SZ-4.1

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Inscription
Transliteration:	kativates / kalitis þal φuter suχ
Original script:
Object:	SZ-4 bronze (bronze) (Inscriptions: SZ-4.1, SZ-4.2)
Position:	front
Script:	North Italic script (Sanzeno alphabet)
Direction of writing:	sinistroverse
Letter height:	0.60.6 cm <br /> – 1.4 cm
Number of letters:	27
Number of lines:	2
Craftsmanship:	embossed
Current condition:	complete
Date of inscription:
Date derived from:
Language:	Raetic
Meaning:	'(?) two X-es (?)'
Alternative sigla:	IR 17 a LIR SA-6 a
Sources:	Schumacher 2004: 132

Images

Object SZ-4 bronze with inscription SZ-4.1 - front side.

Inscription SZ-4.1 - detail.

Commentary

First published in Mayr 1950: 407 f. (no. IV). Autopsied by TIR in October 2014.

Images in Roberti 1950: Tav. II,IV (drawing) = Mayr 1950: 409 (IV), Pellegrini 1951: no. 4a (photo) and 307 (4a) (drawing), Morandi 1982: 203 (no. 80) (drawing), LIR (photo and drawing = IR).

Written in two lines on the front of the bronze, one on either side of the ridge running along the centre of object, both lines starting at the stylised feet of the figurine. Length 4.2 cm and 9.2 (7.2 + 2) cm resp. The letters are well legible and unambiguous, including second in line 1 (pace Lejeune 1951: 213 and Vetter 1954: 70 f. (no. 4a)). The words in line two are distinctly separated by spaces.

The sequence þal φuter in line 2 can, based on comparison with Etruscan, be translated as 'two X-es'. The rest of the inscription is more difficult: Both kativates and kalitis should probably be read as two words, given the consistent employment of spaces. Final -s suggests genitive forms, but no parallels are available for either. The relevance of suχ is dubious, but is likely to represent another word belonging with the inscription – the execution is alike; the sequence being removed from the preceding part to the neck of the figurine can be explained as avoidance of the arm, although was then entered rather awkwardly, crossing the bulges on the shoulder. The numeral and the plural form are so far unique in the Raetic corpus.

Further references: Pellegrini 1951: 310 (no. 4) and 323 f., Mayr 1952: 175 f. (4a), Tibiletti Bruno 1978: 223, Morandi 1982: 203 (no. 80).

Bibliography

IR	Alberto Mancini, "Iscrizioni retiche", Studi Etruschi 43 (1975), 249–306.
Lejeune 1951	Michel Lejeune, "L'Inscription Rétique de Castelcies", Studi Etruschi 21 (1951), 209–214.
LIR	Alberto Mancini, Le Iscrizioni Retiche [= Quaderni del dipartimento di linguistica, Università degli studi di Firenze Studi 8–9], Padova: Unipress 2009–10. (2 volumes)
Mayr 1950	Karl M. Mayr, "Die Inschriften der Votive von Sanzeno (1)", Der Schlern 24 (1950), 332–336, 407–409.
Mayr 1952	Karl M. Mayr, "Zu den Inschriften der Votive von Sanzeno", Der Schlern 26 (1952), 175–177.