the barbarian names on the ostraca from the eastern desert (3rd century ce)

THE BARBARIAN NAMES ON THE OSTRACA FROM THE EASTERN DESERT (3RD CENTURY CE)

Helmut Satzinger University of Vienna

‘Inside and Out: Interactions between Rome and the Peoples on the Arabian and Egyptian Frontiers in Late Antiquity (200-‐800 CE)’, Ottawa, 10-‐13 October 2012

University of Ottawa

When excavating Roman garrisons in the Eastern Desert of Egypt, the archaeological team headed by Hélène Cuvigny found inter alia numerous ostraca of economic content that mention persons with Barbarian names. They were written in the middle of the 3rd century CE, or shortly after. An obvious question is that of the ethnicity and language of these persons. Given the period mentioned and the area in question, the people that first come to mind are the Blemmyes.

(ετους) ια // Φαρμουθι κε μετρησον Ενγοσαρεκ υπερ ονοματος Μακακ πυρου αρτ( ) ημισου (πυρ. αρτ. ημισυ) και υπερ ονοματος Χανσαια αρτ( ) ημισου (γινεται πυρ. αρτ. ημισυ) και υπερ ονοματος Μαχ αρτ( ) ημισου και και υπερ ονοματος Χοιαπ ματ( ) πεντε (γινεται) μ( ) ε και και υπερ ονοματος Ινκνετ ματ( ) τρια (γινεται) μ( ) γ (πυρ. αρτ.) β μ( ) β ωευρευεξ

© Hélène Cuvigny

Here is a diplomatic transcription of O.Xer. inv. 374 taken from my Filemaker database (letters in blue = pointed, in pink = restitutions of abbreviations) : (ετους) ια // Φαρμουθι κε μετρησον Ενγοσαρεκ υπερ ονοματος Μακακ πυρου αρτ( ) ημισου (πυρ. αρτ. ημισυ) και υπερ ονοματος Χανσαια αρτ( ) ημισου (γινεται πυρ. αρτ. ημισυ) και υπερ ονοματος Μαχ αρτ( ) ημισου και και υπερ ονοματος Χοιαπ ματ( ) πεντε (γινεται) μ( ) ε και και υπερ ονοματος Ινκνετ ματ( ) τρια (γινεται) μ( ) γ (πυρ. αρτ.) β μ( ) β ωευρευεξ

© Hélène Cuvigny

There is Blemmyan onomastic material extant from mainly two sources: • Epigraphic material from Lower Nubia, ca. 5th century. When the Blemmyes occupied the north of Lower Nubia, with Talmis (el-‐Kalâbsha) as an urban and cultic centre, they left a number of inscriptions there. The script is the Greek alphabet. The Greek papyrus letter which the Blemmyan king Phōnēn addressed to the Nobatian king Abourni may be of slightly later date. Dijkstra, Philae, pp. 45–46. SB XIV 11957.23 = FHN III 319. Dijkstra, Philae, p. 52. For the zirst edition see T.C. Skeat, ‘A Letter from the King of the Blemmyes to the King of the Noubades’, JEA 63 (1977) pp. 159-‐70, revised by J. Rea, ‘The Letter of Phonen to Aburni’, ZPE 34 (1979) pp. 147-‐62.

εγω ϊϲεμνε βα-‐ ϲιλευϲ εχαρι-‐ ϲα τοπον τη πλουλαν κα-‐ θωϲ μαρουκ εχα-‐ ριϲεν τω δηγου βα-‐ ...

ταμαλ(αϲ) βαϲιλ(ευϲ) εδεθ(...) τα(?) ορ(εα?) ϲενταηϲεω-‐ ϲ αρχιιερ(εωϲ) ... ... j’ai fixé les limites (?), S. étant grand-prêtre ...

Jean Maspero « N

otes épigraphiques » B

IFAO

6, 1908, 43-45

• Papyrological material from El-‐Gebelein (Pathyris or Aphroditopolis), Upper Egypt, ca. 6th cent. El-‐Gebelein (Pathyris), south of Thebes, seems to have been part of the area which the Blemmyes controlled, over which they exerted curatoria, and from whose population the synetheia was to be extracted, if need be, with the aid of the phylarchos or the hypotyrannos. Evidence for this is from leather documents. All of them are legal documents: nine debts, three of them with pledging; two are releases of slaves; and two are royal documents bestowing curatoria over the “island called Tanare,” or “island Temsir called Tanare,” inhabited by Rhômeis. At Duke University Library there is also a leather document of like appearance, it is a business text. http://library.duke.edu/rubenstein/scriptorium/papyrus/records/283.html.

