The Lycian PN Artimas and Arteimas: a new proposal for an Iranian and epichoric etymology

Abstract

Abstract The origin of PN Artimas and Arteimas has been disputed among scholars since the first attempts to find an etymology at the end of 19th century. Initially, Artimas was considered to be an Iranian loanword (from the OIran. PN *Rtima-). However, at the same time, some scholars defended the position that Artimas was presumably constructed on the basis of the Greek-epichoric GN Ἄρτeμις/Ertemi. Moreover, Artimas and Arteimas have been analysed together by some scholars as being two variations of the same PN. The discussion remains open. The purpose of this article is to throw some light on the problem by assuming that Artimas and Arteimas would not be variants of the same PN, but on the contrary, would have had different etymologies, with one being Iranian, and the other, epichoric. This explanation will be made in the light of the correspondence between the Aram. PN ˀrtym ‘Artimas’ and the Aram. GN ˀrtmws ‘Artemis’, as well as between the Lyd. PN Artimas ‘Artimas’ and the GN Artimuś ‘Artemis’, and t...