Topics in Milyan

Vitaly Shevoroshkin
University of Michigan

There exist only two texts written in Milyan, a Late Hittite-Luwian (Anato-
lian) language closely related to Lycian. The existence of many precise matches
between Milyan words and those of other Anatolian languages is an important
factor in the interpretation of Milyan. But, a decisive help in this interpretation
can be expected from a study of rules which shape the structure of Milyan in-
scriptions.
In the present paper I am using both etymological and structural data in or-
der to clarify some relatively difficult issues in the exploration of Milyan texts.
I have utilized in this paper the same literature which is listed on p. 189 of
my work “Word Combinations in Milyan and Lycian Inscription.” GS A.
Korolëv, 2002: 117-189 [this work is referred to as WCML in my present study].
Note the following abbreviations, frequently used in the present paper:
AHP (refers to C. Melchert’s Anatolian Historical Phonology. Amsterdam,
1994);
AK (refers to the late A. Korolëv’s word-lists and notes);
DS (refers to D. Schürr’s notes and letters);
LL (refers to C. Melchert’s Lycian Lexicon. Chapel Hill, 1993);
MP (refers to my paper “Milyan Passages with neu and ni(-ke)”. – Anato-
lian Languages. Canberra 2002: 210-232).
1. Introduction: On the Status of Milyan Transcription
Both the transcription of Milyan texts and their understanding has some-
what improved recently, mostly thanks to Schürr’s efforts. I mostly follow his
corrections in the transcription of Milyan texts, though I disagree with a few
emendations and reconstructions, such as:
a) <ẽ>trqqi for etrqqi (imp. [‘add’?]; synon.: slã/ama, xupdi [‘mix’?]); cf. pu(bra-)
b) m̃qri[ñ]ti for m̃qri[s]ti (sg., not pl.; subj. is ñneri (a)rm̃paimi: [‘guard, priest?])
514 Vitaly Shevoroshkin

c) [m]utla where we rather have [t]utla (priest-protector, as ñneri (a)rm̃paimi,

xñtabaimi, qrbblali, kuprimesi): 44d.21-2 ‘terẽI [‘civilian (payer)’] pays to [t]utla
[‘guard/protector’] twice damages for harm [done] to Tunewñni [‘Natri’?]
d) mru[w]a[.]si for mru-[k]a[p]si, cf. acc sg. kapsaqẽ [‘some assets’] to IE *kap-s-
(?), 55.4. [There seems to be no *mruwa- in padmruwasa but *paddummar]
e) m-ed<e>-tu (particles) for imp. 3rd p. sg. medutu (sic!), 44d.58
f) ãzi{:}sse for n. sg. ãzi + d. pl. sse (to Lycian ese [‘for deeds/feats’], to es- [‘do,
make’]; not to be confused with Lycian preverb ese- in es(e)-eri-ta- <*asta-arhi-
dāi-).
It seems possible to correct:
a) sljtãmi to s<ep>tãmi (=attr. to acc. qirzẽ [‘share’]; in many cases, Milyan texts
show wrong letters which are similar in shape to the correct ones which are
expected; note that a “word” sljtãmi is impossible in Milyan)
b) kãtdqẽ to kãt<a>qẽ (g. pl. or acc.: ‘produce’: probably grain [:Ht. kant-
‘wheat,’ kanta-sualli-‘a vessel,’ to suwa-‘fill’])…kuprimẽ (cf. stem -qẽ as in
kapsa-qẽ)
c) xlp[.]ã (or is it xlu[.]ã?) to xl<u>[s]ã = 55.2 xulsã-‘produce’ (:Ht. halkuessar)
and to reconstruct:
d) s[xxa]xa (not a verb; we already have ebudi…epdi), a noun in all. or d. pl. ‘for
duties’: sxxaija ‘(payer pays) to the duty-collectors’ (:utakija, Lycian marazija)
e) [pasbb]az, 44c.40-1 (see below; note that ‘trqqñtasaz’ is a ghost form; we have
all. trqqñtasa…xrbbla<ta> ‘for T.’s reserves’; cf. acc. sg. xrbblatã trqqñtasi)
f) [m(e)erm]ed(ẹ)m̃qrẽ at the beginning of 44d; cf. loc. Ermede, 44c: ‘a rite ?’
g) arm̃paimedi: qã[.adi] ‘along with a fine to Arma’s priest,’ 44d.21 [we are deal-
ing with the payment of a fine to Arma-Trqqiz’s arm̃paimi (priest) and to
Tunewñni’s [t]utla (priest)]
h) busawwñn[a:q]la (/[a]la), all., 44d.42-3; three characters seem to be lacking
here
i) m̃qr[ẽ er]eime (or m̃qr[i]), 44d.43-4; three units are lacking, as in as[xxa]ti.
One important aspect of the use of Milyan transcription is the word divi-
sion. I am convinced that, on many occasions, the division proposed so far
must be changed in sentences where there are two [frequently not yet recog-
nized] verbs (usually similar in grammar, meaning, and even in their shape):
a) not unitẽ-pe…trbbẽniti but uni (+tẽpe)…trbbẽni (+ti) ‘sees…provides,’ 44d.63-4
b) not budi…s[…]xa = verbs, but (e/a)budi…n(e) epdi ‘violates…not-takes,’ 55.1
c) not udrñte = verb, but date [or adate?]…xi[st]te ‘took/put…offered,’ 55.3
d) not sebeda but sebe da [text with 4 imp. (2nd sg.) epe-da-epe-xi, 55.4]
e) not seb[e] ‘and’ but seb[edi]…slãmati ‘selects (?)…adds/expands,’ 44c.39-40.
 Topics in Milyan 515

