𒆳𒊭𒀸

𒆳𒊭𒀸

Hittite

𒆳𒊭𒀸	The cuneiform characters Unicode displays by default do not accurately represent the original script. To view the correct characters install the correct fonts at www.hethport.uni-wuerzburg.de.

Etymology

Hittite 𒆳𒊭 (kursa-) or 𒄥𒊭 (gursa-) is an Asianic cultural word, also appearing also in Kaneshite kursanwn / gursanwn and Akkadian 𒆳𒍣𒉡𒌝 (kursinnu, gusānu, “skinbag”).

Has been connected with Ancient Greek βύρσα (búrsa, “(skin)bag, wineskin”) and Czech, Slovene, Serbo-Croatian krzno[1], originally assumed to be cognate reflexes of Proto-Indo-European *gʷurso-, but that theory is not accepted today and is held untenable (the proper Greek reflex would be *γύρσα (*gúrsa)). Nevertheless, the word eventually spread to Greek, and from there to the West (Latin bursa → French bourse → English purse and dis-burse).

A number of other theories have been proposed with Proto-Indo-European origin of this word, but all of them are held untenable today.

The talismanic usage likely underlies the primary meaning of the “(sheep)skin”, and ties well in with Asianic and Pontic "Golden Fleece" myths.

Noun

𒆳𒊭𒀸 • (kur-sa-as) c

(nominative singular)

1. skin, hide, fleece
2. skin-bag
3. also divinized as a fetish or talisman

Usage notes

Often used with determinative 𒋢 (KUŠ, “leather”), rarely with 𒄑 (GIŠ, “wood”).

Inflection

Broad transcription
a-stem noun
Common gender	Singular	Plural
nominative	kursaš	kurseš, kursiš
		kɔ́rʃas
vocative	kursi, kursa	–
	kɔ́rʃi, kɔ́rʃa	–
accusative	kursan	kursuš
	kɔ́rʃɛs, kɔ́rʃis	kɔ́rʃan
genitive	kursaš	kursaš, kursan
	kɔ́rʃɔs	kɔ́rʃas
dative-locative	kursi	kursaš
	kɔ́rʃas, kɔ́rʃan	kɔ́rʃi
allative	kursa	–
	kɔ́rʃas	–
ablative	kursaz(a)	kursaz(a)
	kɔ́rʃa	kɔ́rʃa
instrumental	kursit	kursit
	kɔ́rʃat͡s	kɔ́rʃat͡s
The desinences in this table have been normalized. For alternative endings see Appendix:Hittite declension

Cuneiform script
a-stem noun
Common gender	Singular	Plural
nominative	𒆳𒊭𒀸	𒆳𒊺𒌍, 𒆳𒅆𒅖
	kur-ša-aš	kur-še-eš, kur-ši-iš
vocative	𒆳𒊭, 𒆳𒅆	–
	kur-ša, kur-ši	–
accusative	𒆳𒊭𒀭	𒆳𒋗𒍑
	kur-ša-an	kur-šu-uš
genitive	𒆳𒊭𒀸	𒆳𒊭𒀸, 𒆳𒊭𒀭
	kur-ša-aš	kur-ša-aš, kur-ša-an
dative-locative	𒆳𒅆	𒆳𒊭𒀸
	kur-ši	kur-ša-aš
allative	𒆳𒊭	–
	kur-ša	–
ablative	𒆳𒊭𒊍	𒆳𒊭𒊍
	kur-ša-az	kur-ša-az
instrumental	𒆳𒅆𒀉	𒆳𒅆𒀉
	kur-ši-it	kur-ši-it
More than one syllabification is possible. For more information see Wiktionary:Hittite transliteration

References

• Puhvel, Jaan (1997), “kursa-, kursi-”, in Hittite Etymological Dictionary (Trends in linguistics. Documentation; 14), volume IV, Berlin, New York: Mouton de Gruyter, pages 270–275
• Notes:

1. Etymologický slovník jazyka českého, ČSAV, 1968, str. 298: odvozeno od nezachovaného slova, které bylo příbuzno s het. kurša