FEMINA-la-
‘female (?)’
- Language
- Hieroglyphic Luwian
- Grammar
- adj
- ID
- 4058
1. Individual Anatolian Languages
1.1 Hieroglyphic Luwian
FEMINA-la-
‘female (?)’1.1.1Transmission
This hapax is attested in a single inscription from the Amuq, possibly dating to the mid-9th century BCE.
[A.P.]
1.1.2Forms
| dat./loc. sg. | /…/ | FEMINA-la | TELL TAYINAT 1, l.1 (Amuq) |
[A.P.]
1.1.3Graphic Features
1.1.3.1Phonological Interpretation
The phonological interpretation of this lexeme is too doubtful for assigning any particular shape to it. While it is probably related to CLuw. ašrulaḫit- ‘feminity’ (cf. Starke 1980b:75 n. 1 with references, and Starke 1990a:160f.) in some way, the attestation in TELL TAYINAT 1, l.1 hints at an a-stem and therefore seems to preclude a direct relationship, cf. the discussion of the stem below. Alternatively, it may be related to the more common word family around ‘woman’., viz. HLuw. /wanatt(i)-/ ‘woman’.
[AH.B.]
1.1.4Meaning
The meaning is assigned tentatively based on the spelling of the word and the context, combined with the possible etymological link to CLuw. ašrulaḫit- ‘feminity’ (cf. Hawkins 2000a:366f.). For TELL TAYINAT 1, l.1 runs: …]x-sa-ha? VIR-tà-x-tá FEMINA-la-ha PRAE?-wa/i-na-zá ARHA […, approximately translating as ‘… away/back to the male (? one) and female (? one), to the … (pl.) …’, where the antonyms support each other. Starke 1990a:161 considers a possible verb, since the spelling could be interpreted as a 1sg. pret. act. form.
[AH.B.]
1.1.5Stem
The form 〈FEMINA-la〉 attested in TELL TAYINAT 1, l.1 shows the dat./loc. sg. ending typical for a-stems, which is unusual in the context of an adjective in HLuw. If directly related to CLuw. ašrulaḫit- ‘feminity’, the word would be expected to show the well-known adjectival suffix /-alla/i-/ with i-mutation, i.e. */asrulla/i-/, but instead it appears to have a different morphological structure, which will remain inaccessible until further syllabic evidence is found. The same goes for a possible kinship with HLuw. /wanatt(i)-/ ‘woman’.
[AH.B.]