SONDERDRUCK

aus

ISTANBULER MITTEILUNGEN
BAND 43, 1993

ISTMI'IT

39

43, 1993

HARRY HOFFNER

Hittite iwar and Related Modes of Expressing Comparison

HISTORY OF INTERPRETATION

The determination of the meaning of iwar goes back to Sommer

Weise von, nach Art von, gleichwie.

1,

who translated it >'auf die

THE FORM OF [WAR

Etymological proposals
Opinion is divided on the derivation of iwar: see the entries in Puhvel's 2 and Tischler's) lexica
for literature. Already Hrozny 4 suggested an action noun in -war from the root i- to go. This
has been followed by Friedrich 5, Sommer, Kammenhuber, Carruba, and Kronasser 6. Puhvel,
following the lead of Gusmani, also understands iwar as an action noun in -war, but derived
from the verb iye-I-iya- to do, make. According to Puhvel, the form with reduction, i-war as
opposed to iya-war, poses no problem in view of Old Hittite lzzi instead of iyazzi. Puhvel
makes an interesting point, when he cites constructions like PN-as iwar iya- to do the doing of
PN as examples of figura etymologica. But if that is a relic of the particle's origin, I would be
more comfortable finding it in OH, instead of NH, as all known examples are. Sommer 7 had
been aware of the attractiveness of Sanskrit iva as a cognate and the explanation of the Hittite
final r as adverbial-r. But he warned of the rashness of this hypothesis. Puhvel 8 lists those who
follow this view. To the list may now be added Melchert 9.
Aside from the standard abbreviations appearing in the' Archaologische Bibliographie' and the' Archaologischer Anzeiger' all other abbreviations are to be found in thc 'List of Abbreviations' of the Hittite Dictionary of the Oriental
Institute of the University of Chicago (1980ff.).
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)

F. Sommer, Hethitisches II (1922) 11-22.

Dictionary (1984ff.).
]. Tischler, Hethitisches etymologisches Glossar (1977ff.).
F. Hrozny, Die Sprache der Hethiter (1917) 183.
J Friedrich, Hethitisches Warterbuch. Kurzgefagte kritische Sammlung der Deutungen hethitischer Warter (1952).
H. Kronasser, Etymologie der hethitischen Sprache I (1966) 273, 298.
F. Sommer, Hethitisches II (1922) 16.
]. Puhvel, Hittite Etymological Dictionary (1984ff.) SOL
H. C. Melchert, Srudies in Hittite Historical Phonology (1984) 22.

J. Puhvel, Hittite Etymological

40

HARRY HOFF ER

--------.,.-

ISTMITT

The spelling of the word is uniformly i-wa-ar with the single exception of tu-e-el-wa e-u-waar like you(?) in the broken context KUB 60.98 obv. 28, which might be some other word.

Relationship to iwaru and iwarwaiQuestions of etymology are also bound up with the issue of the relationship of iwar to the noun
10 distinguishing them and Sommer II and
Weitenberg 12 considering the root the same. One should no longer cite the broken lexical
passage from KBo 1.38 rev. 9 as containing iwar 13. Rather it is to be restored, as Akkadian
sariiku to pay a dowry = Hittite iwar[wauwarJ, following the entry seriktu, dowry =

iwaru and its denominal verb iwarwai-, Carruba

iwaru

14.

THE SYNTACTICAL BEHAVIOUR OF IW'AR

The Primary Construction: Genitive Noun + iwar

My interest is less in the reconstruction of the proto-form than in the observation of the use of

iwar within the Hittite corpus. It has been known since Hrozny 15 and Sommer 16 that the
primary construction of iwar is as a postpositional governing a substantive in the genitive case.
This construction is the same as that of a small set of postpositionals (appan, katta, kattan,
peran) which in Old Hittite govern the genitive and even take clitic possessives (appan~set,
perammit). But whereas with these words the case of the governing noun or pronoun changes to
the locative in post-Old Hittite, in the case of iwar the genitive reetion continues to be the
dominant construction down to the end of the New Hittite period (more on this under
Diachronics), and iwar never takes a possessive clitic C:-iwar~set).
Puhvel l7 has already listed many of the examples of iwar in published texts. Here we shall
repeat many of his examples and add even more, while classifying the examples as to whether the
comparison is primarily with the subject, the direct object, or the finite verb of the clause.
Apposition to the subject

[1] duddumili~ma mZuruwasmDanuwasmTatJUrwailiyasmTarubsus~a iwar le kunanzi But do

not kill secretly like Zuru, Danu(wa), Taburwaili and Tarubsu KBo 3.1 II 52-53 (OH/NS) 18;

10)
II)
12)
13)
14)
15)
16)
17)
18)

O. Carruba, Das Beschworungsritual fiir die Gottin Wisuriyanza (1966) 16.

F. Sommer, Hethitisches II (1922).
J.S. Weitenberg, Anatolica 4,1971/72,157-178.
So quoted in J. Puhvel, Hittite Etymological Dictionary (1984ff.) 501.
As in A. Kammenhuber, MIO 2,1954,75 and A. Kammenhuber, ZA 55,1955,102-123.365 n. 45, followed by MSL
13.249 and H. Kronasser, Etymologie der hethitischen Sprache I (1966) 302,307.
F. Hrozny, Die Sprache der Hethiter (1917).
F. Sommer, Hethitisches I (1920).
J. Puhvel, Hittite Etymological Dictionary (1984ff.).
Edited by 1. Hoffmann, Der ErlaB Telipinus (1984) 34f.