Berlin P. 8978

H. Satzinger „U

rkunden der Blem

myer“

Chr. d‘É

gypte 43, 1968, 129-130

Berlin P. 8978

τω ευγενειω ωϲε — — — — — εχω . ϲοι εν τη χειρι μου κρματων νουβαρ[ιτων] χρυϲου νομιϲματια οκτω γι/ χρ/ ν η μονα και ταυτα παρεξω ϲοι οποταν βουληθεθηϲ και ϲτοιχει μοι . . . To noble Ose ... I have (from) you in my hand of Nubian coins gold solidi eight, making gold solidi 8, netto. And these I will put at your disposition as soon as you wish, and I agree . . .

H. Satzinger „U

rkunden der Blem

myer“

Chr. d‘É

gypte 43, 1968, 129-130

Berlin P. 22041

H. Satzinger B

KU

III, 350

. anok xarawtik pé N. aen eisàai ntamer ma……….

èe eis takayo(n) NtaINts ài ptooy mpatibi sàime

apeàshT aItaas nh àN pemoy àM pevnä nSévpe nh

Nkayon anok de maàanaT eisàaI NsentekàaInis

BKU III 350 (Berlin P. 22041)

H. Satzinger B

KU

III, 350

The number of the personal names gained from these sources is about ninety. It had long been surmised that the majority of them, namely those that are not obviously Egyptian, or Greek, or Latin, are based on a language that is closely related to modern Bedauye, or the Beja language.

Gerald M. Browne, Textus Blemmyicus Aetatis Christianae (Champaign Illinois 2003)

Bedawiyet A language of Sudan Population 951,000 in Sudan (1982 SIL). 30,000 Hadendoa,

15,000 Bisharin (1992). Population total all countries: 1,186,000.

Region Sudan, northeast along Red Sea coast. Also in Egypt, Eritrea.

Alternate names Bedauye, Bedawi, Bedawiye, Bedja, Beja, Tu- Bedawie

Dialects Hadendoa (Hadendowa, Hadendiwa), Hadareb (Hadaareb), Bisharin (Bisariab), Beni-Amir.

Classification Afro-Asiatic, Cushitic, North © Ethnolog (internet)

This photo [circa 1921] comes from the University of

Cambridge in England.

Beja in Camel Race, near Port Sudan © François-Olivier Dommergues 2009

In the following list, Greek and Coptic phi, theta, khi are rendered by ph, th, kh, respectively. F, h and š render the respective Coptic signs. Y is the [j] sound, whereas Ypsilon is consequently rendered by u. Yet w is put where omicron + ypsilon are obviously consonantal. Dots under letters signal that the reading is uncertain. Hypothetical elements of compositions are separated by hyphens, surmised grammatical elements (feminine endings ·t, ·s (rendering [θ]?); genitival endings ·i, ·e) are separated by a raised dot.

abene (a god) aynēm al·t·i-‐k[na ] (cf. Bedauye ala, alat-‐ ‘neck,’ kena ʻownerʼ) ama·t, ama·t·i (goddess; cf. Bedauye amas ‘night’) ama·t·(i)-‐isis (Greek Ἶσις < Egn. 3s·t) ama·t·e-‐pšoi ‚ (Egn. p3-‐š3j ʻthe fateʼ, also a deity ) amna·ṣ (fem.) (cf. Bedauye amna fem., ʻwoman in childbedʼ apehsē·t (fem.) argōn asḷḷi bara-‐khia (cf. Bedauye baraam ‘air, wind’) brey-‐tek (cf. Bedauye bire (f.) ‘sky,’ tak ʻmanʼ) gama·t·i-‐p·hant (Egn. p3-‐ḥmntr [phánt] ʻthe priestʼ) dēgou (cf. Bedauye deeg ‘hard’) ewtiy(i?)·ka enbiek (enb·i-‐ek?) enkot hade-‐tak[. (?)](cf. Bedauye hadhdha ‘lion’(?), tak ʻmanʼ) hatika (ha·t·i-‐ka?) inšikpour (cf. Bedauye kabuur ‘drum’(?)) ïs·e-‐mne (cf. Bedauye yaas ‘dog,’ mine ‘create’) isōit kaet katir-‐ō (Egn. ʕ3 [ʕá] ‘big, old’) (perhaps a title)