Other corrections refer to the (most recently) proposed word division:

f) not ne-kike-pñ (with a word ‘kike’) but ne (e)ki-ke [d.-l. sg. + ‘and’] (e)pñ, 55.6
g) not ki-llete-rblẽ but (e)ki lle [</ele/ or /ile/] terblẽ (d.-l. sg. + d. pl. + acc.?),
55.7
h) not trqqñtasati (verb)…xrbbla<tã> but all. trqqñtasa…xrbblata, 55.8 (above)
i) not timlu but ti ‘who’ (+ mawate ‘removed’) + acc. mlu ‘cult, obligations,’
44c.48
j) not pere: me-dijeti-ke but pere: medije (noun + attr., pl.) tike (=Lycian), 44c.61
k) not seri (imp.) -j-ekaburã but s(e) erij(e) ekaburã ‘and for levy’ + acc., 44c.64
l) not plejerese: [me]-pe-ne but plejere se: [xu]pe (l. pl.) + acc. (e)ne, 44d.15-6
m) not prijedulise but prij(e) eduli se ‘for harm (eduli) to the p., and,’ 44d.10-1
n) not iseketu but [n]i seketu [ni appears before imp., cf. ni…lugãtu], 44d.20
o) not trm̃mile-bete-keri but trm̃mile-be te (e)keri = d. pl. + te ‘here’ + acc., 44d.25
p) not -ke-r[b?]lẽ prijasxxa but (e)ker[i] lẽpri-j-asxxa ‘realize time for amends!,’ or
‘realize amends in time!,’ 44d.26-7 [cf. asx[xat]i ‘realizes’ + acc., 44d.44-5];
note three imp. 2nd sg. here: …xup[di] (sic!) ‘mix!’ slama…‘add!’…asxxa ‘real-
ize!’
q) not me-tu (2x), m-ede-tu but imperatives (e)metu (2x) and medetu (sic!)
r) not n-uniti but nuni ti ‘who invokes’ or sim. (+ acc. lusalija: zẽna), 44d.58-9
s) not xuma lade but subj. xumala + -de (+ verb nẽnijeti + acc. + d.), 44d.65
t) not kedije (2x), ilẽnedije but (i)kedi (:Lycian ikedi) + (i)je; ilẽnedi + (i)je; below.
It is not difficult to understand why the (old) correct translation of the type
trbbẽni ti ‘who provides,’ ti mlu (subj. + acc. obj.), medije tike (d. pl. + ‘someone’)
etc. was recently distorted (hence ‘trbbẽniti,’ etc.): a new theory (formulated by
scholars who did not work with Milyan texts) requires one to ‘get rid’ of the
pronouns ti ‘who,’ tike ‘someone,’ despite the fact that ti and tike are identical to
appropriate Lycian pronouns both in form and in function (Milyan texts eve-
rywhere show two verbs in sentences with ti and tike, as well as those with ẽke,
kudi, kuti).
Instead, it has been proposed that ki is ‘who,’ though it does not behave like
the pronoun ‘who’ is expected to, which is easy to explain: ki / eki / eke (pl.)
are nouns in d.-l. (WCML: 160-6). There is absolutely no reason to treat them
otherwise.
These kinds of mistakes are numerous in contemporary works: take, for ex-
ample, ki-be which is identified with Lycian tibe ‘or’ despite the fact that it regu-
larly appears between a noun and its attribute (!).
* * *
An important partial change in the interpretation of Milyan-Lycian “laryn-
geals” (q, x, g) took place recently when it became obvious that q continues IE
516 Vitaly Shevoroshkin

and Anatolian *Hʷ̣ and *Hw as well as IE *gʷh- (DS). Unfortunately, Anatolian-
ists did not pay enough attention to J.E. Rasmussen’s explanation (made several
decades ago) of Milyan-Lycian q as labiovelar: it never appears before u.
There has been some progress in disclosing the content of Milyan passages
with the negative and prohibitive particles ne, ne-u, nṙ, ni which appear only with
imp. forms, either written or implied (DS; see data in MP).
Milyan texts show on many occasions that Milyan nominal forms in -Vz
(such as xruwasaz, lijenuwez, warasijez, mlez) cannot be interpreted as acc. pl. since
different (and obvious) acc. pl. forms are usually present in appropriate sen-
tences. Hence, we have to interpret forms in -Vz as d.-l. pl. This is not a fresh
idea in itself, but recent analyses of Milyan texts overwhelmingly support it. It
seems that forms in -Vz represent a late development in Milyan: these forms
are based on n.-sg. stems (mle*, lijenuwe*, xruwasa*, xbadasi*, etc.) + -z which was
re-interpreted as a plural ending (cf. acc. sg. marã : acc. pl. marã-z, etc.).
Semantic grouping of Milyan words, word combinations, and sentences is
especially important for further studies. There is a rather large group of words
which refer to harvesting, tax paying, rite performing, awarding people, etc.
They include nouns of the following types:
a) ‘store, supply, reserve’: d.-l. sg. zppli (mostly, of Trqqiz but also of people),
erẽpli, d. pl. erẽple (of Trqqiz), zi-(e)rẽple; acc. coll. zirãpla (of people); acc. sg.
xrbblatã (of Trqqiz); eleli (of gods: tulijeli, nere, d.);
b) ‘(produce) levy’; also ‘reserve’: d.-l. zi-psse, (e)re-psse, ereime, abl. ereimedi,
zi-(e)reimedi, all. zireima;
c) ‘pay, deliver’: pssa-, pina-, pije-, pdura-, eleli-;
d) ‘add, expand’: slama-/slãma- (:Lycian noun hlm̃mi-), etrqqi-, xupdi- (‘mix’?), etc.
e) ‘enforce (tribute/tax)’: wisi- (:Luw. ‘press’), ãpi- (<Anatolian *emb-); muwa-.
2. Semantic Grouping of Some Milyan Passages
In several cases, examples below are represented by shortened sentences;
most of the words also appear in the comparative lists (parts VIII and IX of
this paper); naturally, many of these words appear in other parts of the present
paper.
Each entry includes a heading; several examples from appropriate passages;
and some very short comments about a few especially important participating
words, with an occasional listing of their (quasi-)synonyms. All designations of
gods and people are underlined (this also includes adjectives and pronouns).
a) Bringing troops/ spoils from raids: 44c.32-3 sebe: pasbã natri: slati: xusttedi: sebe
xñtabu ‘Natri brings (?) from raids both the troops and the command’ //
44c.51-2 ekeri trisu: qñnãtbisu: prete laxadi: zrẽtẽni ‘Protector (-Natri) brought
thrice 12 times spoils/amends from raids.’
 Topics in Milyan 517

