kleimunθeis

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Word
Language:	Raetic
Word type:	noun
Case:	ablative
Number:	singular
Morphemic analysis:	kleimun-θei-s
Meaning:	'of him who is ?'
Attestation:	IT-5 (?:/]θ̣[ ]θ̣?kaịa[ ?/utiku:θaukịṣ/kleimunθeis/avaśuerasi:ihi) (1)

Commentary

De Simone 2013: 59 and Eichner 2013: 37 agree in analysing the word as a base kleimun + the enclitic deictic pronoun -θa (phonetically ta) in the ablative θeis (teis) known from Etruscan. The regular ablative form of the enclitic pronoun being -tis, -teis is explained as an intermediate stage between -tais (see -s) and -tis De Simone 2013: 65; see also Eichner 2011: fn. 35. According to Eichner, the construction is heteroptotic, with the pronoun in the ablative governing a base in the casus rectus or the ablative III (both -Ø), i.e. (second option) 'of him who is on the slope': Eichner also provides an etymology for the base, connecting it with the IE root *ḱlei- 'incline' (*ḱleimôn via Celtic or Ventic).

The function of the form in the text is not quite clear. De Simone and Eichner (p.c.) also agree in interpreting it as an indication of the votive's sponsor. If an attribute, the auctor's name may be given in the potential ablative θaukis. See IT-5 on the syntax of the text. Seeing as in Etruscan, the ablative is prominently used to indicate some kind of source (place of birth, affiliation), this option should also be considered here.

Against the above segmentation, but rather with an Etruscan suffix -θe, apparently forming ethnic names, Marchesini, as mentioned by De Simone 2013: 68. Formally, the auslaut of kleimunθe befits a Raetic personal name.

Bibliography

De Simone 2013	Carlo de Simone, "Analisi linguistica", in: Carlo de Simone, Simona Marchesini (Eds), La lamina di Demlfeld [= Mediterranea. Quaderni annuali dell'Istituto di Studi sulle Civiltà italiche e del Mediterraneo antico del Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche. Supplemento 8], Pisa – Roma: 2013, 55–71.
Eichner 2011	Heiner Eichner, "Anmerkungen zum Etruskischen in memoriam Helmut Rix", Alessandria 5 (2011), 67–92. (= Atti del Convegno Internazionale Le lingue dell'Italia antica in memoriam Helmut Rix)
Eichner 2013	Heiner Eichner, "Neues zur Sprache der Stele von Lemnos. (Zweiter Teil)", Journal of Language Relationship 10 (2013), 1–42.