43, 1993

HITIITE I\VAR

41

[2] nu~wa u[g]ga 5AtI-as iwarwiyami 1 will squeal like a pig KUB 14.1 rev. 93 (Madduwatta, MH/MS)

19;

[3] karu~zasumenzan E.DINGIR.ME5-KUNUEGIR-ananzel! [iwa]r UL kuiskikappuwan

fJarta (From) old no one has taken care of your temples like we (have) KUB 17.21 I 7-8
(prayer of Arn. I)

20;

[4] nu~za sumenzan SA [DINGIR.ME5] assu KU.BABBAR KU.GI BIBRItllA / TUG.tII.A

anzel iwar EGIR-an UL kuiski / kappuwan fJarta No one has taken care of your possessions,

o gods, -

(your) silver, gold, rhytons (and) garments -like we (have)" ibid. I 11-13;

[5] DINGIR.ME5-s~a kue UNUTEMES wizzapanta / n~ at anzel iwar EGIR-pa UL kuiski /

newafJfJa[n fJart]a No one has renewed your equipment which had become worn with age, like
we (have) ibid. 116-18;

[6] nu ammel iwar kuwatqa iya[sl] Perhaps you will act like us KUB 60.136:4 (treaty?);
[7] namma "'PifJfJuniyas UL SA URUGasga iwar taparta / fJudak mafJfJan INA URUGasga UL SA lEN tapariyas / esta asi~ma "'PifJfJuniyas SA LUGAL-UTTI iwar / taparta Then Pibbuniya ruled
unlike the Kaska. Suddenly, when (i.e., whereas) among the Kaska there was no rule by a single
person, that Pibbuniya ruled in the manner of kingship (i.e., like a king) KBo 3.4 III 73-76 21 ;
[8] (Sumerian) zu-gal = (Akkadian) a-mi-it-tu = (Hittite) MUNUS-za! kuis UR.GI 7 -as iwar
[wappeskizzl] A woman who [barks] like a dog KBo 1.44 + KBo 13.1 II 31 (Erimbus Bogh.
lexical series);

[9] n ~ at LUGAL-weznas / iwar taparta he ruled it (the Land of Kalasma) as a king

(literally, "in the manner of kingship") KBo 16.17 III 30-31 (annals of Murs. II) 22;
[1 0] [nu~ ta~ ..] 5E5.ME5-as iwar piran iyantaru ),Let them go before [you] like brothers KBo
]0.12 III ]0-11 (treaty w. Aziru of Amurru) 23;

[11] nu~mu DU pifJassassisEN-YA armuwalasfJas/ iwar ser armuwalai nepisas~ma~mu / DUTU-as

iwar ser wantai The Stormgod Pibassassi, my lord, will shine upon me like sunshine; he will warm
me like the sun in the sky (literally, sun of the sky) KUB 6.45 + KUB 30.14 III 68-70 (Muw. II
prayer) 24;

[12] SEA OlMJasturi iwar Ie iyasi "Don't act like Masturi" KUB 23.1 II 15 (tr. w. 5auskamuwa) 25; nu
zik~a kuwatqa / SA "'Masturi iwar iyasi And perhaps you will act like Masturi ibid. II 29-30;
[13] nu zik~a OlKupanta-DLAMMA-as / [(SA Ol)Ma]sfJuiluwa iwar Ie iyasi You, KupantaLAMMA, must not act like Masbuiluwa KUB 6.41 (Kup. D) III 54-55 w. dupl. KBo 4.3 +
KUB 40.34 II 31-32 (A) 26;
19) Edited by A. Gotze, Madduwattas (1928) 38f.; d. [62].
20) Edited by E. von Schuler, Die Kaskaer (1965) 152f. and R. Lebrun, HYl11nes et pricres hittites (1980) 133.143.
21) Edited by A. Gotze, Die Annalen des Mursilis (1933) 88f.
22) Edited by H. Otten, MIO 3,1955,153-179, especially 173f.
23) Edited by H. Freydank, MIO 7,1960,63.371.
24) Edited by R. Lebrun, HYl11nes et prieres hittites (1980) 268. 282.
25) Edited by C. Kuhne - H. Otten, Der Sausgal11uwa- Vertrag (1971) 1Of.
26) Edited by J. Friedrich, Staatsvertrage des Hatti-Reiches in hethitischer Sprache. I. Teil (1926) 128-131.

42

HARRY HOFFNER

lSTMITT

[14]zik[~a~wana]/ anzel iwar wanummiyas DUMU-as You (Silver) like us are an orphan
child KUB 17.4 :5-6 (Silver myth) 27;

[15] [...] UL kuiski memai/ [...] DAsdapis badugas DINGIR-LlM-is / [...] DU-as iwar
G1Sburkiyas / [.. .]ninki~smi KUR-e~ma / [...] mi KBo 26.96:7-11 (Kumarbi myth);
[16]SAG.DU-as~mMnas~kan LUBAIjAR-as / [GISUM] BIN GIM-an webattari MAS.TURas~ma~nas~ kan

/ mienuwas iwar Our head spins like a potter's [wh]eel; our 'Little Goat'
[...s] like mienu KUB 33.103 III 5-7 (Hedammu) 28;

[17]nu~kan [(ANA M)]US Ijedammu tarbuili / [(ZI.IjI.A-S)U sanezziS] tesbas epta n~asGUD
as ANSE[(-as)]~a iwar supparianza / [ ... UL] kuitki kaniszi Sweet sleep seized the senses(?)
of the serpent Ijedammu, the valiant; and he is sleeping like an ox (or) donkey; [...] recognizes
[no]thing KUB 33.84 + IV 8-10 (Ijedammu) 29;
[18]nu~za LUGAL-us LUGAL-ueznas iwar / wassiyazi the king dresses himself like a king
(literally, in the manner of kingship) KUB 7.60 III 7-8 (evocatio rit.) 30;

[19] n~as GAB.LAL[t]war salliettaru / UZU.t.UDU~ma~wa iwar marrietta<ru> KUB 48.76

