David Sasseville | Philipps University Marburg (original) (raw)

Papers by David Sasseville

Kadmos 63, 2024

Lydian o-vocalism has proved a difficult problem of historical phonology and the origin of many o... more Lydian o-vocalism has proved a difficult problem of historical phonology and the origin of many o-vowels remains unclear. In this paper, one sound law responsible for secondary o-vocalism is presented: the backing of an accented *á when adjacent to k. This sound law provides an etymology for the nominal suffix-oka-and can be supported by several independent data points. One consequence is the elucidation of the word kocwid as meaning 'rite, cult supply', leading to an improved understanding of three separate Lydian passages. An ongoing rounding of á to o when adjacent to f is also hypothesised, based on new evidence with observable a/o-vacillation.

By God's Grace. Ancient Anatolian Studies presented to Aram Kosyan on the occasion of his 65th birthday, 2023

The present paper offers a new edition of a Hittite tablet from Ḫattuša recovered by the joining ... more The present paper offers a new edition of a Hittite tablet from Ḫattuša recovered by the joining of several Cuneiform Luwian fragments. The text contains a mugawar used to lure the Storm-god of Zippalanda back to his temple. The Luwian passages that are newly joined contribute to the development of the Luwian lexicon and are thus provided with a linguistic commentary. Furthermore, they reveal information about the temple and the cult of the Storm-god and shed more light on the linguistic background of Zippalanda.

E. Lafli – G. Labarre (eds.), Studies on the history and archaeology of Lydia from the Early Lydian period to Late Antiquity, 2023

The article discusses the Lydian goddess Malis from both an Anatolian and a Greek perspective and... more The article discusses the Lydian goddess Malis from both an Anatolian and a Greek perspective and suggest an identification of the goddess with a small statuette of a female figure found at the Artemis temple in Ephesus.

Altorientalische Forschungen, 2022

This paper addresses the Hittite word gišmāri-, which designates a kind of weapon and is often tr... more This paper addresses the Hittite word gišmāri-, which designates a kind of weapon and is often translated as ‘mari-spear’. A philological re-evaluation of the Hittite attestations rather calls for the meaning ‘scimitar (sickle-shaped sword),’ which has previously been suggested but was largely disregarded. At the same time, archaeological evidence for the presence of scimitars in the Hittite culture is adduced. Sub- sequently, the role of this type of weapon in the ancient Near East is reassessed. Finally, a new Indo-Europe- an etymology for the word māri- is offered, which brings additional support for the meaning ‘scimitar (sickle- shaped sword).’

Beyond All Boundaries. Anatolia in the First Millennium BC (Peeters), 2021

This paper deals first with the phenomenon of "rhotacism", well established in the Luwian languag... more This paper deals first with the phenomenon of "rhotacism", well established in the Luwian language as attested in the Hieroglyphic inscriptions of the Iron Age period. Reemphasizing the overlooked restriction of the sound change vis-à-vis Luwian geminate consonants, we compare a similar phenomenon in the Lydian language. It is argued that Pre-Lydian has undergone "rhotacism" (or better, flapping) as well, which explains the strong presence of the letters λ and l in Lydian inflectional endings. As a result, a new Lydian sound law is posited. Furthermore, an areal diffusion between South-Central and West Anatolia during the beginning of the 1 st millennium BC is posited.

Kadmos 60, 2021

In the following paper, new meanings for the Lycian B words waxssa, mur(i)- (and murei(je)-) and ... more In the following paper, new meanings for the Lycian B words waxssa, mur(i)- (and murei(je)-) and tubur(i)- are suggested using the combinatorial and etymological methods. Additionally, a new translation of a large part of the mythological poem on the north side of the funerary pillar in Xanthos (TL 44c) is offered, including a grammatical annotation and a linguistic commentary. Subsequently, the repercussions on the military deeds of the Lycian king Gergis as well as on his relationship with the gods are addressed.

Hungarian Assyriological Review, 2021

In the present paper, it is argued that the Lycian word terñ previously interpreted as a substan... more In the present paper, it is argued that the Lycian word terñ previously interpreted as a substantive is in fact a conjunction. A syntactic analysis of the word across the corpus reveals that it is restricted to the position after the finite or, if applicable, non-finite verb. Afterwards, a passage of the inscription on the inscribed pillar of Xanthus, in which terñ is attested several times, is reinterpreted accordingly. The new syntactic and grammatical interpretation of the passage has contextual consequences regarding the political history of Lycia during the Peloponnesian War. Therefore, a new translation of TL 44a.41-55 shedding a different light on the relationship between the Lycian king Gergis, son of Harpagos, and the Lycian dynasts Trbbẽnimi and Xerẽi is offered and then discussed within the historical frame.