NAMES FROM INSCRIPTIONS

AND DOCUMENTS

1

kirbe·y-‐tak (cf. Bedauye kurba ‘elephants,’ tak ʻmanʼ) kola (cf. Bedauye kwal ‘hammer, strike, stamp’) kōy — indeed Blemmyan? krouahe (*kror, Meroitic title karur? –ahe: cf. ah ‘take’) kouta (loan from Old Nubian, kuda ‘servant (?)’ ?) laize [lɛze] (or la·i-‐ze?) louk-‐ani (or Greek/Latin lucan-‐ ?) mahana·t (fem.) (cf. Bedauye mah(a) ‘early morning dawn,’ nay ‘sleep’) mandēr (a deity) mararouk (or marouk) menrou-‐khēm (menrou = Mandoulis; Dem. ḫm, Copt. šēm, ḫēm ʻsmall, young’) menrou-‐kalau mounkōk-‐hənhiou (fem.) (looks Egyptian; mn kkw(t) ... ‘darkness remains ...’) namous (in Arabic: ‘mosquito’ — hardly pertinent) noay-‐mēk (mēk: loan from Meroitic, mak ‘god’ ?) noubal (cf. the ethnonym Noub-‐) noup·i-‐ka (cf. the ethnonym Noub-‐) ōse (cf. oṣịan) oṣịan, ōsiēn (ōs·i-‐?) phonoin, phōnēn (i.e., fo/ōnɛn ) plōkh-‐karour (Mer. (a)karor, a title?) plou plou-‐lan (fem.) ?pokạ·t·i-‐mne / pokụ-‐ / pạkạ-‐ / pạkụ-‐ (cf. Bedauye mine ‘create’)


AND DOCUMENTS

2

pōae pre-‐kna (cf. Bedauye Mir ‘face,’ kena ʻownerʼ) saltik sebata·t-‐amati (?) (amati: a goddess) sentas-‐aō (Egn. ʕ3 [ʕá] ʻbig, oldʼ) sentekhayni·s (fem.) silbani-‐khēm (i.e., xēm; Dem. ḫm, Copt. šēm, ḫēm ʻsmall, youngʼ) skarōou (NB Greek sigma may also render š) sle souliēn (soul·i-‐ēn?) tamalas (NB Greek sigma may also render š) tata tesemay-‐khēm (i.e., -‐xēm; Dem. ḫm, Copt. šēm, ḫēm ʻsmall, young’) tiou·t·i-‐kna (‑kna: cf. Bedauye kena ʻownerʼ) tōdete·s (fem.) tous·i-‐kṇa (‑kna: cf. Bedauye kena ʻownerʼ) wanak·t·i-‐kouta (cf. Old Nubian kouda ‘servant(?)’) khaias (cf. Bedauye hay ‘say’ ?) khara-‐ftik (khara ‘god’? cf. Bedauye hada ‘lord’) khara-‐hie·t (cf. Bedauye hi ‘give’) khara-‐patkhour khara-‐khēn khopan (a deity) ousenen-‐ō (Egn. ʕ3 [ʕá] ‘big, old’)


AND DOCUMENTS

3

yaha-‐tek (cf. Bedauye tak ʻmanʼ) yasa-‐tek (cf. Bedauye yaas ‘dog,’ tak ʻmanʼ) yawi-‐ze yeni

Egyptian Names atre (i.e., hatré) (= Egn. ḥtrj ʻtwinʼ) hapi (= Egn. ḥʕpj, name of the Nile) p·ades (= Egn. p3-‐ʾ·dj-‐sw ʻHe who has given himʼ?) pasapip (= Egn. p3-‐s3-‐ ʾpjp ʻthe son of Apipʼ??) p·ate-‐bor( ) (= Egn. p3-‐ ʾ·dj-‐… ʻHe whom … has givenʼ?)) p·hant (= Egn. p3-‐ḥmntr [phánt] ʻthe priest”) pi-‐say (i.e., pi-‐šay) (= Egn. p3-‐š3j ʻthe fateʼ, also a deity)

(NB Greek sigma may also render š) pi·son (= Egn. p3-‐sn [pisón, sán] ʻthe brotherʼ) p·rēt (= Egn. p3-‐rwḏw ʻthe controllerʼ) psentha-‐ēse, psentha-‐ēsi[s] (lege pšenta-‐?)