+ KBo 6.34 II 2-3 (soldiers' oath, MH/NS). Oettinger 31 restores [-as i]war in line 2, although he
does not read UZU.t.UDU<-as>~ma~wa in line 3. The space at the join in line 2 does not seem
adequate to restore -as. Should one read <-as> in both lines? Note in this passage that the
postposition mabban is used first in I 49-50, then switches to -as . .. iwar where apposition with
the subject begins. The same pattern holds for the later parts: n~as uzuSA-as iwar /
bursakniyaddaru MUN-as~ma iwar / parsiettaru ibid. II 14-16;
[20] ki~wa watarmabban taganzipa[s katta pasta] / [nu~w ]Msi urkisEGIR-an UL tekkussi[ezzt]
/ [tag]anzipas katta QATAMMA pasu nU~WM<s>mas [urkiS] / [wet]enas iwar EGIR-an Ie
tekkussie[zu] Just as the earth swallows up this water, and it leaves behind no trace, in the same
way let the earth swallow (the evil), and like the water let it leave behind no trace KUB 43.38
rev. 9-12 (soldiers' oath) 32;
[21 ]paiddu~wa ~ kan edani / DINGIR- LIM-asparni andan burtaislingais papratar~a basuwayas
iwar kisaru / nu~war~at basu[way]as'SAR iwar miyan esdu In that temple of the deity let the
curse, oath and uncleanness proceed to become like the soda plant, and let it be fruitful like the
soda plant KUB 29.7 rev. 15-18 + KBo 21.41 rev. 25-27 (rit. of Samuha, MH/MS) 33;
[22]idalawa<nna>nz<a>~ya NIS DINGIR-LIM~ya burtais papranna[nz]as~ a / PANI
E.DINGIR-LIM suppi[wasbana]s iwar anda bulaliyan bardu Before the temple let the evil,
the oath of the god, the curse and the uncleanness be wound together like (the skins of) an
onion; ibid. rev. 38-39;
27)
28)
29)
30)
31)
32)
33)

Edited by H. A. Hoffner Jr. in: E. Neu - C. Ruster (Hrsg.), Documentum Asiae Minoris Antiquae (1988) J49f.
Edited by J. Siegelova, Appu-Marchen und Hedammu-M ythus (1971) 52f., cf. CHD mienu-.
Edited by J. Siegelova, Appu-Marchen und Hedammu-Mythus (1971) 58f.
Edited by V. Haas - G. Wilhelm, Hurritische und luwische Riten aus Kizzuwatna (1974) 236.
Edited by N. Oettinger, Die Militarischen Eide der Hethiter (1976) 8f.
Edited by N. Oettinger, Die Militariscben Eide der Hethiter (1976) 20f.
Edited by R. Lebrun, Samuha, foyer religieux de I'empire hittite (1976) 123. 130; translated in J. B. Pritchard, Ancient
Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament. Third Edition 346 (differently).

43, 1993

HITTITE IWAR

43

[23JID-as~ma~ta~kan I [iwJar EGIR-anta arsiyabbut I [nu~warJ~an EGIR-pa kappuwai

Flow back, like the river, and reconsider him!" KUB 10.72 v 12-14 (fest. frag., pre-NH/NS);

[24Jzasbiya~kankuis DYaris I ANA UR.MAH artat ALAM~ma~s<i> I SA DU iwar esta the

Yarri who in the dream stood on a lion, his image was like the Stormgod KUB15.5 II 39-41
(dream, NH) 3\

[25J taknas~ma DUTU-usDIM-unnipiran I LV SAGI-as iwar tiet The Sungoddess of the Earth
(i.e., Allanni) stepped before the Stormgod as a cupbearer KBo 32.13 II 28-34 (myth, MHI
MS);

[26JUR.GI7~s~as kan iwa[r

32.14 left edge 7;

J I SAPAL [

J aki he will die like a dog under [

J KBo

[27J (Description of the statue of dSulikatti, the god of Tamarmara:) iyanza~ma~as LV x[...J I
[(i)Jwar he is made like a [...J man, (and he stands on a wooden lion) KUB 30.37 I 3-4 w.
dupl. KUB 12.36 + KUB 60.9:3-4;
[28J (Apodosis of a lunar omen:) ANA KUR LV.KVR-KA zakkiyas iwar tiya[(zi)J he will step
to (i.e., approach) the land of your enemy like a key KUB 29.11 II 3-4 w. dupl. KUB 8.6 II 34 35 ;

[29J SA dU fijarapS [ili- . .. karpiS? kel G'Swarsamasll iwar waranu May [the anger(?)J of the
Stormgod (and) [of] fljarapsili burn up like [this brushwoodJ Bo 5997 6-8, cited by Otten, KBo
XXI, S. IV, Anm. 5.
[30JEN.SISKUR IR-KA I [parkuwJayasljUR.SAG-as iwar I [pirJan QATAMMA esdu . .. IDEGIR-panta arsiyabbut Let the worshiper, your servant, in the same
way be like a [hiJgh mountain before (you)! ... Flow back (down) like a river (and reconsider
him)! KUB 10.72 V 9-13 (fest.);

as~ma~tta~kkan [iwaJr

[31J n~as QATAMMA kistaru n~asNA4-asiwar duddumisdu Let (the evil) be extinguished in
the same way, and let it become silent like the stone KUB 7.58 I 9-10 rit. 36;
[32][SJA dU~war~as iwar parkuis I [... e]Sdu Let him be pure [...J as the Stormgod KBo
12.85 I 14-15 (rit. of Allaiturabi) 37, d. VBoT 120 I 6;
[33J [... MUNUSJE.GE4.A-as iwar anda ka[riyanza?J V[eiled(?)] like a bride KUB 41.11 rev. 3
(rit.);
[34] 1-ass~a G,SmablasSAlj-as iwar murius I mekkus baskiddu Let even one vine branch, like a
(fertile) sow, bear many grape clusters KUB 43.23 rev. 21-22 (blessings on Labarna, OS) 38;

34) Edited by J. de Roos, Hettitische Gcloften. Een teksteditie van Hettitische geloften met in lei ding, vertaling en
critische noten (Ph.D., 1984) 206, 345.
35) Cf. Ehelolf, MDOG 75 (1937) 67ff.; J. Holt in: R. von Kienle - H. Moortgat - H. Otten - E. von Schuler - W.
Zaumseil (Hrsg.), Festschrift Johannes Friedrich zum 65. Geburtstag am 27. August 1958 gewidmet (1959) 213f.;
Riemschneider, BiOr 18 (1961) 25f.
36) Edited by S. R. Bin-Nun, The Tawananna in the Hittite Kingdom (1975) 68.
37) Edited by V. Haas - H. Thiel, Die Beschworungsrituale der Allaiturah(h)i und verwandte Texte (1978) 132f.
38) Edited by A. Archi in: O. Carruba (Hrsg.), Studia Mediterranea Piero Meriggi dicata (1979) 34, CHD L-N 333.

