𒉿𒀀𒋻

𒉿𒀀𒋻

Hittite

𒉿𒀀𒋻	The cuneiform font displayed by default does not accurately represent the Hittite script. Please download and install Hittite fonts from www.hethport.uni-wuerzburg.de.

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *wódr̥ (“water”). Related to Luwian 𒉿𒀀𒅈𒊭.

Bedřich Hrozný, who deciphered Hittite in 1917, said that seeing this word and knowing German Wasser made him realize Hittite was Indo-European.[1]

Noun

𒉿𒀀𒋻 • (wa-a-tar)

1. water
   • Said to be the first Hittite sentence translated by Hrozný:

     𒉡 𒃻𒀭 𒂊𒄑𒍝𒀜𒋼𒉌 𒉿𒀀𒋻𒈠 𒂊𒆪𒌓𒋼𒉌

     nu NINDA-an e-ez-za-at-te-ni wa-a-tar-ma e-ku-ut-te-ni.

     [now] bread you shall eat, and water you shall drink.

Inflection

Broad transcription
heteroclitic noun
Neuter gender	Singular	Plural
absolutive	wātar	witār
ergative	witenz(a)	witenantes
genitive	witenaš	witenaš
dative-locative	witeni	witenaš
allative	witena	–
ablative	witenaz(a)	witenaz(a)
instrumental	witanta, witenit	witanta, witenit

Cuneiform
heteroclitic noun
Neuter gender	Singular	Plural
absolutive	𒉿𒀀𒋻	𒌑𒄿𒋫𒀀𒅈
	wa-a-tar	ú-i-ta-a-ar
ergative	𒌑𒄿𒋼𒈾𒀭𒍝	𒌑𒄿𒋼𒈾𒀭𒋼𒌍
	ú-i-te-na-an-za	ú-i-te-na-an-te-eš
genitive	𒌑𒄿𒋼𒈾𒀸	𒌑𒄿𒋼𒈾𒀸
	ú-i-te-na-aš	ú-i-te-na-aš
dative-locative	𒌑𒄿𒋼𒂊𒉌	𒌑𒄿𒋼𒈾𒀸
	ú-i-te-e-ni	ú-i-te-na-aš
allative	𒌑𒄿𒋼𒈾	–
	ú-i-te-na
ablative	𒌑𒄿𒋼𒈾𒊍	𒌑𒄿𒋼𒈾𒊍
	ú-i-te-na-az	ú-i-te-na-az
instrumental	𒌑𒄿𒋫𒀭𒋫, 𒌑𒄿𒋼𒉌𒀉	𒌑𒄿𒋫𒀭𒋫, 𒌑𒄿𒋼𒉌𒀉
	ú-i-ta-an-ta, ú-i-te-ni-it	ú-i-ta-an-ta, ú-i-te-ni-it
The desinences in this table have been normalized. For alternative endings see Appendix:Hittite declension

References

1. Buck, C. D. (1920), “Hittite an Indo-European Language?”, in Classical Philology‎, volume 15, issue 2, pages 189–90

Further reading

• Kloekhorst, Alwin (2019), “Hittite ‘Water’”, in U. Bläsing, J. Dum-Tragut, T.M. van Lint, editors, Armenian, Hittite, and Indo-European Studies: A Commemoration Volume for Jos J.S. Weitenberg (Hebrew University Armenian Studies; 15), Leuven: Peeters, pages 143–147