Historische Sprachforschung 131, 2018

A Palaic passage featuring the mention of sacrificial animals and the spaces where they are kept ... more A Palaic passage featuring the mention of sacrificial animals and the spaces where they are kept is identified with its Hittite parallel. The simultaneous application of combinatory and etymological methods is conducive to the identification of a number of Palaic lexemes occurring in this passage, which were previously regarded as obscure. Among them are the Palaic words for 'dog', 'cow', and either 'sheep' or 'lamb'.

Indo-European Linguistics 8, 2020

The Luwian nominal class of common gender a-stems, which has been argued to reflect Proto-Indo-Eu... more The Luwian nominal class of common gender a-stems, which has been argued to reflect Proto-Indo-European stems in *-eh2-, has not yet been explored to a full extent. In Cuneiform Luwian, a number of action nouns in -a- c. derived from verbs in -i(ya)- (< *-i̯e/o-) have been noticed by scholars, but a larger analysis of all examples including Hieroglyphic Luwian is still lacking. It is the goal of the present paper to fill this gap. After a synchronic analysis of all examples, their stem formation will be compared to a similar derivational process found in Sanskrit. Consequently, the comparative evidence will shed light on the function of the suffix *-eh2- in Proto-Indo-European, including Anatolian.

Kadmos 58, 2019

Der vorliegende Beitrag behandelt die Identität des lydischen Qλdãns, der oft mit Apollon oder de... more Der vorliegende Beitrag behandelt die Identität des lydischen Qλdãns, der oft mit Apollon oder dem Mondgott gleichgesetzt wurde. Nachdem jedoch jüngst bekannt geworden ist, dass auch eine lydische Münze den Namen Qλdãns in ihrer Legende nennt, sind die früheren Deutungen als Gottheit zu revidieren. Eine phonetische Untersuchung von Qλdãns ergibt zunächst eine Gleichsetzung mit dem Namen des berühmten lydischen Königs Kroisos, dem letzten Herrscher der mächtigen Dynastie der Mermnaden. Die Inschriften, die Qλdãns nennen, enthüllen darüber hinaus die Existenz eines Herrscherkultes für den verstorbenen König in Lydien in der zweiten Hälfte des 6. Jh. v. Chr. Vor diesem Hintergrund werden ferner sowohl die Bedeutung der oben genannten Münze als auch die eines perserzeitlichen lydischen Siegels mit dem Namen Qλdãns darauf herausgearbeitet. Schließlich wird dafür argumentiert, dass sich Kroisos nach der verlorenen Schlacht gegen die Perser selbst tötete und im Pyramidengrab in Sardis bestattet wurde.

Zeitschrift für Assyriologie und vorderasiatische Archäologie, 2020

In his edition of Cuneiform Luwian texts, Starke categorizes the rituals of Kuwattalla into three... more In his edition of Cuneiform Luwian texts, Starke categorizes the rituals of Kuwattalla into three groups. While the existence of the first two in which Šilalluḫi participates is secured, the third one is highly hypothetical. In this paper, new joins of Cuneiform fragments made by the author are presented, which confirm the recent arguments of Hutter against the third ritual of Starke and bear consequences for the rearrangement of the rituals of the Kuwattalla tradition. Furthermore, it is shown that the various redactions of the Great Ritual were not preserved in the same archives of the city of Ḫattuša.

Kadmos 57, 2018

The present paper offers a contextual analysis of the Lydian title šiwraλm(i)- of unclear semanti... more The present paper offers a contextual analysis of the Lydian title šiwraλm(i)- of unclear semantics and compares it with the Greek title προήγορος 'advocate, prosecutor' found in a Greek inscription from Ephesus. Both titles have in common that they refer to officials related to the cult of Artemis in Ephesus and Sardis. The comparative analysis yields new information on the cult of the goddess and contributes to our understanding of the Lydian lexicon.

