HFSI 57626

Interpretation

Apparatus Criticus: HFSI: the fifth letter is read as a w but the commentary points out that it might be a g; fs¹r ? is read at the end. JMAA V p. 95: ḥmlg for ḥml {w}; l mtqrʿt bnt fs¹rn "for Mtqrʿt daughter of Fs¹rn" at the end.
Commentary: The reading of the fifth sign is quite clear but how it should beinterpreted is problematic. HFSI points out that it could be w or a g. If it is interpreted as a w then there are two forms of the letter in the text one a circle with a dot in the middle and the other a circle with a line across although this is not necessarily an argument against such aninterpretation see for example the instances in Thamudic E where different forms of letters occur in the same inscription (King 1990: 45-46 and n. 88). For a another variant form of w in this group of texts see HFSI 67801 where the crossbar in the circle is a short line and does not reach from one side of the circle to the other. There is a chip in the rock after the third t and the remains of what might be a t are visible. After the f HFSI and JMAA V have read an s¹. This might be correct but the smallness of the "sign" suggests that it might be natural holes such as cover the rest of the rock.

[HFSI] Harding, G.L. Further Safaitic Texts in the Iraq Museum. Sumer 26, 1970: 179-185 and 4 unnumbered plates.

Updated 16 Sep, 2024 by OCIANA