44

HARRY HOFFNER

ISTMITf

Apposition to the direct object

[35] [... -d]a pilas iwar wapnuddu Let it/him encircle [...] like (walls encircle) a courtyard
KUB 40.55 I 7 (BEL MADGALTI instr., MH/MS).

[36] nu~wa~kan apel 21 -an DING IR.MES uwitenas 1 iwar arpa lappuwaten 0 gods, pour out
his soul like water KUB 13.3 III 1-2 (instr., MH?/NS) 39;

[3 7] nu~mu memir BELl~NI ~wa~nas SA URUAripsa 1 iwar URU ljattusi saruwawanzi le maniyapti
They said to me: >Our lord, do not hand us over to the Hittite (soldiers) to be plundered like
Aripsa< KBo 4.4 IV 20-22 (annals of Murs. II) 40;
[38]nuANA IllUrpitessup 1 GAM-an EGIR-papaun [(n~an~kanS)]A LULl. (var. SA LuSU.DAB)
iwar katta uwatenun I went back to UrhiteSup and brought him down like a hostage (var.
prisoner) KUB 1.1 + 1683/u 41 IV 30-33 (Apol. of Hatt. III) w. dupl. KBo 3.6 III 61-63 42; LULl.
is an abbreviation for Akkadian li.tu ,>hostage;
[39]passanuer~ an 1 [... G,sN]A-asMUNUS-as iwar >,they made him (Kumarbi) give birth on
[a be]d [...] like a woman KUB 33.120 II 79-80 (Song of Kumarbi) 43;

[40] [n~an] DUTU-SI UJ KUR-as iwar zappiskimi >,1, My Majesty, will keep fighting [him] like
an enemy KBo 5.4 rev. 15 (treaty with Targ.) 44;
[41]n~an uwami LU.KUR-as iwar walpmi >,1 will proceed to attack him like an enemy KBo
5.13 I 35 (treaty with KUP.) 45;

[42]nu GE 6 -an pumandan 1 uzuprin I::IAD.DU.A IN.NU.DA-as iwar 1 azzikkanzi (the

horses) eat hay (literally, dried grass) all night long, like straw KUB 1.13 156-8 (hipp.) 46;
[43] n~an LUIGI.NU.GA[L-aS] 1 iwar da[suwappa]ndu! SA LUU.HUB~ma~an 1 iwar
[duddumiy]andu Let them make him bl[in]d like a blind man; let them [make] him deaf like a deaf
man KBo 6.34 III 7-9 (soldiers' oath) 47; restoration of -as at end of line based upon SA LUU.HUB;
[44]n~at SU.SAR-as iwar tarupta n~at xC... G]UB-laz 1 taruptat '>(s)he twined it like a cord,
and it was twined to the left KUB 29.7 + KBo 21.41 rev.44-45 (rit. of Samuba) 48;

39)

40)
41)
42)
43)
44)
45)
46)
47)
48)

Edited by J. Friedrich in: Altorientalisehe Studien. Bruno Meissner zum 60. Gebunstag gewidmet von Freunden,
Kollegen und Sehulern (1928) 47. 49; translated in]. B. Pritchard, Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old
Testament. Third Edition 207; E. Laroche in: E. Neu - C. Riister (Hrsg.), Festschrift Heinrich Otten (1973) 185f.; I.
Wegner, UgaritF 10, 1978, 403f.; E. von Schuler, TUAT III (1982) I24f.; R. Haase, Texte zum hethitischen Recht.
Eine Auswahl (1984) 63f.; for the liquid conception of the ZI d. A. Kammenhuber, ZA 56, 1964, 150-222.
Edited by A. Giitze, Die Annalen des Mursilis (1933) 13M.
H. Orren, Die Apologie Hattusilis III.: Das Bild del' Oberlieferung (1981) Taf. 2.
Edited by H. Otten, Die Apologie Hattusilis Ill.: Das BiJd del' Dberlieferung (1981) 24f.
Cf. R. Werner, BiOI' 18,1961,291.
Edited by]. Friedrich, Staatsvertrage des Hani-Reiches in hethitischer Sprache. I. Teil (1926) 62f.
Edited by J. Friedrich, Staatsvertrage des Hatti-Reiches in hethitischer Sprache. l. Teil (1926) 11M.
Edited by A. Kammenhuber, Hippologia hethitica (1961) 58f.
Edited by N. Oettinger, Die Militarischen Eide del' Hethiter (1976) 12f.
Edited by R. Lebrun, Samuha, foyer religieux de I'empire hittite (1976) 124. 131; translated in]. B. Pritchard, Ancient
Ncar Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament. Third Edition 346.