"And I Knew Twelve Languages" A Tribute to Massimo Poetto on the Occasion of His 70th Birthday, 2019

Altorientalische Forschungen 46,1, 2019

This paper presents a textual analysis of CTH 751 called a Palaic ritual with bread offerings. Du... more This paper presents a textual analysis of CTH 751 called a Palaic ritual with bread offerings. Due to new joins made by the author, it is now possible to attribute several Palaic fragments placed under CTH 754 to CTH 751. This contributes to a better contextual understanding of the largest Palaic text. The focus of this paper will be the semantic analysis of the Palaic verb takkuwa(g)a-(di) , whose elucidation has been facilitated by the new joins. This verb is equated etymologically with Hittite dakkudakuwā(i)-(mi) and takku-(mi) , both of debated semantics. In light of the new analysis of the Palaic verb, the two Hittite cognates will be reanalyzed contextually.

Kadmos 63, 2024

Lydian o-vocalism has proved a difficult problem of historical phonology and the origin of many o... more Lydian o-vocalism has proved a difficult problem of historical phonology and the origin of many o-vowels remains unclear. In this paper, one sound law responsible for secondary o-vocalism is presented: the backing of an accented *á when adjacent to k. This sound law provides an etymology for the nominal suffix-oka-and can be supported by several independent data points. One consequence is the elucidation of the word kocwid as meaning 'rite, cult supply', leading to an improved understanding of three separate Lydian passages. An ongoing rounding of á to o when adjacent to f is also hypothesised, based on new evidence with observable a/o-vacillation.

By God's Grace. Ancient Anatolian Studies presented to Aram Kosyan on the occasion of his 65th birthday, 2023

The present paper offers a new edition of a Hittite tablet from Ḫattuša recovered by the joining ... more The present paper offers a new edition of a Hittite tablet from Ḫattuša recovered by the joining of several Cuneiform Luwian fragments. The text contains a mugawar used to lure the Storm-god of Zippalanda back to his temple. The Luwian passages that are newly joined contribute to the development of the Luwian lexicon and are thus provided with a linguistic commentary. Furthermore, they reveal information about the temple and the cult of the Storm-god and shed more light on the linguistic background of Zippalanda.

E. Lafli – G. Labarre (eds.), Studies on the history and archaeology of Lydia from the Early Lydian period to Late Antiquity, 2023

The article discusses the Lydian goddess Malis from both an Anatolian and a Greek perspective and... more The article discusses the Lydian goddess Malis from both an Anatolian and a Greek perspective and suggest an identification of the goddess with a small statuette of a female figure found at the Artemis temple in Ephesus.

Altorientalische Forschungen, 2022

This paper addresses the Hittite word gišmāri-, which designates a kind of weapon and is often tr... more This paper addresses the Hittite word gišmāri-, which designates a kind of weapon and is often translated as ‘mari-spear’. A philological re-evaluation of the Hittite attestations rather calls for the meaning ‘scimitar (sickle-shaped sword),’ which has previously been suggested but was largely disregarded. At the same time, archaeological evidence for the presence of scimitars in the Hittite culture is adduced. Sub- sequently, the role of this type of weapon in the ancient Near East is reassessed. Finally, a new Indo-Europe- an etymology for the word māri- is offered, which brings additional support for the meaning ‘scimitar (sickle- shaped sword).’

Beyond All Boundaries. Anatolia in the First Millennium BC (Peeters), 2021

This paper deals first with the phenomenon of "rhotacism", well established in the Luwian languag... more This paper deals first with the phenomenon of "rhotacism", well established in the Luwian language as attested in the Hieroglyphic inscriptions of the Iron Age period. Reemphasizing the overlooked restriction of the sound change vis-à-vis Luwian geminate consonants, we compare a similar phenomenon in the Lydian language. It is argued that Pre-Lydian has undergone "rhotacism" (or better, flapping) as well, which explains the strong presence of the letters λ and l in Lydian inflectional endings. As a result, a new Lydian sound law is posited. Furthermore, an areal diffusion between South-Central and West Anatolia during the beginning of the 1 st millennium BC is posited.

Kadmos 60, 2021

In the following paper, new meanings for the Lycian B words waxssa, mur(i)- (and murei(je)-) and ... more In the following paper, new meanings for the Lycian B words waxssa, mur(i)- (and murei(je)-) and tubur(i)- are suggested using the combinatorial and etymological methods. Additionally, a new translation of a large part of the mythological poem on the north side of the funerary pillar in Xanthos (TL 44c) is offered, including a grammatical annotation and a linguistic commentary. Subsequently, the repercussions on the military deeds of the Lycian king Gergis as well as on his relationship with the gods are addressed.

