Studien zur urgaritischen Lexikographie, mit kultur- und religionsgeschichtlichen Parallelen, pt.I: Baume, Tiere, Geruche, Gotterepitheta, Gotternamen, Verbalbegriffe.

• Author: Segert, Stanislav

This book is not the first contribution of Kjell Aartun to the often demanding study of the Ugaritic lexicon. Aartun's lexicographical studies previously appeared in 1968, 1984, and 1985 (cf. p. 4). In his new book no fewer than ninety-eight lexical units are thoroughly discussed.

Problems and approaches to their solution are presented in the introduction (pp. 1-5). Here the author asserts the need to distinguish lexical material in the prose texts (of administrative and economic character) from that in the poetic texts (mostly reflecting cultic traditions, especially those of the fertility cult). Function of words in context must be dealt with first. Aartun considers etymology, based mostly on the comparative method, to be of only secondary importance.

The selection of items is indicated in the subtitle of this volume. Nature is represented by trees and animals, religion by epithets and names of gods, the senses by smell, while verbal concepts cover many areas. The selection of lexemes goes beyond these categories. Even numerals - cf. tlt "three," no. 97, pp. 164-67 - and particles - cf. ha "see!," no. 26, p. 51; t-, no. 93, p. 159 - are included.

The character of individual studies is exemplified by the first entry (pp. 7-10). It begins with the lexeme il, translated as "big, huge tree," characterized as the collective of YL. Then the context, KTU 1.17.VI.23-24 is quoted, translated, and interpreted. Differing interpretations of il as "god" and "deer" are discussed. The importance of the latter is evaluated on the basis of literary texts and artifacts from various cultures of the ancient Near East. Finally, related words from many Semitic languages are cited, with regard to both etymology and meaning. Exact references to sources and to the secondary literature are most useful for following the lines traced by Aartun.

As indicated already in the introduction (cf. p. 2), considerable attention is devoted to the fertility cult, to the actions and qualities related to it, and also to the parts of the human body involved in these activities. Cf. pp. 16-18, 38-43, 63-65, 70-71, 107, 111, 124, 138-39, 162-63.

Such interpretation is proposed by Aartun for KTU 1.14.23: "I shall make her lovely parts to a cistern" (pp. 58-59). He connects the last word hrnqm, a singular with attached -m, with Arabic hirniq, "cistern," pointing to other correspondences of words with pharyngeal to those with postvelar. But the context seems to indicate a different...