., HEG A-K:512f., HHw:73, Ünal 2007a:318, HW 2nd ed. K:165f., Kronasser 1966a:555, Oettinger 1979a:63 n. 50, Starke 1990a:340f., DCL:108, Sasseville 2021a:494f., Friedrich 1959a:52f., Hoffner 1997a:177. Only the internal temporal structure of the action (grammatical or lexical aspect) is posited in different ways, thus ‘to remain crippled’ (e.g. HW:101, Friedrich 1959a:52f., HEG A-K:512f.) vs. ‘to become crippled’ (HW 2nd ed. K:165f., DCL:108, Sasseville 2021a:494f.). Contra DCL:108, the use of the imperfective stem speaks clearly for the former.

[E.R.]

Obviously, the verb is an imperfective stem in -šša-⁽ⁱ⁾ (see under Meaning, and Melchert 1994a:79 for the geminate -šš-). The suffix chain of the nominal stem underlying the reconstructed base verb *karmala(i)-^(di) or *karmala-^(ti) has triggered two opposing views. Kronasser 1966a:555 suggests *karma- (abstract noun) → *karmala- (followed in HEG A-K:512f., HED K:90f.), whereas Starke 1990a:340f. posits an -al- n. instrument noun *karmal- ‘axe’ based on a verb that he reconstructs as *karmyi-/*karmayi- However, reasonable doubts are raised by Sasseville 2021a:494f. concerning Starke’s suggestion, because there is no parallel for a verb in -a(i)-^(di) or -a-^(ti)  built from an -al- stem. Therefore, Kronasser’s view is given preference, here.The parallelism with ḫupallaša(i)-^(di) (or  ḫupallaš(a)i-^(di)) ‘to injure (the head)’ (HED:90f., Hoffner 1997a:177) is only apparent, since the verb derives a nominal -s- stem in accordance with the spelling with singleton -s-. – For the correction of alleged ^TÚGkarma-, to be read as ^TÚGkar-ku, see Starke 1990a:340f.

[E.R.]

Oettinger 1979a:63 n. 50 posits a Luwian origin for the verb on account of the -šša- imperfective suffix; cf. Starke 1990a:340f., CLL:101, Melchert 2005a:458, van den Hout 2006a:248; thus also Sasseville 2021a:494 and DCL:108 referring to HLuw. /karmali-^(ti)/ ‘to strike with an axe’. For various etymological proposals, see HEG I-K:512f. and HED K:90.

[E.R.]