43, 1993

HITTITE [WAR

45

[45] [nu]~wa man / para tarnumar iyatteni / nu~wa~smas dTUKUL.HI.A-KUNU [.. .]nas
iwar / sarlami If you perform the debt release, I will exalt your weapons like [... J KBo 32.19
III 37-40 (myth), to be edited by E. Neu in StBoT 32;
[46] n~as 10 MA.NA -as iwar sara tiddanuw[anzl] And they set them (i.e., the images made of
fruits) like ten minas KUB 39.11 obv. 41 (MH/NS) 49;
[47]nu~mu~kan UN.MES-annaza TUR-as iwa[r ...] People [...] me like a child KUB
12.13:4 (rit. frag.);

[48] [... barn]ikmi / [... kussJanga UL I [.. . ]an QATAMMA / [... wJabnuessar / [... arba?
tessum]miyas iwar / [du]warnabbi sarazziyas~a / [...] wabnuessar arba bussiliyas / [l]war
sakkuriemi / [.. .]ni~ma~kan istarna peE. ..]; 1 will smash the wabnuessar like a (clay) cup; I
will flatten out (trample flat) the wabnuessar like a mud pit. KBo 32.24 II 10-18, to be edited by
E. Neu in StBoT 32; note that here bussiliyas / [t]war breaks the nexus of the preverb arba and
the finite verb sakkuriya-. Perhaps the same was true in the clause with [tessum]miyas iwar.
Free-standing Genitive (like that/those of ... )
[49](They blind his eyes before the sea, they cut off his ears,) GUD-as~kan iwar kunnan
uzupaltana[n] / kuraskanzi n~an DUGUD-ya IZI-ni pesseskan[zl] and they cut off his right
shoulder like (that) of an ox, and throw it into a roaring (?) fire Bo 3640 III? 7-10 (rit. frag.) 50;
[50]the postposition man also sometimes governs a free-standing genitive (that) of a ...
[su]minzana IR.MES-amman (for ':IR.MES-an~man) UR.BAR.RA-as man pang[ur] I-EN
estu But let your clan, my subjects, be one like (those) of a wolf KBo 3.27:15-16 (in CHD man
1 a 2'); also wetnas man KUB 1.16 II 46 (in CHD man 1 a 2').
Modifies the finite verb
[51] [.. subb]i ser ANA MU[L.IjI.A] / menabbanda 3 [Lo.]ME~BALAG.DI PANI DINGIR-LIM
/ menabbanda zabbiyas iwar / bhinganiskanzi nu ITT! DIM Izabbiyanda Up on [the roo],
facing the stars, three BALAG players dance facing the deity in the manner of battle, and they
fight with the Stormgod KBo 15.52 V 2'-10' (bisuwaSfest.);
[52] (ljattusili III wrote:) uRUHattusas iwar E.MES DINGIR.MES ser iyanun built (literally,
made) temples up (on the acropolis?) in the Hittite manner KUB 21.17 III 7-8; temples ... like
(those) of Hatti is also possible, in which case this would be a further example ofBo 3640 III? 7-10;

[53] kuitman~ma~as SISKUR mantalliya uRuKU.BABBAR-as URUArzawass~a iwar ... iyanzi

while they perform mantalli rituals in the Hittite and Arzawan manner KUB 5.6 III 25-26
(oracle question, NH);
[54](Three pairs of gold earrings:) I-NUTUM uRuKU.BABBAR-as iwar iyan I-NUTUM [...
iwar iyan] / I-NUTUM SA LUGAL-UTT! iwar iyan one pair made in the style of (ordinary)

49) Edited by H. Otten, Hethitische Totenrituale (1958) 68ff.

50) From transliteration in H. Ehelolf, KIF I, t 930,397 and H. Ertem, Bogazkoy metinlcri gore Hititler devri Anadolu'
sunun Florasl (1974) 157f.

46

HARRY HOFF ER

ISTMllT

Hittite (men), one [in the style of ...,J and one in the style of kingship KUB 42.38: 19-21
(inventory, NH) 51.
Governing an independent pronoun

anzel iwar KUB 17.21 18,12,17, etc. (prayer of Am. I, MH) 52; = [3J-[6J, KUB 17.4:5-6 (Silver
myth) 53 = [14], ammel iwar KUB 60.136:4 (treaty?) = [6], etc. The postpositions man or
mabban, which have usage overlapping with iwar, do not take a preceding pronoun.
Puhvel's 'conjunctive' use
A much less common construction is iwar following a noun not in the genitive, but in some
other syntactically appropriate case. Puhvel considers iwar in these cases a conjunction. Presumably he has in mind the analogous construction with man or mabban, where the case of the
compared noun agrees with its antecedant comparing noun. Such an explanation fits well the
following example from the Elkunida myth:
[55J DISTAR-is~mMkan MUSEN-is iwar buripta [S] / parrantapiddaitnu~kan DU-an burip[(tasj]
/ anda wemiyat nu~ssi m[emiskiwan daiS] ISTAR flew off like a bird across the desert, found
the Stormgod (i.e., Baal) in the desert, and began to say to him KUB 36.37 II 10-12 + KUB
31.118 II 5-7 54
Similarly, LAL-it seems to be nom.-acc. neuter, in agreement with the subject uddar and the
resumptive -at in the following: [56J uddar~ma~k[an] kue KAxU-az para iyattari n~at LAL-it
iwar sanizzi esdu "Let the words which issue from the mouth be as sweet as honey KUB 27.29
II 17-19.
In the next example buelpi shows that its noun GA.RASSAR was neut. (nom.-)acc., agreeing
with the syntactically accusative UJ.MES:

[57] [nu~ zJa UJ.MES buelpi GA.RASS AR iwar arba kari[pta] You devoured men like a fresh
leek KUB 24.7 II 5 ('hymn' to ISTAR-Sawuska, NH) 55.
[58] (The exorcist speaks thus:) KU .BABBAR -ni~WMZ iwar / PANI D INGIR.MES ... parkuis
es be pure as silver before the gods ... KBo 5.2 IV 61-62 (rit. of Ammihatna, MH/NS); unless
the ni sign is a mistake for as this example too must be attributed to the 'conjunctive' use.
[59] ALAM iwar iya[nduJ KUB 39.23 obv. 6 56

