KMG 149-151
Text Information
- Siglum
- KMG 149-151
- Transliteration
-
lbb << h >> l- ġg
l- br s²hm
br mb----Ahmad Al-Jallad - Translation
-
Br S²hm son of Mb---- has love for a man (or: Ġg)
Ahmad Al-Jallad
- Language and Script
- Dhofari 1a
Interpretation
- Commentary
-
This inscription is best interpreted as belonging to the 'love' genre, which is much more common in the Thamudic C and D inscriptions and Himaitic. The particular lexeme, lbb, finds a cognate in Himaitic, where it has been conventionally translated as 'to love'. In the present context, it must be construed of as a noun. There is a stray h painted to the right of the first column. Its function is not clear, but it should be noted that a number of texts have orbital h's that do not appear to be related directly to the composition.
ġg: The object of lbb is often a personal name, but sometimes a noun is used to conceal the identity of the beloved. If so, then we should understand ġg as the reflex of MSAL ġayg 'man' (Johnstone 1987: 148). This would be the first epigraphic attestation of the MSAL lexical isogloss.
l- br s²hm: The preposition l- in the present context indicates possession of lbb. Br s²hm, literally 'son of S²hm', should be understood as the name of the author of the text. It is a common name in ANA, occuring more than 60 times, and is previously attested in Dhofari as well.
br mb----: The third column contains the patronymic, which has been mostly obliterated.
Ahmad Al-Jallad
- Editio Princeps
- Al-Shaḥrī and King 1993
- Field Collector
- G.M.H. King and A.A.M. Al-Shaḥrī
- Technique
- Painted
- Direction of Script
- Vertical columns right to left
- Al-Shaḥrī, A.A.M. & King, G.M.H. The Dhofar Epigraphic Project. A Description of the Inscriptions recorded in 1991 and 1992. [Unpublished but available on http://www.ancientarabia.co.uk/ under "Projects"/"Dhofar epigraphic project".] 1993.
- Johnstone, T.M. Mehri Lexicon and English-Mehri Word-List. With a list of the English definitions in the /Jibbāali Lexicon/ compiled by G.R. Smith. London: School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, 1987.
- Site
- Area G - East of Tawi Atir, Dhofar Governorate, Oman
- Date Found
- 1991-1992
- Current Location
- In situ
- Subjects
- Genealogy, greetings or love (wdd)
- Download Image