kurraštarr(i)-

Hapax in a Hittite festival text (LNS).

[Zs.S.]

gen. adj.

nom. sg. c.

kur-ra-aš-tar-ra-aš-ši-iš

KUB 2.1 obv. iii 16

(CTH 682, LNS)

Attestation following CLL:112 (cf. also Laroche 1959a:57; HEG A-K:643; Starke 1990a:398; Ünal 2007a:368, Ünal 2016a:297) checked against the photo of the Konkordanz. Some scholars saw two words in it, viz. kur-ra-aš tar-ra-aš-ši-iš (Kronasser 1966a:226 n. 1; Archi 1975b:110; HEG A-K:643), but as pointed out already by Starke 1990a:398 and McMahon 1991a:107 n. 114 there is no space between the respective signs and also the syntax supports the reading as one word (cf. also Ünal 2007a:368; Tischler 2008a:94f, Tischler 2016a:177f. books both forms).

[Zs.S.]

The verb is specifying one Tutelary God, but beyond that it is hard to define its meaning and thus it is usually left without translation (Laroche 1959a:57; HEG A-K:643, Tischler 2008a:95, Tischler 2016a:178; Starke 1990a:398f.; McMahon 1991a:107; Ünal 2007a:368, Ünal 2016a:297, 962). Based on the morphological analysis as an abstract noun in -aš(t)r(i)- from the verb kuwar- / kūr- ‘to cut’ CLL:112 suggests ‘schism vel sim.’ (which appears in EDHIL:486f. already without any doubt). While this analysis is morphologically possible, it remains doubtful whether the phrase ‘Tutelary God of the Schism’ makes any sense, especially that it does not really fit the usual types of the Tutelary Gods (setting aside the Tutelary Gods of geographical units and those with praising epithets there are Tutelary Gods of objects, (divine) beings, locations, natural phenomena, momentous events [perhaps ‘schism’ could be classified here], abstract values, and martial concepts, see esp. Archi 1975b:95–105, and in general McMahon 1991a:23–51; Haas 1994a:449–459).

[Zs.S.]

There is a general agreement that we are dealing with a Luwian word shown by its Luwian genitival adjective suffix (Güterbock 1956a:128; Laroche 1959a:57 [hesitating]; HEG A-K:643f., Tischler 2008a:95, Tischler 2016a:178; Starke 1990a:398f.; CLL:112; Ünal 2007a:368, 2016:297, 962; Ünal 2016a:486f.; not included in HED), which may be further supported by its Luwian abstract noun suffix -aš(t)r(i)- (if the analysis of CLL:112 quoted under Origin is correct), although it was not included in the lists of Luwianisms of Melchert 2005a and van den Hout 2007a.

[Zs.S.]