[Some words: pasbã…xñtabu ‘troops…command’ (:Ht. handai-) vs ali…sebe

pasbã vs wijedri…sebe pasbbã, etc. // ek-eri ‘spoils/amends’; cf. eki / eke and
Lycian verb eri-, Milyan (e)ri-psse- ‘tribute/crop supply’ (?) // pre- <*bher- or
*perH-?].
b) Allocating / delivering shares from raids to people / gods: 44c.52-3
qirzẽ…trm̃miliz: tbiplẽ: trpplẽ: tuburiz: pduradi…‘(he) delivers a double share for
Lycians, a triple for Tuburans’ // 44c.40-1 m̃qrẽ: muri…[: pasbb]az: sebe sbirtẽ
pzziti: lelebedi: xñtabasi ‘m. determines allotments for the troops, and assets of
(=for) the command from raids’ // 44c.41-3 [m̃qrẽ] (or: [qirzẽ]?)…ni-ke:
waxsi: pibi: krese ‘and don’t give share(s) to fighters for raid(s)…’ [+ when
announcing offering rite for Arma-Trqqiz] // 44c.54-5 hñtawã…sebedi: qirzẽ:
ziwi ‘(In…) he selects a special (?) share for the Sungod’ // 44c.33-4 sebe ñte
laKra: trujeli: zazati…’and he delivers trophy (display) for Trujeli’ [=‘for the
Trojan’ = prijãmi?] // 44d.13-6 ẽke ne-u: zini: lelebedi…ekãnẽ: kuprimi: pzziti:
urasli ‘(Trqqiz is angry…) if Zini doesn’t even determine a delicious (?) por-
tion/share from raids for Urasla (Sungod?).’ (In principle, this matches
44d.53-5 ‘Both Pigasa (Trqqiz) and Urasla (Sungod) took…X.’s allotment
during the levy.’)
[Words: qirzẽ = m̃qrẽ ‘share, allotment’ // lelebedi = laxadi ‘from raids/with
assaults’ (or lelebedi ‘with fighters’??) // muri = zini = zrẽtẽni ‘Protector’
(Natri?)]
c) Allocating / delivering awards (etc.) (from supplies) for people: 44d.37-8
plejerẽ: pijeti: ilẽne: qezm̃mi ‘Producers give plenty/variety for distribution’
[then:] // 44d.38-9 (i)kedi…qelideli: albã-pe: kupttle: muxssa: pijelu ‘With/from
the proprietors [or: ‘from goods/assets’?] I shall give property award(s) to
governors (?), according to requests (?)’ // 44d.41-3 xñtabu-pe…eluwi…
wijedri-be: albaxã…[er]eime ‘I awarded supervisors (in Busa) for collection/
harvesting (?) [and] authority (in Tralles) for levy.’ // 44d.67-9 mire (i)kedi (i)je
qñtra: ilẽnedi (i)je: t-m̃qrisñte: masxxm̃ ‘Commoners with proprietors [or ‘from
goods’?], authorities with producers [or ‘from produce’?] have allocated the
endowment/funding’ // 44d.65-7 xumala-de (or ede, acc. sg. neutr.) nẽnijeti:
masxxm̃…qzze mirẽñne…m̃qri (e)kebura seb(e)…xñtawaza ‘xumala-official di-
rects the endowment for payments to commoners, for allotment(s) to en-
forcers, and for the royalty…’ // 44d.3-4 ali-ke mlẽ mire-ke mlẽ t-m̃qrisñte:
wis-id-i: pruwa ‘Both supervisors of precincts and commoners of precincts
have allocated the fund (pr-uw-a) for the enforcers’ // 55.7-8 ubre…zabrala:
ute ñneri: (a)rm̃paimi: m̃qri[s]ti: zm̃pra…punamadijedi…tuxaradi ‘For grants (?),
Arma’s priest/guard has allocated, according to regulations (ute: Ht. uttar?),
z. [and] z. from tuxara* of the households/commoners (punamadije-).’
518 Vitaly Shevoroshkin