Hungarian Assyriological Review, 2021

In the present paper, it is argued that the Lycian word terñ previously interpreted as a substan... more In the present paper, it is argued that the Lycian word terñ previously interpreted as a substantive is in fact a conjunction. A syntactic analysis of the word across the corpus reveals that it is restricted to the position after the finite or, if applicable, non-finite verb. Afterwards, a passage of the inscription on the inscribed pillar of Xanthus, in which terñ is attested several times, is reinterpreted accordingly. The new syntactic and grammatical interpretation of the passage has contextual consequences regarding the political history of Lycia during the Peloponnesian War. Therefore, a new translation of TL 44a.41-55 shedding a different light on the relationship between the Lycian king Gergis, son of Harpagos, and the Lycian dynasts Trbbẽnimi and Xerẽi is offered and then discussed within the historical frame.

Historische Sprachforschung 131, 2018

A Palaic passage featuring the mention of sacrificial animals and the spaces where they are kept ... more A Palaic passage featuring the mention of sacrificial animals and the spaces where they are kept is identified with its Hittite parallel. The simultaneous application of combinatory and etymological methods is conducive to the identification of a number of Palaic lexemes occurring in this passage, which were previously regarded as obscure. Among them are the Palaic words for 'dog', 'cow', and either 'sheep' or 'lamb'.

Indo-European Linguistics 8, 2020

The Luwian nominal class of common gender a-stems, which has been argued to reflect Proto-Indo-Eu... more The Luwian nominal class of common gender a-stems, which has been argued to reflect Proto-Indo-European stems in *-eh2-, has not yet been explored to a full extent. In Cuneiform Luwian, a number of action nouns in -a- c. derived from verbs in -i(ya)- (< *-i̯e/o-) have been noticed by scholars, but a larger analysis of all examples including Hieroglyphic Luwian is still lacking. It is the goal of the present paper to fill this gap. After a synchronic analysis of all examples, their stem formation will be compared to a similar derivational process found in Sanskrit. Consequently, the comparative evidence will shed light on the function of the suffix *-eh2- in Proto-Indo-European, including Anatolian.

Kadmos 58, 2019

Der vorliegende Beitrag behandelt die Identität des lydischen Qλdãns, der oft mit Apollon oder de... more Der vorliegende Beitrag behandelt die Identität des lydischen Qλdãns, der oft mit Apollon oder dem Mondgott gleichgesetzt wurde. Nachdem jedoch jüngst bekannt geworden ist, dass auch eine lydische Münze den Namen Qλdãns in ihrer Legende nennt, sind die früheren Deutungen als Gottheit zu revidieren. Eine phonetische Untersuchung von Qλdãns ergibt zunächst eine Gleichsetzung mit dem Namen des berühmten lydischen Königs Kroisos, dem letzten Herrscher der mächtigen Dynastie der Mermnaden. Die Inschriften, die Qλdãns nennen, enthüllen darüber hinaus die Existenz eines Herrscherkultes für den verstorbenen König in Lydien in der zweiten Hälfte des 6. Jh. v. Chr. Vor diesem Hintergrund werden ferner sowohl die Bedeutung der oben genannten Münze als auch die eines perserzeitlichen lydischen Siegels mit dem Namen Qλdãns darauf herausgearbeitet. Schließlich wird dafür argumentiert, dass sich Kroisos nach der verlorenen Schlacht gegen die Perser selbst tötete und im Pyramidengrab in Sardis bestattet wurde.

Zeitschrift für Assyriologie und vorderasiatische Archäologie, 2020

In his edition of Cuneiform Luwian texts, Starke categorizes the rituals of Kuwattalla into three... more In his edition of Cuneiform Luwian texts, Starke categorizes the rituals of Kuwattalla into three groups. While the existence of the first two in which Šilalluḫi participates is secured, the third one is highly hypothetical. In this paper, new joins of Cuneiform fragments made by the author are presented, which confirm the recent arguments of Hutter against the third ritual of Starke and bear consequences for the rearrangement of the rituals of the Kuwattalla tradition. Furthermore, it is shown that the various redactions of the Great Ritual were not preserved in the same archives of the city of Ḫattuša.