51)
52)
53)
54)
55)
56)

Edited by J. Siegelova, Hethitische Verwalrungspraxis im Lichte der Wirrschafts- und Inventardokumente (1986)
495f.
Edited by E. von Schuler, Die Kaskaer (1965) 152-63; R. Lebrun, Hymnes et prieres hittites (1980) 132-154.
Edited by H. A. Hoffner Jr. in: E. eu - C. Riister (Hrsg.), Documentum Asiae Minoris Anriquae (1988) 149f.
Edited by H. Otten, MIO J, 1953, 125-150; translated in H. A. Hoffner Jr., RHA 23,1965,10; H. A. Hoffner Jr.,
Hittite Myths (1990) 69f; A. Bernabe, Textos literarios hetitas (1987) 128f.
Edited by H. G. Giiterbock,JAOS 103,1983,158.
Edited by H. Onen, Hethitische Totenriruale (1958) 94f.

43, 1993

HITTITE [WAR

47

The first of these two examples is the clearest, since the phonetic complement on MUSEN
shows thai it is definitely not a genitive, but a nominative, much as one would expect if the
position of iwar had been filled by man or mabban. In the second example it is unlikely that we
should suppose a scribal omission of -as both on buelpi and on GA.RASSAR. Examples like KBo
6.34 II 2-3 above [19], however, are probably scribal omissions of -as in view of the other
examples with the genitive in the immediate context.
Prepositonal iwar

In the historical corpus not before Hattusili III:

[60] (In Puduhepa's letter to Ramses: As for what you wrote to me: >... ,<) nu apas
memiyas iwar [SE]S-YA That word/matter is just like My Brother! KUB 21.38 rev. 2.
Heick's 57 reading [SE]S- YA is preferable to Stefanini's 58 [a-p ]i-ia codesta cosa come [allo]ra,
since prepositional iwar elsewhere always occurs before either a proper name (i.e., a stem form)
or a logogram.
[61]

nu iwar UDU balziskanzi And they bleat like sheep KUB 59.60 III 14 (fest. frag.), d. [2];

[62]

[...] / iwar LUNAR [...] Iike a singer KBo 19.114:4-5.

[63] iwar LUGAL KUR Kargamis Iike the King of Carche[mish] KBo 18.48 obv. 6, 19 (late
13th century letter) 59;

[64] Appositional to subject: DEN.LfL-as~ma~kan ANA DUTU AN-E / kartimmiesta

zik~wa~smas kuit iwar / LUTAPPI-SU UD.KAM-tili kattan iyattati Because you daily go
together with them, like his companion KUB 8.48 I 14-16 (Gilgamd) 60;
[65] GIM-an~ma lukkatta nu DGilgamesusiwa[r (here probably a logogram)] / partipartiskizzi
But when morning came, Gilgamesh
s like [a
J KUB 17.3 III 7-8 (Gilg.) 61;
[66] [UZUsluppa~kan iwar GISdabanki x[ ] / [ ]x-zi he/they [...] the [m]eat in the manner
of the dabanki [... ] Bo 271 0 obv. 18-19 62 ; dabanki is a stem form, without Hittite ending, and
thus is treated like a 'logogram' or a stem-form proper name.

Often in late oracle inquiries: [67] DUTU-SI~kan IjUR.SAGljabarwa UGU paizzi n~as~kan
UGU sehi BE-an~ma~kaniwar '"Manini /
KARAS.IjI.A US-an UL DU-ri KUB 5.1 I4344 (Hatt. III) 63; [68] arba~pat~kan kuermi nu UL DU-mi iwar '"Temetti / zilan~kan ANA
uRuNerik apezza SIG 5 -in SIG 5 -ru KUB 5.1 III 87-88.

sA

57) W. Heick, JCunSt 17,1963, 87-97 92f.

58) R. Stcfanini, AttiMcmFircnzc 29, 1964,3-69 15,46.
59) Editcd by A. Hagcnbuchncr, Dic Korrespondenz dcr Hethitcr (1989).
60) Editcd by J. Fricdrich, ZA 39, 1930, 1-82; H. Otten, IstMitt 8,1958,93-125, platcs 32-33; H. Otten in: Etudes
receuillies a I'occasion de la VIle Rencontre Assyriologique Internationale (1960) 139-143; transliteration E. Laroche, Tcxtes mythologiques hittites en transcription (1969) 132.
61) Transliteration E. Laroche, Tcxtes mythologiques hittites en transcription (1969) 133.
62) V. Haas, Der Kult von Nerik (1970) 21M.
63) Edited by A. Unal, Hattllsili Ill: Hattusili bis ZlI seiner Thronbesteigllng. Band II: QlIclien (1973) 338f.

1
48

HARRY HOFFNER

ISTMITf

The explanation of the word order

Puhvel 64 attributes the late examples of iwar preceding its governing noun ([60]-[68], which
shows no overt indication of its grammatical case) to the 'conjunctive' use. This is unlikely, since
this reversed word order is a typical imitation of Akkadian word order and thus shows that the
grammatically unmarked following word (which is always either a proper name or a logogram)
is understood as a Hittite genitive. The construction is therefore the normal one with the
genitive, but in a logographic form with iwar functioning like an Akkadian preposition.
Diachronically
Since nowadays it is often possible to date the texts in which these constructions appear, it may
prove helpful to see if there is a correlation between the date of the text and the syntax of iwar.
Postpositional iwar Iike is very rare in OH and not found at all in OS. In OH, then, speakers
apparently had no option to use iwar, but used postpositional man or maIJIJan (cE. exx. of both
of these in CHD s.v.). iwar comes into wider use in MH. The 'conjunctive' use is strictly NH,
and 'prepositional' writings do not occur before Ijattusili III.

