*men(H)-o-
‘fertile’
- Language
- Proto-Luwic
- Grammar
- subst
- ID
- 773
1. Individual Anatolian Languages
1.1 Hieroglyphic Luwian
*/manna-/
‘fertile (?)’1.1.1Compounds
1.2 Luwian (Glossenkeilwörter)
manna-
1.2.1Transmission
The word is attested once in Hittite context in the witašši festival.
[E.R.]
1.2.2Forms
|
nom./acc. sg. n. or acc. sg. c. |
ma-an-na-an |
KUB 27.52, 5’ | (CTH 692, NS) |
Since it is unclear whether the list in which mannan occurs is in the nominative or accusative, we cannot be absolutely sure that mannan is a nom./acc. sg. of a neuter noun mann(a)-. It is equally possible that it has to be analyzed as an accusative sg. c. of a non-mutating a-stem.
[E.R.]
1.2.3Graphic Features
Reading checked against the photograph in the Konkordanz.
[E.R.]
1.2.4Meaning
mannan is attested once within a fragmentary list of foodstuffs:
KUB 27.52, 5’: GIŠGEŠTI]N È.A ma-an-na-an pár-ḫu-u[-e-na-
Taken by itself, it would be impossible to narrow down the meaning (cf. CHD:L-N 162, Ünal 2007a:422: “mng unkn”). Nevertheless, an interpretation as ‘seed, crops’ is easily compatible with the position of mannan between raisins and the parḫuena- cereal. This very tentative proposal is derived from the meanings of a large number of derivatives that form the word family of the Luwic root *mann- reconstructed here.
[E.R.]
1.2.5Stem
On purely formal grounds, it is possible to assign mannan to either a neuter stem mann(a)- or to a non-mutating -a-stem manna- c. The tentative assignment of the meaning ‘fruit, crops (?)’, which can denote both an individual piece of fruit and a collection of it, is of no help regarding this ambiguity.
[E.R.]
1.2.6Derivatives
1.2.7Origin
The gloss wedges and the possibility of a connection with the Luwian word family of *mann- speak clearly for a Luwian origin of the lexeme. Its attestation in the witašši-festival, which bears a Luwian name, can be adduced as further support.
[E.R.]
1.3 Lycian A
*mñn-
‘fertile (?)’1.3.1Derivatives
1.4 Carian
*mn-
‘fertile (?)’1.4.1Derivatives
2. Reconstruction
2.1Reconstruction ‘fertile’
The accumulated evidence of all derivatives of the Luwian root *mann- (< *mén- or *ménH-) lead to a basic stative meaning ‘to be fruitful, fertile’, which, formed into an action root noun of the amphikinetic accent type, would denote abstract ‘fruitfulness, fertility’ or with the frequent secondary development as a resultative noun ‘fruit, crops, harvest, offspring’ vel sim. Any form or derivative with a vowel following the root *men- (i.e. *mén-V-) would lead directly by Čop’s Law to mannV-, as would *ménH-V- by assimilation of the laryngeal.
Starting from the oblique stem, a relational adjective *men-o- ‘related to fertility’ must have been derived and have led to a neuter abstract *men-o- n. ‘fertility’ by substantivization. This stem can be directly reflected by mann(a)-. Alternatively, a collective noun was built on *men-o- n., i.e. *men(H)-eh2-, which is then attested as manna- c. and is probably underlying in mannai(ya)- ‘related to fruit/crops (?)’. A decision between these two options is not possible. And either one can also be the base of the possessive derivative ()mannaim(m)a/i- ‘furnished with fruit, fruitful’.
The relational *-i̯o- adjective manni(ya)- ‘related to birth-giving’ can be derived from both the root noun and substantivization of its thematic adjective. It may very well be the base of mannimman, if this is a -mman- abstract or the neuter form of a possessive -mma/i- formation. However, it cannot be excluded that we are dealing here with a participle of a deradical verb manni(ya)- ‘to be fertile’.
For the abstract noun mannitt(i)- ‘fertility’ several possibilities have to be taken into account:
- a rhyming formation based on šalḫi-tt(i)- ‘growth’ (there is no independent evidence for an i-stem adjective *mann-i-),
- an -(a)tt(i)- abstract noun based on manni(ya)- ‘related to fertility, related to birth-giving’,
- an -(a)tt(i)- abstract noun based on manni(ya)- ‘to be fertile’.
A decision is not possible.
Based on the -o- stem *men-o-, an abstract noun in -u- with acrostatic inflection, i.e. món(H)-u-/mén(H)-u- ‘fertility’ reflected in mannu- ‘fertility, potency, manliness’, was derived (for the process see Rieken 2012a:276f. building on Nussbaum 1998a:527). The u-stem, in turn, is the base of mannaw(i)- ‘related to fertility, potency, manliness’ with its Carian cognate mno- ‘son’ and/or ‘servant’, mannawallaimma/i- ‘equipped with strength, manliness’, mannuštarr(i)- ‘state of having strength, quality of strength (vel sim.)’, Lyc. A mñnuhe- (PN) and erimñnuha- (PN) as well as Lyc. B mñnusa- ‘to make into something fertile (vel sim.)’.
[E.R.]