SL-2.3: Difference between revisions

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{{inscription
The inscription SL-2.3, together with the other three inscriptions on the [[index::SL-2 helmet|Negau helmet A]], was included in the Raetic corpus by {{bib|Schumacher 2004}}: 329–331. Schumacher acknowledged that the Raeticness of the inscriptions' linguistic content was doubtful, but included them on the grounds of the Raetic characters (particularly Sanzeno "retrograde pi" in [[index::SL-2.4]]). SL-2.3, however, is the odd one out both alphabetically and linguistically. While Schumacher's rationale concerning the Raetic characters holds up for the legible inscriptions [[index::SL-2.1]] and [[index::SL-2.4]], the alphabet used in SL-2.3 is most probably Venetic rather than Raetic. Furthermore, while the language of all four inscriptions has been repeatedly analysed as Celtic, only SL-2.3 ''zuφniφanuaφi'' has a convincing Celtic etymology ''dubnī banuabī'' 'of Dubnos Banuabios' ({{bib|Marstrander 1925}}: 44–51), while the other three remain obscure and may well be Raetic as the alphabet suggests. All four inscriptions were originally included in TIR, but SL-2.3 was transferred to the Cisalpine Celtic corpus in accordance with Marstrander's reading and interpretation in April 2020. The inscription is now filed in ''Lexicon Leponticum'' with the new siglum [http://www.univie.ac.at/lexlep/wiki/PD·1 PD·1].
|reading=þuφniφanuanaφi
 
|reading_original={{c|I}}{{c|Φ|Φ3}}{{c|A}}{{c|N}}{{c|A|A7}}{{c|U|U2}}{{c|N}}{{c|A|A7}}{{c|Φ|Φ3}}{{c|I}}{{c|N}}{{c|Φ|Φ3}}{{c|U|U2}}{{c|Þ|Þ5}}
[[text_plain::''see LexLep''| ]]
|direction=sinistroverse
[[sortform::SL_002_003| ]]
|letter_height_min=0.7
[[Category:Non-inscription]]
|letter_height_max=1.0 cm
|letter_number_min=14
|word_number=0
|line_number=1
|script=North Italic script
|language=unknown
|object=SL-2 helmet
|position=right-hand side, front area, lower area, outside
|craftsmanship=embossed
|condition=complete
|source=Schumacher 2004: 330
|checklevel=5
|problem=reihenfolge der inschriften, Grafik für erstes Zeichen
}}
== Commentary ==
First published in '''Mommsen 1853, Taf. I, 12a?'''.<br>
Further references: '''{{bib|Egg 1986}}: 227 (Nr 324)''', {{bib|Nedoma 1995}}: 19 f. (Ic), {{bib|Urban & Nedoma 2002}}: '''???'''.<br>
Pictures in '''{{bib|Egg 1986}}: Abb. 138 (drawing''') (= {{bib|Schumacher 2004}}: Taf. 16, 3) and {{bib|Nedoma 1995}}: Abb. 6 and 7 (photos) .<br>
Length 6.5 cm. Embossed with a pointed tool on the '''Kehle'''. The inscription is upside-down when the helmet is worn.<br>
The inscription is in good condition. A white inlay was added sometime before 1927, possibly for photos made for {{bib|Marstrander 1927}}, but must have been cleaned away since. Remains can still be seen in some of the deeper indentations. All letters are well legible.<br>
The problem lies in the identification of the four signs consisting of a vertical hasta with a circle (or circloid) on top (letters 1, 3, 6 and 13). The first sign features two such circles. While the bottom circle is as lopsided as the circles in the other signs, the top one is perfectly circular and made of more, but shallower and not easily visible indentations arranged around a single particularly deep one. It seems to have been executed with much care. Sign 3 does not much resemble 1: The circle is irregular and distinctly bigger, taking up more than half of the length of the hasta. The circle on top of sign 6 is considerably smaller, though still bigger than in sign 1; sign 13 features a circle almost as small as those of sign 1, with one indentation belonging to the hasta sitting on top of it.<br>
It is theoretically possible that all four signs are intended as the same letter. While both the signs for ''{{p||þ}}'' and ''{{p||φ}}'' can appear as hastae with circles in the upper area, {{c||Φ3}} in the North Italic alphabets is a variant of {{c||Φ4}}, with the circle sitting, in different sizes, anywhere on the central or upper part of the hasta. In this light, all the respective signs in SL-2.3 could be identified as {{c||Φ3}}, because in all cases the hasta continues into or through the circle, in sign 13 even beyond it. {{c||Þ5}}, being a variant of {{c||Þ4}}, should have a circle above the hasta. '''Sign 1 featuring two circles''' might be explained by a mistake of the writer, who may have started applying the inscription the other way round. (Compare the question of how [[index::SL-2.5]] was applied.) However, the circles in 1 are much smaller, and the appearance of the top circle seems peculiar. We are inclined to think that '''sign 1''' is to be read ''{{p||þ}}''. The "dumbbell-shape" may be an otherwise unattested variant of {{c||Þ5}}, or due to an effort of the writer to distinguish the letter more clearly from the three {{c||Φ3}}s – possibly as an afterthought when realizing that his circles had become continually smaller. Even the upper circle may be an amendation, if the deep indentation at its centre was intended as the top element of {{c||Þ4}}. The reading of letters 6 and 13 as ''{{p||þ}}'' we consider unlikely.
{{bibliography}}

Latest revision as of 20:10, 23 April 2020

The inscription SL-2.3, together with the other three inscriptions on the Negau helmet A, was included in the Raetic corpus by Schumacher 2004: 329–331. Schumacher acknowledged that the Raeticness of the inscriptions' linguistic content was doubtful, but included them on the grounds of the Raetic characters (particularly Sanzeno "retrograde pi" in SL-2.4). SL-2.3, however, is the odd one out both alphabetically and linguistically. While Schumacher's rationale concerning the Raetic characters holds up for the legible inscriptions SL-2.1 and SL-2.4, the alphabet used in SL-2.3 is most probably Venetic rather than Raetic. Furthermore, while the language of all four inscriptions has been repeatedly analysed as Celtic, only SL-2.3 zuφniφanuaφi has a convincing Celtic etymology dubnī banuabī 'of Dubnos Banuabios' (Marstrander 1925: 44–51), while the other three remain obscure and may well be Raetic as the alphabet suggests. All four inscriptions were originally included in TIR, but SL-2.3 was transferred to the Cisalpine Celtic corpus in accordance with Marstrander's reading and interpretation in April 2020. The inscription is now filed in Lexicon Leponticum with the new siglum PD·1.