[Words: location designation: plejere se [xu]pe ‘at the assortment (many

monuments?) and graves/tombs’ // ilẽne to Ht. ilessar/-sn- ‘growth, fertility,
harvest’ // …ni-ke qezm̃mi / m̃qrimiz ‘and (there shall be) no distribution (to
people/troops)’ // ute…m̃qri-s- (55): t-m̃qri[-s]- (44), to m̃qre- ‘allotment’ //
qzze ‘for payments’ (allotted for commoners), to qezm̃mi ‘distribution’ =
m̃qrimi(z) above // wis-id- to wisi- ‘impose’ // ñneri (syn.: [t]utla = mawili) to
Lycian ñne- ‘chase away’: cf. Late Anatolian name *Zum̃mẽ-ñneri, lit. ‘evil-
chaser/remover,’ or sim.]
d) Allocating / delivering supply to gods; performing offering rites: 44c.36
trqqiz…eleli: pinati: masasi: tulijewi ‘T. presents (offering) supply for the divine
assembly member’ [? = ‘for Natri’; cf. 44c.47-8 ẽnari: kupriti: turaxssali:
na{:}tri; as a response to actions of the type 44c.32-4…ñte laKra: trujeli:
zazati ‘(Natri)…delivers trophies for trujeli (= prijãmi = trqqñti ?); 44c.54-
6…sebedi: qirzẽ: ziwi ‘(Protector [-Natri] in cities…) selects a (special?) share
for the Sungod…’] // 55.2 n(e) elelixa nere…xlusã… ‘I didn’t deliver/offer to
the nymphs a produce (:Ht. halkuessar) (from everything desecrated?)’ //
55.2-3 ẽmu…qlaxa: zppli…trqqñta…xl<u>[s]ã (?) ‘I accumulated produce for
the supply (zppli)…for Trqqiz’ // 55.4-5 sebe da xba-ladã: t[u]wẽm[i/e]
(e/i)lei…erei[m]edi ‘and take Lady Hebat [statue] to the God for offering(s)
from harvesting!’ // 55.8 pssẽ: qirzã: trqqñtasa…qelẽnẽti: ñtete: xrbbla[ta] ‘they
shall accumulate share(s) of assessments/contributions (pssẽ) for Trqqiz’s re-
serve at the tombs…’
[Words: eleli- ‘(offering) supply’ to eleli- ‘offer, deliver’ (+ acc. xlusã ‘produce,’
to Ht. halkuessar) // zppli ‘for/in the supply’: usually for (offerings to)
Trqqiz; once ‘(atrala will realize improvement) in the supply for the lower
ones’: ẽtre]
e) Enforcing tribute / taxes: 55.4 [z]aja: ãpiti […[a]tli: pijanuwa ‘(he) imposes
taxes to self for payment(s)’ // 44c.56 ne…eki wisiu utetu ñte (e/i)lija ‘Not for
deficiency am I imposing duties for the God’ [+ explanation: ‘pidritẽni pro-
tects Tuburans for grants (pirli)…’] // 55.6 mlu neriu: muwaxa: tuwẽmedi: xaba:
tutasiz: n(e) eki-k(e) epñ ‘I enforced nymph cult with offerings for fa-
vor/accommodations for the protectors (= nymphs?), and not for the
deficiency later’ // 44d.62-5 (a) ẽnẽ: trm̃milija: km̃masadi sladi-pe: qelelija (b) uni
tẽpe: urtuz: marãz (c) trbbẽni ti ne km̃mẽti: punãmadedi: asãnãmla (a) ‘one shall ex-
pand Lycian reserves from/by everything (?)’ (b) ‘one will see (his) tribute
quote in rising (?)’ (c) ‘who doesn’t provide everything from (his) household
(?) to the ruler(s)’ // 44d.23-4 (a) ter(e) ekere: sxxaija kuti: pssat[i] zajala: (b)
me-te ne mrsxxati: urtuwãz: mar[ãz] (a) ‘if the payer wherever in cities pays
regularly for amends to the duty-collector(s) (sxxaija: Ht.-Law. sahhan ‘[feud.]
service’; cf. s[xxa]xa)’ (b) ‘then he won’t violate tribute/tax rules (= quota).’
 Topics in Milyan 519

[Words: quasi-synonyms ãpi- = muwa- = wisi- ‘impose’ (:Luw. ‘press’) //

[z]aja or [z]ata = utetu = urtu ‘taxes, duties’ // (e)ki ‘in need’ etc. (IE *eg-); cf.
ek-ere ‘for amends’ // pssa- ‘pay’ // zajala ‘payer’ // mrsxxa- ‘violate’ (:Ht.
marsahh-)]
f) Dealing with tax / tribute violators: 55.2 eke: pleliz: abura…tibeti: zirãpla ‘for
deficiency to(ward) Phellians, enforcers/detachment will destroy (his) sup-
plies’ // 44d.21-2 tbisu: tustti…[t]utla…terẽi: (e)ki tewẽm̃ tunewñni ‘the civilian
[= zajala ‘tax payer’] pays to the guard/protector twice damages for harm to
[god] Tunewñni’ // 44d.10-3 atli tñne: qã[.]ã: prij(e) eduli se: trm̃mile: kuprlese
me-p(e) ene tubidi: urtu: mrsxxa: trqqiz…‘T. will force him (ene), the tax violator,
to pay fine, for harm to the foremost ones (/prije eduli/), both to self and to
Lycians of K.’s (descent)’ // 44d.50-3 (a) urttu: qelideli: (e)ki-be-i me-i: per-epñ:
n(e) (a/e)stte: mlati (b) …lijenuwez: muwaxã:
ppe[-qzz]i…(a) ‘(when) one didn’t make (= pay) property tax/amends for
deficiency later to/in the precinct’ (b) ‘I used to impose a sur-charge [pay-
able] to nymphads (for needs).’
[Words: (ek-)abura ‘enforcers’ // ti-tbe- ‘destroy’ // acc. coll. zirãpla to d.-l. pl.
zi-(e)rẽple ‘produce-supply/store’ // quasi-synonym: prije = trm̃mile: kuprlese =
all. qñza prijelija = d. sg. coll. xñtawaza = d. pl. kupttle? // qel-id- ‘property’ if
to Lyd. qela- ‘household’ (?); synonym: Milyan-Lycian punamade- (?)]
g) Dealing with assault on supplies: 44c.44-6 (a) ekemijedi: waxasadi: zrqqiti /
zireimedi / xbadasadi (b) kudi mawate: klleima (c) wijedri: ñtuwitẽni: pduradi: sebe
pasbã (a) ‘(if) with devastating assault(s) one plunders from Plainsmen’s trib-
ute-stores’ (b) ‘with whom he (= ñtuwitẽni) used to remove at-
tacks/assailants’ (c) ‘[Lycian] commander (ñtuwitẽni: sg. coll.) brings both the
lieutenants/supervisors and the troops’// 44c.58-9 (e)ke-be…ne-u: psseje:
qidridi: laxadi: zi-(e)rẽple ‘even in calamity, one shan’t rush to the shares/goods
in tribute-stores…’ [a threat follows] // 44d.57-9 atlasi: n(e) (e/a)burẽni:
trm̃milijẽti: (e)ri-pssẽ: tm̃pewẽti ‘Lycian people won’t assault (?) their own sup-
ply/reserve…’ [a veiled threat follows].
[Words: waxsa- = laxa- = xustti- = qidrasa-/qidrala- ‘raid’; zi-(e)reime- ‘tribute-
store’ = zi-(e)rẽple- = zi-psse / ri-psse (also ‘levy’ as a process?) = zppli; pdura-
‘deliver’ (<*paddur; cf. padmruwasa ‘pertaining-to-distribution,’ to
*paddummar)]
3. Opposition “Upper Class: Lower Class” in Milyan Texts
Many Milyan sentences contain pairs of nouns which designate people of
opposite social status: if one such word refers to an authority, the other desig-
nates certain commoner(s) or the like. Usually, both words are grammatically
identical. Note that Milyan texts show many singular forms which designate
520 Vitaly Shevoroshkin

