KMA 8-11

This is an extremely challenging text, which contains both formulaic and non-formulaic elements. 

rkb: This is a common name in ANA, derived from the root 'to mount a beast', 'to ride'.

ʾb hl: The interpretation of this phrase is uncertain. We can take it as part of the name, producing the rather long rkbʾbhl, which might be understood as 'camel rider'. On the other hand, hl appears before in Dhofari and appears to be the word for tribe or clan, cf. Arabic ʾahl. ʾb can be equated with the common Semitic noun ʾab- 'father', producing 'father of the clan' or 'patriarch'. It is also possible to understand this as name, cf. ʾbʾhl in Thamudic B. The absence of a br between the two elements is unexpected and there are no examples so far of the use of double names in Dhofari. 

ʾhmm: This term is recurring in Dhofari. I have interpreted it here as a plural meaning 'worries'.

b- ḥwd -hy: The root ḥwd is attested in Arabic, giving rise to an L-stem verb meaning 'to return time and time again', cf. Lane, 664b. The form is nominal here. The final element -hy is some kind of suffix, as it is attested on other terms as well, most commonly ḥm-hy. If the present interpretation is correct, then it would seem to be a 3rd person suffixed pronoun referring to Rkb and his group.

ḫ{l}ʾ s¹my{ʾ}: The first term can be connected with the noun ḫəlēʾ 'desert', 'empty place' (Johnstone 1987: 443). The final term is therefore understood as a place name, perhaps related to the word for 'sky'. The final ʾ is uncertain. Only one of the 'horns' is clearly painted; however, there could be traces of the second horn above it.