CaR vs. Ca-aR spellings in Hittite: evidence for a phonemic distinction between /ə/ and /a/

Abstract

: Inspired by earlier work on the distribution between the sign kán and the sign sequences k/g/qa-an in Hittite texts (Frotscher fthc.), this article investigates the Hittite usage of three more cuneiform signs of the structure CaR ( pár , ḫal and tar ) vis-à-vis their corresponding Ca-aR spellings ( pa-ar , ḫa-al , t/da-ar ). It is argued that the distribution between CaR and Ca-aR spellings is not random, but etymologically determined: consistent spelling with CaR reflects PIE * CR̥ and * CeR [ C ], whereas alternation between CaR and Ca-aR reflects PIE * CoR . This is interpreted as evidence for a synchronic phonetic / phonemic distinction between the two types of spelling: consistent CaR renders the vowel /ə/, whereas alternation between CaR and Ca-aR denotes the vowel /a/.