not just one person but a whole group of people. In several passages we deal
with awards to people (this comes after a description of people paying taxes
and delivering tribute).
A distribution/payment of awards to people of different social status is well
presented in the passage 44d.37-44 (our ex. 6b below) where Lycian ruler Xerẽi
awards people belonging to higher social groups (such as ‘governors,’ ‘author-
ity,’ ‘commanders/supervisors’: kupttle…xñtabã…wijedri [parts b, d, e]) whereas
lower office(r)s (ilẽne, lbijẽI, atrala [parts a, c, f]) award lower-status people.
In ex. 3c above, two groups of people are represented by the subject phrase:
ali-ke mlẽ mire-ke mlẽ ‘both officials of precincts and commoners of precincts.’
These people (apparently, their official representatives) have allocated some
funds ‘for the enforcers’ (d. sg. coll. wis-id-I, cf. wisiu ‘I am imposing’; cf. d. pl.
ekabura). The allocation was made, as it seems, for collecting taxes which, in
part, were used for the rites for Trqqiz, Sarpedon, and tulijelije. As tax collectors,
ekabura are mentioned several times (cf. zija- pasba-, ali- and pasba- in acc).
The above complex subject phrase was used with t-m̃qrisñte (:ute…m̃qri[s]ti in
55); this verb was used in 44d with a more complex subject phrase:
1) 44d.67-8 mire (i)kedi (i)je qñtra: ilẽnedi (i)je: t-m̃qrisñte: masxxm̃
n.sg. instr. p. n.sg. instr. p. verb acc.sg.
‘Commoners with owners, supervisors, with producers (?) have allocated a
fund.’
Cf. Lycian qñta ti ‘who (is) in charge’; Milyan qñtili ‘for steering’ (about the
god Tunewñni in fights, if not an attr. to T.: ‘commander’); see List for ilẽne-.
In the first combination n. + instr. mire (i)kedi the former term refers to
people who belong to the lower class (L), the latter, to those of the upper class
(U). In the second combination qñtra is upper class whereas ilẽne- (which pro-
vides for qezm̃mi-‘distribution’) belongs to the lower class. The whole subject
phrase reflects a structure
L – U – U – L.
This same structure may be reflected in example 2, where in the first and
last sentences, lower officials award lower-class people (‘for enforcement’ dur-
ing levy: d. pl. mire…ẽtre), and, in the inner sentence(s), ruler Xerẽi himself,
speaking in the first plural, awards xñtabã and wijedri (acc. sg. coll.) for eluwi and
ereime.
The whole passage about these awards starts in 44d.37-9 (2 sentences)
where first, ilẽne-people (L) provide funds for qezm̃mi-distribution (L) (ex. 5a),
then Xerẽi with ike-people (‘owners,’ U) gives awards to kupttle (U) (ex. 5b).
Then comes the above mentioned ex. 2a-d (text of 44d.39-44).
 Topics in Milyan 521

2) (a) plejerẽ: pijeti: ilẽne: qzm̃mi:

