View source for VB·2

{{inscription
|reading=oletu amaśilu
|reading_lepontic={{c|U}}{{c|L}}{{c|I}}{{c|Ś}}{{c|A}}{{c|M|M4}}{{c|A}}{{c|U}}{{c|T}}{{c|E|E2}}{{c|L}}{{c|O|O8}}
|direction=sinistroverse
|letter_height_min=1.5 cm
|letter_height_max=7 cm
|letter_number_min=12
|word_number=2
|line_number=1
|corpus=Cisalpine Celtic
|script=North Italic script
|alphabet=Lepontic alphabet
|object=VB·2 Ornavasso
|position=shoulder, outside
|orientation=0
|workmanship=scratched after firing
|condition=complete
|type_inscription=unknown
|language=Celtic
|meaning='Oletu, Amaśilu' or 'Oletu the Amaśilan' (?)
|whatmough=307
|solinas=131
|morandi=46
|source_detail=Morandi 2004: 549 no. 46
|checklevel=1
|problem=literature, {{bib|Tibiletti Bruno 1978}}: 144 f. words
}}
==Commentary==
First published in {{bib|Bianchetti 1895}}: 69 (no. 19), 120. Examined for LexLep on 20<sup>th</sup> April 2024.

Images in {{bib|Rhŷs 1914}}: pl. V (pencil tracing and reproduction of Bianchetti pl. XVIII.11), {{bib|Tibiletti Bruno 1966}}: 12 (photo) and 13 (drawing), {{bib|Piana Agostinetti 1972}}: tav. XXXI.11 (drawing), {{bib|Solinas 1995}}: tav. LXXII (photo), {{bib|Morandi 1999}}: 170 (drawing) and {{bib|Morandi 2004}}: 548, fig. 11.46 (drawing).

Inscribed on the shoulder of the flask (length ca. 15 cm, distance between last and first letter ca. 8 cm). The letters vary strongly in height and are roughly executed, with many prolonged scratches (san, second lambda, upsilon, and alpha as in [[VB·1]]); the upper line of the white band appears to have been used as a rough guideline for the sequence ''amaśilu'', which curves around the neck with large letters, while ''oletu'' is inscribed at an angle in overall smaller letters which do not fill the space between neck and band. An asterisk, scratched less deeply, is situated somewhat after and below the last letter; {{bib|Morandi 1999}}: 169 f., no. 14 interprets is as a delimitation mark, but it may be unconnected to inscription.

Only the second part was seen and read as dextroverse ''ueśama'' by Bianchetti (thus also {{bib|Kretschmer 1905}}: 98, no. 19); {{bib|Rhŷs 1913}}: 61, no. 19, corrects to sinistroverse ''amaśiiu'' or ''amaśeu'' (with cursive Latin epsilon, s. already {{bib|Herbig 1906}}: 195, 200, {{bib|Danielsson 1909}}: 23; also {{bib|Jacobsohn 1927}}: 30, no. 191), {{bib|Rhŷs 1914}}: 26–28 adds the preceding sequence (''uletu:amaśeu'' with uncertain separator; similarly Whatmough {{bib|PID}} 307 ''uletu:amaśiiu'', thus also {{bib|Pisani 1964}}: 284, no. 120). {{bib|Tibiletti Bruno 1966}}: 12–15 (already {{bib|Tibiletti Bruno 1965d}}: 101, n. 87; see also {{bib|Tibiletti Bruno 1968c}}: 356) corrects further to {{w||oletu}}{{w||amaśilu}} without separator, suggesting that {{w||amaśilu}} was written first and {{w||oletu}} added at a later point, maybe by the next owner; hence the change of angle between the two sequences, smaller letters in the first, and particularly crowded ''tu'' as the space was judged poorly. In fact, two dots, beneath each other are situated after upsilon exactly where a separator would be expected, but they may well be spots of damage on the abraded surface. Sceptical {{bib|Lejeune 1971}}: 53 with n. 133, {{bib|De Hoz 1990}}: 320 and {{bib|Eska 1995}}: 43 f., who prefer a single inscription with two names (thus also {{bib|Solinas 1995}}: 376, no. 131, {{bib|Morandi 1999}}: 169 f., no. 14) and discuss the morphology of {{w||amaśilu}} as the expected patronym. Considering the generally untidy application of the inscription, it seems quite possible that the writer merely executed a course correction after the unsatisfactory execution of the first word. On the other hand, two-part names rather than just an individual name are rare on pottery, the only other examples being [[NO·16]] and [[PV·1]]). 

If the two sequences are represent a two-part name formula, the interpretation of {{w||amaśilu}} as a patronym/appositive is problematic (see the word page); otherwise, both qualify as ''on''-stem personal names. 

See also {{bib|Piana Agostinetti 1972}}: 272, no. 11, '''{{bib|Motta 1983}}: 65, n. 24''', '''{{bib|Morandi 1999b}}: 304–306, no. 2'''.
<p style="text-align:right;>[[User:Corinna Salomon|Corinna Salomon]]</p>
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