zurkitāi-

Hapax in a Hittite ritual (MS).

[Zs.S.]

3sg. pres. act.

zu-úr-ki-ta-a-iz-zi

KBo 17.65 + ABoT 1.25 rev. 32

(CTH 489, MS)

Attestation following HEG U-Z:791 (not included in Laroche 1959a; CLL, and in the Luwian part of Ünal 2016a; no photograph in the Konkordanz).

[Zs.S.]

Since the word is a transparent denominative verb from *zurkit- and contextually refers to an offering, a meaning ‘to perform a zurki-offering’ was generally assumed (Haas & Wilhelm 1974a:64; Beckman 1983a:143; Ünal 2007a:828; Mouton 2008b:118; Tischler 2008a:236, Tischler 2016a:461; Fuscagni 2011a:§25). Nevertheless, since zurki means ‘blood’, the meaning of this verb would obviously be ‘to perform a blood offering’ (HEG U-Z:791, cf. also Beckman 2011a:98 n. 32). Alternatively, Laroche 1980a:309 suggested a meaning ‘to smear with blood’ (Beckman 2011a:98 n. 32 leaves the question open), since the “zurki-rite” means in fact smearing with blood (Feder 2011a:7–33). The context of this verb is unfortunately fragmentary and thus it is not clear if it had an object to be smeared and thus no decision can be made.

[Zs.S.]

Although this verb is listed neither in the Luwian glossaries (cf. under Form) nor in the lists of Luwianisms of Melchert 2005a and van den Hout 2007a, it is clearly a Luwian denominative verb in -āi-, since the underlying form *zurkit- is a Luwianized form of Hurrian zurki ‘blood’ (cf. Tischler 2008a:236, Tischler 2016a:461 [“Hittite-Luwian”]; Beckman 2011a:98 n. 32; Richter 2012a:420f.). This is a more economical solution than assuming that *zurkit- was borrowed into Hittite (next to its own zurki-) and the denominative verb was created within the Hittite language.

[Zs.S.]