Anon Tay

Interpretation

Commentary: The letter forms of this text are Taymanitic (particularly h and ḥ) but the formula is more usually found in Thamudic B. Moreover, it is extremely rare for any deities other than Ṣlm to be invoked in Taymanitic, whereas Rḍw and ʿtrs¹m are very well attested in Thamudic B. Indeed the very form of the name ʿtrs¹m as opposed to ʿtr-s¹mn or *ʿtr-s¹my, is typical of Thamudic B. The name bddh has not been found before in Taymanitic but is common in Safaitic with over 50 attestations. We have interpreted bġy on the basis of Classical Arabic baġā which can mean "he helped him seek [something]" (Lane 1863-1893: 231 b) though this is really the meaning of the IV (afʿal) form. We have interpreted ḥywt on the basis of Classical Arabic ḥayāwah which, as well as its basic meaning of "life", can also mean "advantage" (Lane 1863-1893: 682 b).

Lane, E.W. An Arabic-English Lexicon, Derived from the Best and Most Copious Eastern Sources. (Volume 1 in 8 parts [all published]). London: Williams & Norgate, 1863-1893.