/kamara-?/, ka-mara/i-
‘(a commodity)’
- Language
- Hieroglyphic Luwian
- Class
- Base
- Grammar
- subst, c.
- ID
- 575
1. Individual Anatolian Languages
1.1 Hieroglyphic Luwian
/kamara-?/, ka-mara/i-
‘(a commodity)’1.1.1Transmission
This lexeme is attested twice in one of the letters from Assur, which dates to the late 8th century BCE.
[AH.B.]
1.1.2Forms
| acc. sg. | /kamaran?/ | ka-mara/i-ra+a-na | ASSUR letter f+g, §31 |
| acc. pl. | /kamaranzi?/ | ka-mara/i-zi | ASSUR letter f+g, §28 |
1.1.3Graphic Features
The phonological interpretation of this word remains tentative for several reasons. Not only is it attested just twice within the same text, it also appears to lack cognates in the other Anatolian languages. Furthermore, its etymology remains unclear, unless it turns out to be a loanword from Akkadian gammālu- ‘camel’ as put forward by Yakubovich 2016a:86f. Even then the phonological form of the word in HLuw. would still be uncertain, and only the rhotacism of intervocalic /l/ to /r/ would be fully expected (cf. Rieken & Yakubovich 2010a:216f.).
[AH.B.]
1.1.4Meaning
The word clearly denotes a commodity that can be traded, for it appears twice in letter f+g from Assur with only a couple of clauses intervening. The first context sees a plural /kamara-/ ruined by unknown persons for the author of the letter (see Sasseville 2021a:193f. for the interpretation of the accompanying verb /is(a)u-(di)/ ‘to ruin’ vel sim.). In the second instance, the author requests the addressee to send to him any /kamara-/ (now singular) that he may have, or in case he does not have any, the author instructs him to buy some from a person named Parniwarriya. Yakubovich 2016a:86f. suggests the meaning ‘camel’ for the lexeme, regarding it as a loanword from Akkadian gammālu- ‘camel’. This is further supported by the fact that Ancient Greek ϰάμηλος ´camel´ is likewise regarded as a loan, ultimately though not necessarily directly from a Semitic language (see Simon s.v. ϰάμηλος).
Because of its denoting a tradable commodity, any link of HLuw. /kamara-/ with Hittite kammara- ‘mist; shade; swarm’ is extremely unlikely.
[AH.B.]
1.1.5Stem
The lexeme is a common gender a-stem noun and clearly is not subject to i-mutation. Aside from that, nothing can be said about its morphological structure, which, in case it does represent a loan from Akkadian (as suggested by Yakubovich 2016a:86f.), would have been opaque in HLuw. at any rate.
[AH.B.]
1.1.6Origin
Possibly a loanword from Akkadian gammālu- ‘camel’ (Yakubovich 2016a:86f.).
[AH.B.]