acc.sg. verb n.sg. d.sg.
‘Producers (:Ht. elas-n- ‘harvest’ etc.: see List) give plenty for distribution.’
(b) me (i)kedi (i)je: qelideli: albã-pe: kupttle: muxssa pijelu
p. instr. adv.? acc.sg. acc.sg. p. d.pl. d.-all. verb
‘Now with the owners here, I shall give property award(s) to governors/
supervisors according to requests (?)’ (Cf. Ht. mukessar pai- ‘perform a
prayer’; muxssa ‘petition,’ etc.)
(c) mlez: ñte-mlesi: mire: lide-be (or: ebe): (a)lbijẽi: trelewñne
d.l.pl. acc.?? d.pl.? verb p. pron. n.sg. d.pl.
‘In precincts, the (a)lbije-official(s) delivered (lide?) precinct-grant(s) (??) to
Trallian commoners.’
(d) xñtabu-pe: kñtre: eluwi-pe: busawñn[a: q]la [or: [a]la]:
acc.sg. p. d.-l. d.sg. p. all.
tralije: wijedri-be: albaxã: m̃qr[ẽ er]eime [or: m̃qr[i] ?]
l.pl. acc.sg. p. verb g.pl.? d.pl. d.sg.
‘I awarded authority (acc.) for delivery (el-uw-i?) to/for kñtre for Busan pre-
cincts (?), [and] the command/supervisors (acc.) for Trallian levy/raising of
allotments.’
(e) mulẽni-pe: zppli: ẽtre-be: asx[xat]i: a[t]rala muwa
acc.sg. p. d.-l.sg. d.pl. p. verb n.sg. all.
‘The attendant(s) will realize improvement (mulẽni) in the supply for the
lower ones for enforcement’ (:44c.57-6) ‘took both the command and the
troops for enforcement’.
The verb t-m̃qrisñte is comparable with ute…m̃qri[s]ti (55.7-8) ‘(he) allo-
cates/will allocate according to order/promise’ (if ute to Ht. uttar, cf. acc. ut-et-u
‘duties’ below; cf. ut(e) m̃qrimi, t-m̃qrẽ in 55 vs. m̃grimiz ‘distribution,’ m̃qrẽ ‘share,
allotment’ in 44).
The noun wisidi (d.-l. sg. as Lycian mahanahidi, przzidi) may refer to tax col-
lectors as a team; cf. verb wisi- in 44c.56-7 ne p(e) eki wisiu ut-et-u…‘Not for
deficiency am I imposing duties…’ (ruler Xerẽi seems to express hope that
people will pay for some periodic rites for gods; wisi- ‘impose’ matches Luw.
‘press’; cf. Milyan muwa- and ãpi- ‘enforce [obligations, taxes]’; note Luw. muwa-
‘force’).
We may compare the above sentence with wisidi to many passages where tax
enforcers/collectors are awarded for their work: cf. sentences with medutu
ekebure ‘shall libate to enforcers’; sukredi + ziu…pasbbu ‘praises…troops (with
awards, for raiding…)’; albaxã…xñtabã…wijedri ‘I awarded authority (for deliv-
ery)…supervisors (for levy [=ereime])…’; cf. also 44d.43-4 mulẽni…ẽtre asxxati
522 Vitaly Shevoroshkin

atrala muwa ‘attendant(s) will realize improvement…for the lower ones for en-
forcement’; cf. ali muwi lade…sebe pasbã ‘took, for enforcement/levy (from addi-
tional delivery: epñtadi), both the authority and the troops.’
We many now return to the text with mire (i)kedi (this text indicates sources
of awards to people). In a passage which precedes that with mire (i)kedi we read
about awards/payments to three groups of people:
3) 44d.65-7 (a) xumala-de: nẽnijeti: masxxm̃ tije: qzze mirẽñne:
n.sg. p. verb acc.sg. d.pl. d.pl. d.pl.
‘xumala-official directs the endowment for tije [= merit of the awardees ?]
for grants/shares (qzze [= payments to the awardees]) of/for the common-
ers’
(b) xinasi-ke: sesi: m̃qri (e)kebura
d.sg. conj. d.sg. d.sg. d.sg.?
‘for offering-related service [= merit] for allotment(s) to the enforcers’
(c) seb(e) ẽnesi-ke tedesi-ke: xugasi: xñtawaza
conj. d.sg.conj. d.sg.conj. d.sg. d.sg.
‘and for the royalty/governors of mother’s and father’s and grandfather’s
(kin)’ (Cf. the Greek poem in 44c. about Lycian ruler rewarding his rela-
tives).
We may suggest that (e)kebura here matches wisidi in 44d.4: in both cases we
seem to deal with enforcers of offering-related tribute delivery.
4) 44d.34-6 (e)metu-p(e) ene tesẽni: qñza: prijelija: medetu xezm̃ [qñza?] xbadasa
‘he/one shall take this (ene), the tesẽni, to the foremost qñza; he shall reserve/
provide the xezm̃ for the Plainsmen (Xanthians?)…’
This follows an announcement that a new law is in force, and one may not
collect taxes ‘according to the former law’ (prijelijedi…meredi); tesẽni and xezm̃
may refer to the new quota of contributions provided to Lycian/Xanthian no-
bility and commoners (or it may refer to the new quota of tax payments for
both population groups).
Both qñtra with producers, and mire with owners have allocated (t-m̃qrisñte)
certain endowment/funds (masxxm̃); it was to be used by some high official
xumala for grants/payments destined for three categories of people: common-
ers, enforcers (=detachments), and governors-xntawaza [=kupttle?].

4. Designations of the Upper-Class vs. Lower-Class People in Accusative

Constructions
In four Milyan passages we have a phrase with two accusatives, one of them
being pasb(b)ã, a designation of lower class people: ‘troops, servicemen.’ The
 Topics in Milyan 523

meaning of the other word is difficult to identify; we may have xñtabã/u ‘com-
mand, authority’; similar: wejedri; ali ‘upper ones’; sttrm̃mi ‘kin’ (?).
5) 44c.45-6 kudi mawate: klleima: wijedri: ñtuwitẽni: pduradi: sebe pasbã
conj. verb acc.? acc.sg. n.sg. verb conj. acc.sg.
‘(To) where/with whom he used to remove assailants, the [Lycian/local]
high commander brings the command and the troops.’
This is the second part of the str. cVI which opens a passage about an as-
sault on the Lycians and their response. The first part is as follows:
6) 44c.44-5 me uw(e) ekemijedi: waxsadi: zrqqiti /zireimedi/: xbadasadi
p. p. instr. instr. verb abl. abl.
‘Now, when, with devastating assault(s), one plunders/robs from Plains-
men’s supplies…’
We may identify here a military hierarchy: ñtuwitẽni- (senior Lycian com-
mander): wijedri- (command): pasba- (troops); this is confirmed by 44d.29-44
where it is prohibited for ñtuwitẽni to receive m̃qrimiz (shares to be distributed to
Lycian troops) before the Lycian allies the Tuburans get their shares/spoils:
this seems to be a new rule since in 44c.52-3 the Lycians seem to receive their
share before Tuburans do.
7) 44c.32-3 …sebe: pasbã natri: slati: xusttedi: sebe xñtabu
conj. acc.sg. n.sg. verb abl. conj. acc.sg.
‘Natri brings from raids [or: expands through raids’ ???] both the troops and
the command.’ In the subsequent sentence, trophies seem to be presented
to (the god) Trujeli; then ‘Trqqiz(-Trujeli?) furnishes (pinati) offering (?)
supply to the divine assembly-member (Natri?)’: …eleli: pinati: masasi: tulijewi.
Cf. pina- in 55.6 kapsaqẽ: pinau: ut(e) m̃qrimi ‘I am presenting reserve/spoils
for distribution by promise/regulations.’
8) 44c.55-6 ali: muwi lade: epñtadi sebe: pasbbã
acc.sg. d.sg. verb abl. conj. acc.sg.
‘He took both the supervisors and the troops for enforcement from addi-
tions (?).’
This ends a long passage about Natri-Zrẽtẽni bringing spoils/amends; this
passage starts as follows in 44c.51-2:
9) se-d(e) ekeri trisu: qñnãtbisu: prete laxadi: zrẽtẽni
conj. p. acc.sg. adv. adv. verb abl. n.sg.
‘And the Protector (=Natri) thrice 12 times brought spoils/amends from
raids (and…delivers a double share to Milyans, a triple to…Tuburans).’
524 Vitaly Shevoroshkin