RELATED MODES OF EXPRESSING COMPARISON

Speakers of the Hittite language had at their disposal a variety of syntactic structures with which
to express ideas of comparison. (1) The maIJIJan clause followed by an apeniHan clause (cE.
CHD sub maIJIJan), (2) sentences containing the verb dakk- to be like/similar" in which the
compared items are nominative and dative-locative respectively: GAB-SU ANA GAB-SU
dakki,
ANA
dakki> etc. his chest is similar to his chest, his heart is similar to his
heart, etc. KUB 43.53:7-9; (3) comparisons of degree 65, which take the same syntactic
structure as the dakk- clauses: nU9wa9kan ANA ERIN.MES-KA ERIN.MES- YA mek[kz],
ANA ANSE.KUR.RA.MES9mMwMtta ANSE.KUR.RA.MES- YA mekki my troops 66 are
more numerous than your troops; my horses are more numerous than your horses (KUB 19.29
IV 18-19); namma9kan anzel TI-anni [UL S]A BELUMEs-NI TI-tar nakk'i if the life of our
lords (i.e., the Hittite kings) is not dearer (to us) than our own life,< (KUB 31.42 II 18-19); (4) the
suffix -ili 67: / pittiyantili like a fugitive (pittiyant- ), karuHiyantili quietly (karuHiyant-),
MUNUS-nili, of a womanly nature, LlJ.KUR-li, in the manner of an enemy (or perhaps to
be read with Otten 68 LU-ni-li in a manly way, IJaranili like an eagle (IJaran-), swiftly,
duddumili silently, GUD-li like an ox, MU.KAM-li annually, yearly siwattili (UD.KAMtili) daily'<, LIM-tili by the thousands; and based upon geographic names: URunisili, nasili and

sA-su

sA-su

64) J. Puhvel, Hittite Etymological Dictionary (1984ff.).

65) J. Friedrich, Hethitisches Elementarbuch, 1. Teil: KurzgcfaBte Grammatik (1960) 221-223.
66) The Hittite noun underlying ERl .MES is common gender, ERlN.MES-att-.
67) J. Friedrich, Hethitisches Elementarbuch, I. Teil: KurzgcfaBte Grammatik (1960) 227.
68) H. Otten, Die Apologie Hattusilis Ill.: Das Bild der Oberlieferung (1981).

43, 1993

HITTITE IW'AR

49

nesumnili (the latter two without det.) in the language of the city of Nda, in Hittite, URUbattili
in the (pre-IE) language of the Hattians, in Hattic, luwili (without determinative) in the
Luwian language, uRupalaumnili in the language of the land of Pala, in Palaic, uRuburlili in
Hurrian, URupabilili in Akkadian 69. (5) Postpositional man and mabban like (see many
exx. in CHD s.v.). (6) Sometimes an appositive has a comparative force: buwappus~a~kan
UJ.MES-as / [tar-n]a-as-ma (var. tar-na-as-ma-an/-aS?) sa-ak-sa-ki-lu-us walbannai and
continually strikes evil men on their skulls (like) sakSakil(a)- (or: strikes evil men, i.e., the s. of
their skulls), (and destroys them) KUB 24.8 I 2-6 (Appu story, pre-NH/NS) w. dupl. KBo
7.18:1-4 7. (7) The adverbs masiyan, masiyanki, masiwan and their related adjectives masiyantand masiwant- are used for making quantitative comparative statements ("as much as, large/
small as) (d. CHD L-M 20Mf. for the evidence).
Criteria for Choice
There are differences between these structures. If the speaker needs to express a comparison
with two complete clauses, method (1) is the obvious means. Apparently neither postpositional
man nor mabban are used after non-clitic (i.e., stressed) pronouns (ug, ammuk, ammel, zig, tug,
tuel, etc.), while iwar is. If the speaker simply wants to say that A is like B or that A is larger,
smaller, richer, stronger, etc. than B, methods (2) and (3) would be chosen. Methods (4), (5), (6),
and the use of iwar are used to single out a pair of nouns, or a noun and a pronoun, which share
a comparable role, either as grammatical subject, object. possessor or verbal modifier.
There are some differences in the syntax of man and mabban (5), and iwar. Of the three
postpositionals man, mabban and iwar, only the latter is able to govern proper names. The
closest approximation is in the dream usage of man, where AB V- YA man means (someone)
like my father (CHD sub man 1 d). While iwar is used with negated governing substantives
(e.g., VI SA x iwar [7], VI NUMUN-as iwar KBo 12.139:3), man and mabban are not. On the
other hand, postpositional mabban governs a preceding interrogative pronoun, while iwar does
not: kuit mabban like what? (see CHD mabban 1 b). Otherwise, although man (CHD mng.
1) becomes less common in NH non-literary texts, where iwar seems to have become the
construction of choice, both man and mabban like continue to be used alongside of iwar and
in much the same way. Sometimes in literary texts an author deliberately used two methods
juxtaposed for variety: d [1] (duddumili and PN-as iwar), KUB 33.103111 5-7 above [16] (man
and iwar).
The expression something/-one like a ... (without expressed antecedant) is formed using
postpositional man, as in the dream descriptions (see man 1 d).
As for the suffix -ili, when this suffix is added to ethnica, it always denotes a language,
whereas ethnica plus iwar have no linguistic reference: SA UJ.MES Gasga iwar.

69)
70)

For a full list of the adverbs in -iii (without translations) see P. Reichert, RHA 21, 1963, 120.
Edited by J. Siegelova, Appu-Marchen und Heclammu-Mythus (1971) 4f.; . Oettinger, Die Stammbildung des
hethitischen Verbums (1979) 434; . van Brock, RHA 20, 1962, 104 (les hommes mechants, sur leur gorge il frappe
les sakSakiia-); translated by H. A. Hoffner Jr. in: H. Goedicke- lJ.M. Roberts (Hrsg.), Unity and Diversity: Essays
in the History, Literature, and Religion of the Ancient Near East (1975) 139.