(= Egn. p3-‐šrj-‐n-‐t3-‐(n.t)-‐3s.t, ʻthe son of her who belongs to Isisʼ; a name) t·rəm-‐p·yōh (fem.) (= Egn. t3-‐rmṯ·t-‐p3-‐ ʾʕḥ [trəmp(y)óʕḥ]

ʻthe woman [=adorer] of the moonʼ)


AND DOCUMENTS

4

The names that could be read on the ostraca from the Roman garrison (3rd cent.) are cited in the following, in a Latin transcription of the Greek original as I received it from Hélène Cuvigny. Note that a dot under a letter signals that the reading is uncertain. Letters g and t can hardly be distinguished, as can be noticed. These are the conventions of the transcription: ph, th, kh, ks, ps; ypsilon is rendered by u in all cases.

NAMES FROM THE OSTRACA

. . γει

. . χορει (Σαχορει possible) . αδα . εμμιν 1-‐2 κεσιμ α Αβαιτ Αβερ . . λι Αβμ α / Αειμ α Αβου Αγιεν / Ατιεν / Ανεν 2x Αγιου / Ατιου Αγω / Ατω 2x Αδαπ Αδεινι Αδιννοου 2x Αει Αι . . . Ακασα Ακορια Αλ . . δου (Αλεκδου, Αλεωδου ?) Αμοκουρτα Αμου Αναψα (seems to be spelled Ανναψα in another ostracon) Ανεν

1

© Hélène Cuvigny


Ανης Ανητ Αννακι 7x Αννυενετ / -‐νεγ Ανουκ Αποικ . . υ Αρμιτ Ασ . . ο Ασπυνκους Ατι . . / Αγι-‐ Ατιου / Αγιου 2x Αυδιεν / Αγδιεν Αυτενκα / Αυγενκα Αυτης Αχουαμ Β . . βασοκ Βα . . . . . ου Βαδιτ Βαμας / Βαυλας / Βαγαας / Βαγλας / -‐ατ Βαρατιτ Βδει 2x Βεκραβιε Βεργωδιτ / Βερσω-‐ Βετετ / Βετεγ

2

© Hélène Cuvigny


Βια Βιπαου (rather than Βιναου) Βοειτ Γαιβα . λ . ν των αυτω Γαμοχερυατεν / Σαμ-‐ / -‐τεπ Γαραπ Γενκομρος / Σεν-‐ Γοδενας / Γοδενατ Γοδως Δουκα . . ως Δουκαινος (I am pretty sure that Δουκα . . ως in n° 1 = inv. 364 should be read Δουκακε Δουκαινος) Δω Εμπορετ / -‐ρες Ενγοσερεκ /Ενγοσαρεκ Ενκωτω / Ενκωγω Εντουας / Εντουατ Εντουτ / Εντουγ Ζεστου. Θαγετ / -‐τετ / -‐τεγ / -‐γεγ Θηπλωχ Ιακνητ Ιανεν Ιαντατως 3x Ιανως

3

© Hélène Cuvigny


Ιαριμ Ιεμαρ Ιεραβοκ; Ιεραβωκ (var. of Ιεραβοκ) Ϊεροβα Ικτωει /-‐ερ Ινκενετ / Ινκενεγ, Ινκνετ (sic) 4x Ινκουικ Ινχ . ρ . . . Κ . νιω (maybe Κενιω, var. of the following?) Κεστεκ Κιαι (or Κιαρ) Κνιω Κοβ . . . Κωκω (woman) Κωτω or Κωγω Λαβα Μακακ Μαμ ου / Μακου (j'y crois moins) Μαουερτι, Μαουετι Μασαδ Μασακιν, Μασακι Μαχ Μεναρετ / -‐ρεγ Μενενατι

