šilušḫitašša/i-

Hapax in a Hittite oracle text (NS).

[Zs.S.]

nom. sg. c.

še-lu-uš-ḫi-ta-aš-ši-iš

KBo 16.98 ii 8

(CTH 577, NS)

Attestation following CLL:194 and CHD Š:368 (cf. also Laroche 1970b:136 [not yet in Laroche 1959a]; HEG L-S:988; Ünal 2007a:628, Ünal 2016a:474) checked against the photograph of the Konkordanz. Cornil & Lebrun 1972:11f. would rather analyse it as an adjectival phrase še-lu-uš-ḫi ta-aš-ši-iš, with tašši- ‘strong’ as a stem variant of daššu-/daššau- ‘dto’. This was rejected by Weitenberg 1984a:431 n. 334; HEG L-S:988 (both without arguments) and Starke 1990a:252 with n. 864, who does not see any evidence for the existence of such an adjective. Setting aside the unconventional word order, the existence of such a parallel stem cannot be a priori excluded, but based on the photograph mentioned above these signs clearly represent one single word.

[Zs.S.]

The meaning of this word is unknown (Cornil & Lebrun 1972:6, 12; CLL:194; CHD Š:368; Ünal 2016a:970), all what can be determined based on the context is that it is a substantivized adjectival genitive, a terminus technicus used in a liver oracle (van den Hout 1998b:97, 301; HEG L-S:988; Tischler 2008a:167, Tischler 2016a:316; and thus the stem is not šilušḫit-, contra CLL:194 and Ünal 2016a:970, who assumes both stems).

[Zs.S.]

The word is clearly of Luwian origin due to its suffixes -ašša/i- and -it- (cf. already Laroche 1970b:136; Tischler 2008a:167, Tischler 2016a:316; Ünal 2016a:970 [who, however, books it as a Hittite word too, Ünal 2007a:628, Ünal 2016a:474], although not included in the lists of Luwianisms of Melchert 2005a and van den Hout 2007a), but allegedly originates in Hurrian based again on the -it- suffix used for accommodating loanwords in Luwian (Starke 1990a:252 n. 864, followed by HEG L-S:988; CLL:194; van den Hout 1998b:301; CHD Š:368 [“possibly”]).

This is undoubtedly possible, nevertheless, the suffix -it- was used in case of genuine Luwian words, too (Melchert 2003b:198) and thus its presence does not necessarily imply loanwords. Moreover, one may detect in the stem of this word the Luwian suffix -(a)šḫa- that forms animate nouns (Melchert 2003b:196), i.e. *šelu(wa)šḫa- (with or without the frequent contraction). In other words, both the Hurrian and the Luwian origin are possible and the morphology even tips the scale in favour of a Luwian one. Needless to say, without further evidence (especially without known meaning), no decision can be made.

[Zs.S.]