manni(ya)-

The word is attested once in the birth incantation of ^fPittei, in which Luwianisms are extremely frequent (KUB 44.4 + KBo 13.241, cf. Bachvarova 2013a and Giorgieri 2004a).

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Reading checked against the photographs in the Konkordanz.

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No meaning is given in dictionaries that list the word (cf. Ünal 2007a:424, CLL:137, CHD L-N:16, Tischler 2008a:110, HEG L-N:118). In the birth-ritual CTH 676, the expression manniš MUNUS-iš characterizes the ^MUNUSŠÀ.ZU, the ‘midwife’ or rather, as Bachvarova 2013a:147 suggests, manniš MUNUS-iš is glossed as ^MUNUSŠÀ.ZU by the Hittite scribe. The female ritualist Pittei acts against the evil tongues that threaten the new-born child (cf. Giorgieri 2004a:421). She turns away the evil tongues, speaks a spell, takes several protective items and presses them against herself, while she speaks another spell describing their effectiveness. It is obvious that manniš is an attribute that either underlines the power of the ritual practitioner or, if Bachvarova is right, describes her function.

Considering the likely connection with mannitt(i)- c. ‘fertility’ and ()mannāim(m)a/i- ‘equipped with fertility, fertile’, a semantic interpretation of manniš as ‘related to fertility’ is attractive. A semantic specialization would easily lead to ‘related to birth-giving’ which fits the function of a midwife very well, cf. the designation ^MUNUSḫašawaš lit. ‘(woman) of birth-giving’, which is based on the same concept.

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While it cannot be entirely excluded on formal grounds that we are dealing with a simple -a/i- stem, for semantic reasons, the most attractive analysis would be an adjective in -i(ya)-. This would allow us to interpret manniš as an adjective of appurtenance, manni(ya)-, derived from an unattested abstract noun *mann- ‘fertility’, as suggested under Meaning.

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1. mannitt(i)- 

The form manniš is found in the Hittite birth incantation CTH 767, which abounds in Luwianisms. As CHDL-N:163 points out, also the word behind the heterographic representation of the head noun (MUNUS-iš) Although the first vertical of the sign <iš> in MUNUS-iš is only slightly impressed, the reading seems to be certain, see CHDL-N:163. is probably the Luwian word for ‘woman’, wanatt(i)-/unatt(i)-, contrasting with the Hittite -n- stem MUNUN-n-. This supports the working hypothesis that manniš is etymologically connected with Luwian mannitt(i)- c. ‘fertility’ and ()mannāim(m)a/i- ‘furnished with fruit, fruitful’. The ease by which a semantic coherent interpretation can be reached adds to its likelihood.

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For the lemma head see PLuw. *men(H)-o-.