*mérH-/mr̥H-´
‘to come as a guest, to present oneself’
- Language
- Proto-Anatolian
- Grammar
- verb
- ID
- 721
1. Individual Anatolian Languages
1.1 Luwian (Glossenkeilwörter)
/
marḫ-(ti)
1.1.1Transmission
The verb occurs in a single passage of Ḫattušili’s “Apology” (NH), but in several duplicate manuscripts.
[E.R.]
1.1.2Forms
| 3sg. pret. ind. act. | mar-ḫa-[t]a |
KUB 1.1 iv 6 | (CTH 81, NS) |
| ma-˹ar˺-ḫa-ta |
KUB 1.10 ii 23’ | (CTH 81, NS) | |
| mar-aḫ-da |
KUB 1.4 iii 50’ + Bo 69/256 iii 51’ | (CTH 81, NS) |
1.1.3Graphic Features
Checked against photographs in the Konkordanz.
[E.R.]
1.1.3.1Phonological Interpretation
The spelling variants point to underlying /marhta/.
[E.R.]
1.1.4Meaning
Since Yakubovich 2005c:188f. n. 40, the verb has been plausibly interpreted as ‘to present oneself’ (accepted in Melchert 2016a:203f., Kimball 2017a:212f., Sasseville 2021a:268f.). Its sole attestation is a passage from the “Apology” of Ḫattušili III about a subject of the Hittite king who refuses to pay reverence to his sovereign (i.e. to present himself). The interpretation of the word is further confirmed by obvious cognates from Palaic (see under Lemma marḫ- and Lemma marḫina-). Earlier publications either leave the question of semantics open (Laroche 1959a: 68, Otten 1981a:94, CLL:139, CHD L-N:182) or follow Götze 1925a:98 in tentatively translating the verb as ‘to succeed’ (e.g. HW (2nd ed.):136, Shevoroshkin 1979a:180, HEG L-N: 131f., Tischler 2008a:100, Ünal 2007a:429).
[E.R.]
1.1.5Stem
For the interpretation of marḫ- as root verb, see Sasseville 2021a:268f.
[E.R.]
1.2 Palaic
marḫ-
‘to come as a guest’1.2.1Transmission
This lexeme is found on an Old/Middle tablet of the festival text for the Palaic pantheon.
[D.S.]
1.2.2Forms
| part. nom. sg. c. | mar-ḫa-a-an-za | KUB 35.165 obv. 7 | (CTH 751, OS or MS) |
| mar-ḫa-an-za | KUB 35.165 rev. 23’ | (CTH 751, OS or MS) |
1.2.3Graphic Features
Checked against the photographs in the Konkordanz.
[D.S.]
1.2.4Meaning
The meaning ‘to come as a guest’ is suggested by Yakubovich 2005c:119 n. 40, who compares the other cognates mārḫa- ‘guest’ and marḫina-(i) ‘to invite’. In the context of the attestation in KUB 35.165 obv. 7, the god Zaparwa addresses the other gods. The participle marḫānz(a) refers to the state of a god present at the feast. Therefore, the meaning ‘to come as a guest’ is contextually appropriate. No semantic assignment is given in Carruba 1970a:63 or Carruba 1972a:31.
[D.S.]
1.2.5Stem
The interpretation as a root verb for Pal. marḫant- is dependent on the Luwian cognate marḫ-(ti), whose status as root verb is secured.
[D.S.]
1.2.6Derivatives
2. Reconstruction
2.1Reconstruction ‘to come as a guest, to present oneself’
The equation of Palaic marḫ- ‘to come as a guest’ and Luwian marḫ-(ti) ‘to present oneself’ allows the reconstruction of a Proto-Anatolian root verb of the mi-conjguation, i.e. *mérH-/mr̥H-´ ‘to come as a guest, to present oneself’.
[D.S.]
3. Proto-Indo-European
3.1Semantic Reconstruction
Following the proposal below to connect PAnat. *merH- ‘to participate, present oneself’ with PIE *(s)mer- ‘to receive one’s portion’, the semantic link is trivial, cf. ModE to participate (: Lat. particeps ‘sharing, partaking; participant’), ModG teilnehmen ‘to participate’ (: einen Teil nehmen “to take a part”). Furthermore, the Anatolian continuants of the root in question, as far as they are understood (cf. above and the resp. lemmata), are used in contexts of feasting and (lack of) hospitality. From a semantic perspective, it is thus highly probable, that PIE *(s)mer- ‘to receive one’s portion’ is underlying PAnat. *merH-. In this case, the meaning of the Anatolian root should in this case be reconstructed as ‘to participate’.
3.2Morphological Reconstruction
While PIE *(s)mer- ‘to receive one’s portion’ is continued (without anlauting *s‑) as PAnat. *mer- ‘to order’, the root-final *‑H‑ of PAnat. *merH- ‘to participate, present oneself’ requires an explanation if it can be affiliated. Since PAnat. *mérH‑/*mr̥H‑´ ‘to participate’ is a root verb, the laryngeal has to be taken as part of the root. In view of some similar pairs of roots,Cf. esp. Ackermann 2016a:5 with n. 13 (contra LIV²:558 n. 1) on PIE *(s)kerh2- ‘to separate, divide’ (LIV²:558) besides PIE *(s)ker- ‘to shear, scratch, cut off’ (LIV²:556). Furthermore, PIE *dem- ‘to build’ existed besides *demh2- ‘to (op)press; to tame’ at least in Core IE (but cf. PAnat. *dmeh2-s- ‘to (op)press’) and may be connected with one another by the common semantic source ‘to press’, cf. the remarks s.v. Cf. also Rau 2010a on PIE *dei̯h2- (LIV²:108) standing besides *dei̯- ‘to shine’.the root-final laryngeal might be seen as a root extension and thus be determined as *‑h2‑. Therefore, PAnat. *merH- can readily be interpreted as continuing PIE *merh2-, which conceivably is an s‑less and extended root variant of PIE *(s)mer- ‘to receive one’s portion’. Since the Core IE data does not attest a root-final laryngeal in PIE *(s)mer- (or *(s)merh2‑) ‘to receive one’s portion’, the connection of PAnat. *merH- and PIE *(s)mer- is proposed here only tentatively.
[A.O.]
4. Transmission
On the transmission of PIE 2.*(s)mer- ‘to receive one’s portion’, cf. PAnat. *mér-/mr̥-´(ti) ‘to order, request’.