4

© Hélène Cuvigny


Μουνχα . Μωρους Ναειλα Νε-‐ […] Νεχολα Νιβιτ Νουατ / Νουετ Ουαμσαει / -‐ταει Παλιτα / Παλιλα 2x Παρε . . α (Παρειτα ?) Πεβω Σ . υδιτ Σαβαταν . . . / Σαβαγαν . . . Σαγχειτ or Σατχειτ Σακκα Σατορβα Σαχορει: . . χορει (Σαχορει possible) Σειγων / Σαι-‐ / -‐των Σερεχεμ (rather than Γερεχεμ) Σινγεν Σκαπιεν Σκεριεν Σογοδ 3x Σουγωτ

5

© Hélène Cuvigny


Σουπταου Συροβα Σωγ . [ Ταικ / Γαικ / Τεικ / Γεικ Ταιμιμ ατ / Τει-‐ / -‐μιταυτ Ταμοδορα 2x Τανουκ Ταφταφ / Ταφτοφ Ταχουμ or Ταχουσα Τβοχινι 2x Τεμνουκ 5x Τερπου Τλαχαρ Τυραννι Τυρνουτ / Τυρνοτυ Φαδα Χαϊειωτ Χανσαϊα Χενσετ / -‐σατ Χοβηρ Χοβσατι Χοϊαπ Χομβιλ

6

plus twelve Greek or Latin names, plus eight Egyptian names

© Hélène Cuvigny

A phonetic analysis of the “Barbarian” material is badly hampered. One reason is that the reading is uncertain in many cases. Another one is the presumable discrepancy of the Greek and “Barbarian” phonetics and phonemics. The few texts in Coptic script from el-Gebelein prove the existence of sounds h and š in their language. Greek script, however, is unable to distinguish these sounds from zero and s, respectively. Both the Cushitic and the Eastern Sudanic languages display still more sounds and phonemes that are alien to Greek (such as retroflex and palatal occlusives). Still, one can gain the impression that the two corpora of “Barbarian” names, of the 3rd and the 5th and 6th centuries respectively, are by and large congruent in respect of their phoneme or sound inventories. Also, there is a certain resemblance in the syllable structure.

In order to achieve concrete results, however, a statistic analysis was undertaken, considering the discernable consonantal phonemes in respect to their employment in initial, medial, and final position.

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78' 9'

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'

E8' <@'

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'

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878' <9'

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=C''5' GOB''

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Final: no voiced stops except d

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0,1$123& 4"5123& 61,23& !7$23&8&9&

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&

Final: no voiced stops

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>''':' @Q0'

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A''':' R@'

@''':' R@'

A>'':' 0'

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A3'':' I'

IS'':' E'

A3'':' I'

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@0'':' AQ0'

3''':' ''@'

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?=' E'

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F=' S'

F1=' 3'

1=' A'

G=' 0'

+=' I'

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6=' A'

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H=' @'

=<=' 0'

=?=' 0'

=O=' @'

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B' A'

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=T=' A'

=D=' A'

=F=' @3'

=F1=' 3'

=1=' 0'

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=+=' AA'

=$=' @0'

=6=' E'

=-=' S'

=H=' @'

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=-' ('

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@I'':' 3'

A''':' @'

0''':' A'

(I'':' @I'

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A('':' @C'

A''':' @'

A''':' @'

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@A'':' 0'

S''':' ('

@3'':' S'

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@E'':' E'

@@'':' 0'

@('':' 0'

(''':' @'

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The most conspicuous result is in the auslaut restrictions which are virtually identical; in fact, an important feature: otherwise, the evidence is not really convincing. As was shortly mentioned above, the language of the Blemmyan names of the 5th and 6th centuries may be regarded as some kind of Old Beja, as an ancester language of modern Bedauye, or at least as one closely related to it. Although already described by Almkvist and by Reinisch as early as the 1890ies, the language of these nomads, roaming in large areas of Egypt, the Sudan, and Eritrea, is yet imperfectly documented. Anyway, a scrupulous analysis of the onomastic material, on the basis of knowledge of Beja rules and elements, has yielded some results.

