yašḫant(i)-

The word is attested exclusively in a NH letter.

[E.R.]

No translation is ventured in most publications dealing with KUB 19.23, with the exception of Hoffner 2009a:347, where the author suggests ‘grace, kindness’ based on his understanding of the verb iyašḫa-^(ti) as ‘to be gracious/respectful’ (see under Lemma). However, the context, fragmentary as it is, permits a better understanding. The writer of the letter, Tutḫaliya, admits his failure against his lord, presumably the king, but pretends to be confident that he has not fallen from grace with the queen as well. Accepting the restoration of Hagenbuchner 1989a:27f. as an accusative object -mu in the beginning of the sentence, one arrives at the following text: [nu-mu] GAŠAN-YA ku-in ia-aš-ḫa-an-ti-in šu-i da-li-˹ia˺-at … ‘As which yašḫant(i)- (person) you, my lady, left me in (your) hand …’. The concrete meaning of yašḫant(i)- as an item or a person in the (metaphorical) hand of the queen is preferable to an abstract concept such as ‘grace, respect’. In the present context, the status of the writer is that of a person being graciously (re-)accepted by his lady and left under her protection (lit. in her hand). Syntactically, yašḫant(i)- is a substantivized possessive adjective ‘the one having iyašḫa, i.e. acceptance’ in depictive use.

[E.R.]

yašḫant(i)- can be derived from *iyašḫa- c. ‘acceptance’ with the possessive suffix -nt(i)- or be an old participial formation of the denominative verb iyašḫa-^(ti). In either case, a substantivization must have occurred.

[E.R.]

1. ()yašḫanduwa(n)t(i)-

The use of gloss wedges and the suffix -ašḫa- c. in the base word constitute a strong argument for the word being of Luwian origin. This view is established as common opinion in the dictionaries (DLL:51, CLL:272, HW 2nd ed.:28, HEG A-K:347, HED A-E, I:349).

[E.R.]

For the base of the derivative see iyašḫa-^(ti).