An Asianic cultural word, also appearing in Akkadian 𒆳𒍣𒉡𒌝 (kursinnu, gusānu, “skinbag”), Ugaritic 𐎋𐎗𐎒𐎜 (krsủ, “a container, measure of capacity”), 𐎋𐎗𐎒𐎐 (krsn, “wineskin”), 𐎖𐎗𐎒𐎜 (qrsủ, “fleece, skin, wineskin”) (compare also Proto-Semitic *kariś- (“stomach, stomach-pouch, paunch, omentum or intestine bag”)), and the borrowed Late Egyptian krs (“sack”). See also Old Armenian կաշի (kaši, “hide”).
Has been connected with Ancient Greek βύρσα (búrsa, “(skin)bag, wineskin”) and Czech, Slovene, Serbo-Croatian krzno (from Proto-Slavic *kъrzьno),[1] originally assumed to be cognate reflexes of Proto-Indo-European *gʷurso-, but that theory is not accepted today and is held untenable (the proper Greek reflex would be *γύρσα (*gúrsa), and the proper Proto-Slavic reflex *gъrs- or *gъrzьno). Nevertheless, the word eventually spread to Greek, and from there to the West (Latin bursa → French bourse → English purse and dis-burse).
A number of other theories have been proposed for a Proto-Indo-European origin of this word, but all of them are held untenable today.
The talismanic usage likely underlies the primary meaning of the “(sheep)skin”, and ties well in with Asianic and Pontic “Golden Fleece” myths.
𒆳𒊭𒀸 • (kur-sa-as) c (nominative singular)
Often used with determinative 𒋢 (KUŠ, “leather”), rarely with 𒄑 (GIŠ, “wood”).
IPA=kɔ́rʃPlease see Module:checkparams for help with this warning.
| Broad transcription | ||
|---|---|---|
| a-stem noun¹ | ||
| Common gender | Singular | Plural |
| nominative | kursaš | kurseš, kursiš |
| vocative | kursi, kursa | – |
| accusative | kursan | kursuš |
| genitive | kursaš | kursaš, kursan² |
| dative-locative | kursi | kursaš |
| allative | kursa | – |
| ablative | kursaz(a) | kursaz(a) |
| instrumental | kursit | kursit |
| 1. The desinences in this table have been normalized. For alternative endings see Appendix:Hittite declension.
2. Only in Old Hittite. | ||
| Cuneiform script | ||
|---|---|---|
| a-stem noun | ||
| Common gender | Singular | Plural |
| nominative | 𒆳𒊭𒀸 | 𒆳𒊺𒌍, 𒆳𒅆𒅖 |
| kur-ša-aš | kur-še-eš, kur-ši-iš | |
| vocative | 𒆳𒊭, 𒆳𒅆 | – |
| kur-ša, kur-ši | ||
| accusative | 𒆳𒊭𒀭 | 𒆳𒋗𒍑 |
| kur-ša-an | kur-šu-uš | |
| genitive | 𒆳𒊭𒀸 | 𒆳𒊭𒀸, 𒆳𒊭𒀭 |
| kur-ša-aš | kur-ša-aš, kur-ša-an | |
| dative-locative | 𒆳𒅆 | 𒆳𒊭𒀸 |
| kur-ši | kur-ša-aš | |
| allative | 𒆳𒊭 | – |
| kur-ša | ||
| ablative | 𒆳𒊭𒊍 | 𒆳𒊭𒊍 |
| kur-ša-az | kur-ša-az | |
| instrumental | 𒆳𒅆𒀉 | 𒆳𒅆𒀉 |
| kur-ši-it | kur-ši-it | |
| More than one syllabification is possible. For more information see Wiktionary:Hittite transliteration | ||