In 55, we deal with sttrm̃mi (‘kin’?) of Pixre’s vassals as opposed to their

pasba-; all these people seem to be obliged to fulfill their feudal duties:
10) 55.1-2…zi-psse: kudi: s[xxa]xa…n(e) epdi…sttrm̃mi: sebe: pasbã
d.-l. conj. all.? neg. verb acc.sg. conj. acc.sg.
‘(One violates the law of the foremost ones) as one doesn’t, during crop
levy, bring kin (?) and servicemen/troops for duties…’-Pixre, the proprietor
adds:
11) (a) eke: pleliz: abura: m(e) ebe-i: titbeti: zirãpla
d.pl. d.pl. acc.sg. p. n.sg.+d.? verb acc.sg.
‘For harm to Phellians, now the detachment will destroy him/here the sup-
plies.’
(b) n(e) elelixa nere: km̃masadi: xlusã: qereimedi
neg. verb d.pl. abl. acc.sg. abl.
‘I didn’t offer to the water gods/nymphs (?) a produce (:Ht. halkuessar)
from everything desecrated (?).’

5. A Short Comparison of Milyan and Lycian Lexics

In the following lists, I have underlined words which designate people and
gods in Anatolian languages (this includes personal pronouns, adjectives, no-
tions of the type ‘town,’ ‘precinct,’ etc.).
Many Milyan words are identical to Lycian, as is shown below, in the first of
two Milyan-Lycian cognate lists; some comments are provided in brackets.
1) a: a- ‘do, make,’ iter. (a/e)s- (:Lycian as-, es-). Milyan ne (a/e)stte ‘didn’t make
(=pay)’ governs acc. urttu: qel-id-eli ‘property (if to qla = Lyd. qela-, DS) tax.’
[In a passage about changes in taxing procedure (44d.44-53), Lycian ruler
(author of Milyan 44c-d) Xerẽi seems to warn potential tax dodgers that in
case one does not pay later (epñ) the urttu qelideli to the precinct/temple (?)
(mlat-i), he (Xerẽi) enforced arrears (verb muwa + acc. ppe[-qz]zi = epe-qzzi)
to be paid to the ‘Erbbina’s nymphads in the Xanthos Valley (i.e. in Xan-
thos?)’]
Cf. qelideli albã ‘property award(s)’ or sim. // d. sg. atli ‘for (him)self ’ (= for
the main god)
e, ẽ: ekebura (ek-ebura or eke + abura?) ‘detachment’ (Milyan also abura); cf. d.-l.
sg. eki / (e)ki, d.-l. pl. eke ‘in/for deficiency, calamity’: Milyan adj. ekemije-
‘devastating’: ki-ki- ‘suffer,’ etc. (all to IE *eg- ‘lack, be in need’?) // ep- ‘take’
[as in (e/a)pdi ‘takes,’ Lycian epddi / apddi] // epñ ‘afterwards’ (cf. next) //
adj. epri ‘rear’ // d.-l. sg. erbbi ‘in/for fight’ // esẽnẽmla ‘ruler’ (DS) // ẽ and
ẽke ‘when’ // ẽmu ‘I, me’ // d. pl. ẽtre ‘to the lower ones.’
i: (i)kedi, abl. coll. ‘from/with the owner(s)’ (Lycian ikedi)
 Topics in Milyan 525

k: km̃mẽti ‘many, all’ (:Milyan km̃masa-, Lycian km̃ma etc.)

