wayaḫi(t)-

The lexeme is attested only once in an incantation.

 [E.R.]

nom./acc. sg.

wa-ia-ḫi-ša

KBo 13.260 iii 19’

(CTH 766, NS)

Checked against the photographs in the Konkordanz.

[D.S.]

The word is part of list of desirable features within a blessing formula: ḫuidumarša ‘life’, wayaḫiša, ḫaddulaḫiša ‘health’, annarumaḫiša ‘strength’. As a consequence, it cannot be a derivative of (u)wāi- ‘woe’, as one might have expected for formal reasons (see Starke 1990a:176).

The alternative interpretation of Carruba 1979a:87f. as ‘potency, virility, procreativeness’ fits the context, but is only one possibility and based on the erroneous presumption of a putative Lyc. cognate; see wam̃ãt(i)-. Equally suitable is ‘vitality’, and it is this interpretation, presented here for the first time, that would be in accordance with the possible meaning of (u)wayant(i)- ‘animal’ (← ‘furnished with life’, see under Lemma). The semantic assignments of the two words would support each other.

[E.R.]

Obviously, the abstract noun wayaḫi(t)- is based on nominal *(u)waya- (contra Starke 1990a:153f., who implausibly argues for a deverbal type; cf. also CLL:iv), which also underlies possessive (u)way-ant(i)- ‘furnished with vitality’.

[E.R.]

For the lemma head see Luw. *waya-.