Interpretation of Cuneiform Spellings : Three Cases

DOI HANDLE Web Site Open Access

Bibliographic Information

Other Title
  • 楔形文宇スペリングの言語学的解釈 : 3つの事例
  • 楔形文字スペリングの言語学的解釈--3つの事例
  • クサビガタ モジ スペリング ノ ゲンゴガクテキ カイシャク 3ツ ノ ジレイ

Search this article

Abstract

There are a number of intrinsic deficiencies in the cuneiform syllabary for writing Hittite and other Anatolian languages. The syllabary can directly represent only single initial or final consonants and internal clusters of two consonants within words. It is, however, impossible for scribes to render initial or final consonant clusters or internal clusters of three or more consonants without using empty vowel signs. Linguistic interpretation of these vowels is not always easy because consonant clusters may potentially be broken up by prothetic, epenthetic or epithetic vowels. The 3 sg. active preterite endings of the mi-conjugation, when attached to the consonantal verb stem, offer a case in point; e.g., Hittite e-ip-ta '(s)he seized', Cuneiform Luvian a-aš-ta '(s)he was'. The 3 pl. active preterite ending in Cuneiform Luvian such as a-ú-i-in-ta 'they came' also presents a case of the problem. As for the Hittite 3 sg. ending -ta, the final a therein is graphic because the extra -ta sign in e.g., li-in-kat-ta '(s)he swore' (never spelled **li-in-ka-at) is used to indicate an unlenited quality of the final consonant. On the other hand, comparative evidence speaks for the reality of the vowel included in the Cuneiform Luvian preterite 3 sg. ending -ta, whether attached to consonantal stems (e.g., a-aš-ta) or vocalic stems (a-ú-i-ta '(s)he came'), and 3 pl. ending -nta (e.g., a-ú-i-in-ta). Neither of the endings has a non-etymological prop vowel, but they both continue the Proto-Indo-European mediopassive endings *-to and *-nto.

Journal

  • 京都大学言語学研究

    京都大学言語学研究 20 51-70, 2001-12-24

    Departmental of Linguistics, Graduate School of Letters, Kyoto University

Related Projects

See more

Keywords

Details 詳細情報について

Report a problem

Back to top