punerebe

This lexeme is attested on the inscribed pillar of Xanthos, dated shortly after the ascension of Artaxerxes II in 405-404 BCE.

[D.S.]

dat./loc. pl.(?)

punerebe

TL 44b.36 (Xanthos)

Neumann 2007a:292 argues for separating punerebe into punere=be, based on the word pibere occurring at the end of the line, which would show a stem-final -re just like a putative punere. Although the separation is formally fine, his argument is by no means valid. The word punerebe could contain a suffix -be/i-; cf. Lyc. B xñtaba-. Schürr 2012a:117 suggests to emend punerebe to puneee comparing likewise pibere, which is still not a valid argument to doubt the existence of a word punerebe. The question whether or not punerebe constitutes one word or two hence remains open.

[D.S.]

It is difficult to make sense of the word punerebe due to the obscure meaning of the sentence. Whether one takes it as punere=be (see Graphic Features) or punerebe as one word, we are surely dealing with a dative/locative plural. Nothing can be said about its semantics. An etymological connection to the family of punãma- is unprovable. The semantic assignment of Schürr 2012a:117 for puneee and pibere as German ‘ganz und gar’ is speculative. Shevoroshkin 2002c:414 suggests the meaning ‘purification’ based on a random etymology with Luw. papparkuwa- ‘to purify’.

[D.S.]

No etymology possible.

[D.S.]