amaśilu

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Attestation:	VB·2 (oletuamaśilu) (1)
Language:	Celtic
Word Type:	proper noun
Grammatical Categories:	nom. sg. masc.
Stem Class:	on
Morphemic Analysis:	amatsil-ū
Phonemic Analysis:	amatsilū
Meaning:	'Amaśilu'

Commentary

See the inscription page on the context of the form – amaśilu is either a separate name or part of a bipartite name formula. In the former case, it is a simple on-stem individual name; in the latter case, the same is possible, though it may be a patronym/appositive in -u. See The Cisalpine Celtic Languages on theories about the origin of such a formation, and cf. oletu.

The name is derived with the hypocoristic suffix -il(l)- from a base whose analysis is uncertain. Possible segmentations include:
1. preverb {{perhaps to be analysed as root or 'Lallwort' *am(a/ā)- 'to love' + hypocoristic suffix *-t^so- + further suffixation. Such a hypocoristic suffix *-t^so- finds additional support... (source)
1) *am(m)asso- (perhaps Amasa?) from am(m)-. 2nd position name: -ilo-, patronymic function/diminuitive? (Lejeune 1971: 53, 63 fn. 198, cf. Markey & Mees 2003: 143, Delamarre 2007: 18, 210 (ama-śilu), DLG: 43, Sims-Williams 2003: 53) 2) < *amb-aχt-i̯o- + -ilon- from *amb-aχto- "servant" (Stifter 2010: 371, Uhlich 2007: 385-386, fn. 21, cp. KGP: 122, GPN: 135-136, Sims-Williams 2003: 178), *-χti̯- expressed in Lep. with < ś >, cp. aśouni (Uhlich 2007: 384, fn. 21). See also Stüber 1998: 108, Tibiletti Bruno 1966: 12-15, Tibiletti Bruno 1969: 1008, n. 43

Bibliography

AcS	Alfred Holder, Alt-celtischer Sprachschatz, Leipzig: Teubner 1896–1907.
CIL	Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum. (17 volumes, various supplements)
Delamarre 2007	Xavier Delamarre, Noms de personnes celtiques dans l'épigraphie classique. Nomina Celtica Antiqua Selecta Inscriptionum, Paris: Errance 2007.
DLG	Xavier Delamarre, Dictionnaire de la langue gauloise. Une approche linguistique du vieux-celtique continental, 2nd, revised edition, Paris: Errance 2003.