50

HARRY HOFFNER

ISTMITT

When it is added to a time word (siwattili "daily, wittili annually) it modifies primarily
neither subject nor object, but the verb itself.
The adverbs in -ili (4) are not negated in the manner of the iwar construction. Putting it
differently - what negation there is occurs on the main verb: e.g., duddumili ... le kuiski ...;
miyantili A.SA-ni GIS.SAR-ni G'STIR-ni Ile paizzi taknas"'at DUTU-as KASKAL-an paiddu
KUB 17.10 IV 12-13 (Tel. myth, verso 1); bamesbi",za GUD-un le wasti karsantan"'ma",za I
galliStarwanili le datti marsanza I GUD-us bamesbi'" pat SIGs-ri idalus"'ma"'za I karsanza
gallistarwanili unuwatari KUB 4.3 obv. 12-15 (wisdom) 71.
The -ili adverbs which are not based upon ethnica or time words (e.g., duddumili, pitteyantili,
baraniii, parsanili, etc.) always offer a comparison to the grammatical subject of the clause,
never to the direct or indirect object: man",kan LOMUNABTUM ISTU KU[R-KA KUR
URU Hatti LOpit]tiyantili I uizzi n"'an"'ta EGIR-pa UL piyanzi KUB 21.1 III 62-63 (Alaks.) 72;
BEL ERIN.MES"'a",smas kattan arta G'SPA"'ya [barzi TUG.HLA=ma=smas(?)] I [SIG s-1]IM
namma bilammili wessanta IBoT 1.36 I 76-77 (MESEDI instr.) 73; TUG NfG.LAM.IjLA"'ma
smas KusE.sIR SIG s- TIM bilammiii wessanta ibid. II 49-50). Or perhaps their primary reference
is to the verb in the manner of ... ).

sannapili is not an adverb in -ili but the neuter of an adjective in -ili-, to be compared with
karuili-. Thus the same force as the -iii adverbs is achieved by a nominative appositive in:
[mKJessis ITu'3.KAM-as HUR.SAG.MES-as anda webatta EGIR-pa"'ma",san URU-SO I
sannapilis numan paizzi kasti kaninti Kdsi wanders about in the mountains for three months.
He doesn't want to go back to his city emptyhanded, in hunger (and) thirst KUB 33.121 II 1516 (Kdsi story). Other examples of the nominative appositive used adverbially are: n",an",si
(var. -ta) dusgarawanza piskellu pidduliyauwanzMma",da ie peskimi "May I give it to you (!)
joyously, may I not give it to you with reservations KUB 6.45 + KUB 30.14 III 66-67 (prayer
of Muw. II) 74.
-ili adverbs can also be based upon numbers: LIM-tili by the thousands: [GUD.IjL]A
ANSE.KUR.RA.MES"'ya LIM-tili azzikkiz[zz] it eats [oxe]n and horses by the thousands;
KUB 8.67 IV 13 (Hedammu), ed. StBoT 14:40f.
Adverbs in -iii can indeed be based on geographical (or ethnic) names (palaumniii, nesumnili,
battili), but never upon personal names (mMasturiyas iwar, not ,:-mMasturili).

71) Edited by E. Laroche in: J. Nougayrol E. Laroche - C. Virollcaud - C.F.A. Schaeffer (Hrsg.), Ugaritica V:
Nouveaux textes accadiens, hourritcs et ugaritiques des Arcbives ct Bibliotbeques privees d'Ugarit, commemaires
des textes historiques (1968) 273ff. 779ff. 781.
72) Edited by J. Friedrich, Staatsvertrage des Hatti-Reicbcs in hethitischer Sprache. 2. Teil (1930) 74f.
73) Edited by H. G. Gliterbock T.P.J. van den Hout, The Hittite Instruction for the Royal Bodyguard (1991) 12f.
74) Edited by R. Lebrun, Hymnes et prieres hittites (1980) 268. 282 (ignoring KUB 30.14).

43, 1993

HITIITE IWAR

51

REASONS FOR UTILIZING EXPRESSIONS OF COMPARISON

In narrative literary texts, such as myths or legends, authors used simile and metaphor to make
the narrative more vivid. And although the metaphors of Hittite myths do not become so rigidly
associated with one particular object or character, as in Homer (wine-dark sea, etc.), a few of
them are definitely stock phrases.
It is hard to ignore the fact that similes of a particularly unflattering kind are applied to enemies
or villains in the historical narratives of Hattusili III. UrhiteSsub is shut up like a pig in a sty
(mVrIJi-D[(U-upan kuw)] api dameda / VI kuwapikki tarna [(5 n~an~ kan)] INA URUSamuIJa /
SAIj GIM-an :IJu[(mma EGIR-pa istapp)] as) 75 or "like a fish in a net (apun~mMkan DISTAR
URU SamuIJa GASAN ~ YA / KU 6-un GIM-an IJupalaza EGIR-pa istapta / n~an isIJiyat n~an~mu
para pesta KBo 6.29 + KUB 21.12 + KUB 23.127 + Bo 2026b II 33-36 76). The purpose of using
these similes is obviously the public humiliation of Ijattusili's opponent.
In incantations the comparative clause of the typeJust as honey is sweet, and butter is mild, so
in the same way let the mind of the god become sweet, and let it become mild it is obviously the
peculiar logic of magic which is at work. If A produces B, then A prime ought to produce B
pnme.
Among all the expressions of comparison in the Hittite texts I cannot find a truly appropriate
one for my friend and colleague, Peter Neve. So I shall contrive one and hope that he will be
pleased with the sentiment: siwattes~ teS~ wa~tta nepisas IJasteres man meggaes asandu May
your days be as numerous as the stars of heaven!

75)
76)

H. Otten, Die Apologie Hattusilis III.: Das Bild der Oberlieferung (1981) IV 24-26.
Edited by A. Gotze, Neue Bruchstiicke zum groBen Text des Hattusilis und den Paralleltexten (1930) 46.