m: mara-‘laws’ (Milyan acc. pl. marãz, acc. sg. meri, abl. meredi)
n, ñ: ne ‘not’; ni ‘not’ (prohib.) // (ñte-)mle- ‘precinct’ or ‘temple’ (?)
p: pibi- and pije- ‘give, pay’ // pri ‘first’ (Lycian ‘forth, in front’) // pu- in imp.
putu ‘may he adjoin’ (‘beigesellen,’ DS) // *punamada- ‘totality’ (??) // pzzi-
‘determine.’
t: d. pl. tere ‘in towns/cities’ (:Lycian tere tere) // *tewe- ‘eye,’ Milyan tewe- ‘to face’
// ti ‘who,’ tike ‘someone’ // tija-‘grant, spoils (?)’ // trm̃mili ‘Lycian,’ adj.
trm̃milijẽti // tubi-‘strike; force’ (in tubidi; noun tube-) // tu-s-‘deliver, pay’
(:Lycian ‘place’) // acc. sg. tuwi ‘tribute’ (:Milyan adj. tuwije-; cf. tuwẽmi ‘offer-
ing’; rather ‘construction’ per DS)
u: uba- or ube-‘grant’: Lycian uba-
x: xi[st]te ‘(he) was offering’: Lycian xistte (:Milyan imp. 2nd sg. xi; cf. xi-na-si…
sesi ‘in the service…’) // xuga ‘grandfather’ [note that there is no xu[ga…] in
44d.19-20 since a verb is required here: possibly xu[sttite] ‘scooped out’
(subj. zuse ‘Zeus/Sungod’= urasla in 44d.53-55 me xerigazñ: m̃qrẽ: sebe: pigasa:
se b(e)…urasla m(e) ene…lãte: (e)ri-psse ‘Now X.’s allotment [acc.], both P. and
U. …took this/it during levy/at…’)] // loc. pl. /xupe/ ‘at the graves’ (in
44c.15-6 plejere se: [xu]pe ‘at the p.-place and the graves’): Lycian xupa ‘grave’
z: *za- ‘deliver’ (Milyan za-za-, Lycian za-s-; cf. Lycian za- ‘allotment’)
Cf. also the following, second, list of Milyan-Lycian cognates which slightly
differ either phonetically or structurally, still being genetically correct matches.
Note entry sse where two non-related Lycian words are discussed: noun ese (d.-l.
pl. = Milyan sse ?) and preverb ese-: Ht. particle -asta.
2) a: Milyan as-xx-a- ‘realize’: Lycian iter. as- ‘do, make’ (cf. Milyan as-a, es-et-i
‘for erecting’); cf. Milyan eim̃ ‘made’ below // Milyan atrala ‘attendants’ (sg.
coll.): Lycian atra- ‘person, self ’ (:HrL usinasi)
d: Milyan dezi ‘addition’: Lycian ddeze- ‘add’ (about burying people illegally)
e, ẽ: Milyan eim̃ ‘(is) made’: Lycian a/e- ‘make’ // Milyan erije ‘for the levy’:
Lycian eri(je)- ‘raise, levy’ (:Milyan ereime/i- ‘levy; supply’; cf. zi-(e)reime/i-) //
Milyan inf. ewẽne ‘to drink’ (with d. zusi ‘for the Sungod’): Lycian ẽñne (in a
passage about offerings: ẽñne xistte wawadra) (??)
l: Milyan xba-lada ‘Lady Hebat’ (in acc. xbaladã): Lycian lada-‘wife’
m: Milyan masaiz ‘gods’: Lycian mahãi; note that trqqiz + uwedriz…masaiz ‘T. and
all gods’ [= statues ‘in precinct’: mlati / qlei] represent subj. both in 44d.13-6
and 55.5, and on both occasions these gods either are angry (verb stt[ẽ]ni,
DS) or they suffer (verb ki-ki-ti + d.-l. sg. (e)ki ‘in deficiency/need’). We may
also note that Lycian mahãi (gods) usually punish tribute violators.
ñ: Milyan ñneri ‘guard/priest-protector’ (?): Lycian ñne-‘chase away (evil); note
that Lycian zum̃mẽ ñneti (two words!!) ‘will chase away evil’ is reflected in Late
526 Vitaly Shevoroshkin

Luw. onomastics where we find a name *Zum̃mẽ-ñneri ‘evil-chaser’ or sim. //

‘Milyan loc. pl. ñtada ‘at the graves’ (:ñtete in 55?): Lycian ñtata ‘At the graves’
of the royalty in Xanthos, offerings for gods were performed: 44d.17-9
(here also l. pl. plejerese [xu]pe: same location).
q: all. Milyan qñnã-tba xuzrñta ‘for 12 (gods) fighters’: Lycian qñnã-kba…tabahaza
[Both in Milyan (44d.7-10) and in Lycian we deal with the same situation:
offerings are presented to Trqqas/Zawa + 12 tabahaza/xuzrñta] // Milyan
qñtili ‘in steering’ (or an attr. of tunewñni, a god), qñtra ‘supervisors’: Lycian
qñta ‘in charge’ (?).
s: Milyan sse, d.-l. pl. ‘for deeds/exploits’ (+ xuzruwãta…waxsa ‘in impetuous
fights’: Xerẽi speaks about himself, boasting that an ãzi was made [eim̃] for
him for his feats): Lycian ese (same meaning), used mostly in martial pas-
sages (but cf. xbaite zã ese); all to Milyan-Lycian es-/as- ‘do, make’ (iter.;
Milyan estte; as-xx-a-; nouns asa, eseti ‘for erecting’ of monuments dewis [acc.
pl.: Lycian dewe-] and xzzãta- of Xeriga). This word has nothing to do with
the Lycian preverb ese, for instance, in es(e)-eri-ta vs. Ht. –asta-arha/i-dāi- in
older languages.
t: Milyan tbisu ‘twice’: Lycian kbihu (:Milyan tbi-ple-‘double,’ tr-pple-‘triple’) //
Milyan ti-tbe- ‘strike’: Lycian tebe- // Milyan all. tukadra-la ‘statue-shaped’
(about 12 gods of the precinct): Lycian tukedri ‘statue’ // Milyan turaxssa-li
‘of T.’ (about god Natri): Lycian turaxss-i ‘Turaxssan’ (=god Natri).
x: Milyan d. pl. xñtawaza ‘royalty’ or sim. (borrowed from Lycian?): Lycian
xñtawa-‘rule’ [Noun xñtawaza designates the 3rd group of people, receiving
masxxm̃, the first is mire- ‘commoners’; the 2nd is ek-ebure ‘enforcers’ or sim.].
z: Milyan za-za- ‘deliver’: Lycian za-s- id.; Milyan acc. coll. [z]at/ja (DS) ‘tax,
tribute’ (:zajala ‘tax-payer’): Lycian uha-zata ‘yearly tribute’ (cf. next); Milyan
d. loc. sg. ziti ‘during the levy,’ epri…ziti ‘to the last levy’: Lycian uha-ziti
‘yearly tribute.’