/tuppala-/ SCRIBA-la-
‘scribe’
- Language
- Hieroglyphic Luwian
- Grammar
- subst
- ID
- 992
1. Individual Anatolian Languages
1.1 Hieroglyphic Luwian
/tuppala-/ SCRIBA-la-
‘scribe’1.1.1Transmission
This lexeme is attested ten times in the HLuw. corpus with a considerable geographical distribution, as attestations can be found in an area stretching from central Tabal to Commagene in the east and Hama in the far south. All relevant inscriptions date to between the 10th and 8th centuries BCE, i.e. to Iron Age times.
[AH.B.]
1.1.2Forms
| nom.sg. | /tuppalas/ | (VIR2)SCRIBA-la-sa | ALEPPO 7, §6 (Aleppo) ALEPPO 7, §13 (Aleppo) |
| SCRIBA-la-sa | BOYBEYPINARI 1, Ia§11 (Commagene) | ||
| SCRIBA-la-sá | KARABURUN, §14 (Tabal) | ||
| SCRIBA-la | ARSUZ 2, §28 (Amuq) | ||
| SCRIBA-l[a-sa4] | KULULU 3, A2§1 (Tabal) | ||
| BONUS2.SCRIBA-la | ARSUZ 1, §28 (Amuq) | ||
| SCRIBA | KULULU 8, l.2 (Tabal) | ||
| ALEPPO 1, §2 (Aleppo) | |||
| SCR[IBA?] | HAMA frag. 7 (Hama) |
In KULULU 3, the partly broken attestation SCRIBA-l[a-sa4] receives its restoration according to the signs used in the preceding words: i-la?-li-sa4 IUSTITIA-ni-sa4 ‘Ilali, the just/loyal (scribe)’.
[AH.B.]
1.1.3Graphic Features
1.1.3.1Phonological Interpretation
The lexeme is invariably spelt with logogram SCRIBA (*326), which covers either most or indeed all of the stem in the extant forms. Still, its appearance on bilingual seals prompted Laroche (Laroche 1956c:26) to interpret it as /tuppala-/, which is also found in Hittite. This is further supported by the phonetic complements as well as the syllabic value of the sign *326, 〈tù〉, which give a very good indication of the underlying phonological form of the word.
[AH.B.]
1.1.4Meaning
The meaning of this lexeme can be regarded as certain, not least due to its cognate link with Hittite /tuppala-/ ‘scribe’ (Laroche 1956c: 26). Its semantic interpretation is also strongly supported within HLuw., for while it may appear odd at first to find this lexeme attested in nom. sg. form only, this corresponds precisely to how a word of that meaning is used in HLuw. and other contemporary languages. Thus, /tuppala-/ appears most frequently in the final or penultimate clause of an inscription, comparable to a colophon as commonly found on cuneiform clay tablets. The wording of such clauses in HLuw. varies between purely nominal constructions of the type ‘X (was) the scribe’ and those containing the verb /kwanza-(di)/ ‘to carve, incise’.
[AH.B.] [I.Y.]
1.1.5Stem
The derivational basis of this lexeme is */tuppi-/ ‘clay tablet’, which is unattested in HLuw., but can be found in Hittite. Derived with the suffix /-ala-/, it constitutes an agent noun and, just as expected, does not undergo i-mutation (Sasseville 2014-2015a:120), as is evident from the attestations.
[AH.B.]
1.1.6Derivatives
1.1.7Origin
Originally a loan from Akkadian, the derivational base for /tuppala-/ can be found in various Anatolian languages; cf. Hittite tuppi- n. ‘clay tablet’ (HEG T:450-452). See also Lyc. tupe/i- and its derivatives.
[AH.B.]