Women’s names often end in -‐t or -‐s: apehse µ·t, mahana·t; amna·s, senta·s-‐ao, sentek-‐hai ‚ni·s, toµdete·s. N.B. A feminine ending –t is a feature also found in Egyptian, Semitic, and Berber.

The genitival noun (which precedes its referent) ends in -‐i or -‐e (after a consonant) or y (after a vowel). N.B. An ending –i of the genitival noun is also found in Semitic.

Names of Cent. V to VI — Grammatical Structures

No examples in the names of the ostraca of cent. III.

Can the names from the ostraca be interpreted as Beja language (Bedauye)? Beja expert Klaus Wedekind passed the names though his parser:

10. Mai 2011 23:32:38 MESZ Lieber Herr Satzinger, Heute nachmittag haben Sie die Namensliste geschickt, und ich habe sie durch meinen Beja-Parser geschickt - mit den Wörtern und den Umschreibungen ..., die mir gerade so einfielen. Das Ergebnis - grob wie es ist - hänge ich in zwei Dateien hier an: (1) Die Liste Ihrer Namen, alle Zeilen numeriert (2) Die interlinearisierte Liste der Übersetzungen, mit der gleichen Zeilen-Numerierung Manche Ergebnisse kann man wirklich nicht ernst nehmen - aber ich schicke Ihnen mal das Ergebnis ohne weitere Revision. Viel Spass bei Aussortieren. ... Ihr Klaus Wedekind

NO REASONABLE RESULTS: ab-‐ait, ab-‐er . . ḷi, aḅ-‐ṃạa, abou: cf. ab ‘kid‘, fem. abat; ab-‐ou: ab-‐uu ‘his kid’ ab-‐ait: aba-‐yt river/khor/brook-‐CasGen = ‘of a river’ Αti . .: aat-‐i milk-‐CasGen ‘of milk’; milk-‐PossSg1 ‘my milk’ atiοu : aat-‐i-‐yooh milk-‐CasGen-‐PossSg3 = ‘of his milk’ akasa: aa-‐kass-‐aah ArtPlMSubj-‐all/total-‐PossSg3 = ‘all his (men)’ agiοu: aa-‐gaw-‐u ArtPlMSubj-‐house/tent/sheath-‐PossSg1 = ‘my houses’ auṭēs: awt-‐ees honey-‐PossSg3 = ‘his honey’; awt-‐ee-‐s honey-‐CasGen-‐ AdvGen+from = ‘from honey’.

bekrạbie: barguug-‐iit old+man-‐Adv+like = ‘like an old man’ betet: 0-‐bit-‐i-‐t hawk/eagle-‐CasGen ‘of a hawk (or eagle)’ garap: garab ‘split’ akοria: aa-‐khoor ArtPlMSubj-‐river+bed: but khoor is Arabic! Etc. ... Hardly anyone of these meanings is a likely personal name.

Also, possible reminiscences of the elements found in the Blemmyan names from Talmis and el-‐Gebelein are very scarce.

Amokourta: compare Blemmyan kouta? Baratit: compare Blemmyan Barakhia ? Κοuei (if Coptic, meaning ‘little’): may be identical with Blemmyan Kōy. Kestek: compare the Blemmyan names with a second element ‑tek or ‑tak. Theplōkh: compare Blemmyan Ploukh-‐karour? Mounkha: compare Blemmyan Mounkōk-‐hǝnhiou? S/Gerekhēm: compare the extension –khēm of several Blemmyan names.

This result is astonishing. Although the names from the ostraca have a similar phoneme inventory as the Blemmyan names, have almost identical restrictions in respect of the zinal consonant, and have a comparable syllable structure, the material substance does not show agreement in a noteworth measure. On account of all this, an identity of the languages of the

names in the ostraca of the 3rd century and those in the texts of the 5th and 6th centuries cannot be claimed for sure – unless further elucidation yields more positive results. As it seems now, the names from the ostraca may originate in a language related to that of the Blemmyes, similar in structure, but seemingly not identical.

WE MAY HOPE FOR FURTHER ELUCIDATION ON THE BARBARIAN NAMES ...................

WE MAY HOPE FOR FURTHER ELUCIDATION ON THE BARBARIAN NAMES ...................

Hadendowa, ca. 1960

the barbarian names on the ostraca from the eastern desert (3rd century ce)

Education