Kadmos 57, 2018

The present paper offers a contextual analysis of the Lydian title šiwraλm(i)- of unclear semanti... more The present paper offers a contextual analysis of the Lydian title šiwraλm(i)- of unclear semantics and compares it with the Greek title προήγορος 'advocate, prosecutor' found in a Greek inscription from Ephesus. Both titles have in common that they refer to officials related to the cult of Artemis in Ephesus and Sardis. The comparative analysis yields new information on the cult of the goddess and contributes to our understanding of the Lydian lexicon.

"And I Knew Twelve Languages" A Tribute to Massimo Poetto on the Occasion of His 70th Birthday, 2019

Altorientalische Forschungen 46,1, 2019

This paper presents a textual analysis of CTH 751 called a Palaic ritual with bread offerings. Du... more This paper presents a textual analysis of CTH 751 called a Palaic ritual with bread offerings. Due to new joins made by the author, it is now possible to attribute several Palaic fragments placed under CTH 754 to CTH 751. This contributes to a better contextual understanding of the largest Palaic text. The focus of this paper will be the semantic analysis of the Palaic verb takkuwa(g)a-(di) , whose elucidation has been facilitated by the new joins. This verb is equated etymologically with Hittite dakkudakuwā(i)-(mi) and takku-(mi) , both of debated semantics. In light of the new analysis of the Palaic verb, the two Hittite cognates will be reanalyzed contextually.

Brill, 2021

In Anatolian Verbal Stem Formation, David Sasseville offers an extensive classification of the Lu... more In Anatolian Verbal Stem Formation, David Sasseville offers an extensive classification of the Luwian, Lycian and Lydian verbal stem classes. This serves as a basis for reconstructing the Proto-Luwic stage and subsequent comparison with Hittite, providing new insights into the Proto-Anatolian verbal system and by extension into the reconstruction of Proto-Indo-European.
Besides its contribution to the study of verbal morphology, the present book also provides significant insights into the philology of the Anatolian languages. The detailed analyses of the synchronic data, including a philological survey of verbal forms and paradigms for the individual stem classes, enhance our understanding of Luwian, Lycian and Lydian and thereby benefit the fields of Hittitology and other studies on the Classical period in Asia Minor.

The present paper aims at presenting an already published Hittite cuneiform tablet originating in... more The present paper aims at presenting an already published Hittite cuneiform tablet originating in the Great Temple of the Lower City at Ḫattuša, which preserves over 60 fragmentary lines of an unidentified language. Combining both a philological and a linguistic approach on the material, it will be argued that this 8 th recorded language in the archives of Ḫattuša is the Kaskean language. Even though the meanings of its lexemes are so far unknown, a morphological approach identifying prefixes, suffixes and lexical bases and revealing the agglutinative nature of the language is attainable. Further, this data will be compared with the results that Einar von Schuler (1965, Die Kaškäer) obtained in his linguistic chapter on the Kaskean language, which was based solely on toponyms and onomastics found in Hittite texts, and his results will be reassessed in face of actual common nouns in the language proper.

Die Einladung zu dieser Konferenz richtet sich an Doktoranden und Post-Docs in der Anfangsphase. ... more Die Einladung zu dieser Konferenz richtet sich an Doktoranden und Post-Docs in der Anfangsphase. Ihr seid ganz herzlich eingeladen, uns bis zum 17. Januar 2024 Eure Abstracts zu Themen der Indogermanischen Sprachwissenschaft einzureichen. Bitte sendet ein deutsches oder englisches Abstract von ca. 300 Wörtern sowohl als Word-als auch als PDF-Datei an die Organisatoren Jonas Döll (jonas.doell(at)uni-marburg.de) und David Sasseville (david.sasseville(at)staff.uni-marburg.de). Wir bitten darum, die Vorträge auf Deutsch oder Englisch zu halten.

Ancient Anatolia held a unique role as a bridge between Ancient Near Eastern and Classical tradit... more Ancient Anatolia held a unique role as a bridge between Ancient Near Eastern and Classical tradition, and because of this is singularly suited to interdisciplinary approaches. Accounts of her cultures, languages, history and archaeology in the 1st millennium B.C. remain, however, separated by disciplinary boundaries. Further, many areas under consideration do not even belong to currently established fields of research. Differing methodologies in the academic fields involved, and a focus on minutiae obstruct the integration of research results into a coherent picture. This situation is mirrored by the available literature: outside of focus areas such as specific archaeological sites, publications are widely scattered and often seriously out of date.