historical Elamite possessive‐attributive construction (sunkir sunkip(ir)ra, e.g. DSc, DSd, DSi, DSz, but not DSe) while inscriptions of the same kings from Persepolis and nearby exhibit a strong (but not exclusive) preference for another Elamite construction (sunkir sunkip(in)na, e.g. DPa, DPf, DPh, XPa, XPb, XPc, but not DNa) that corresponds more closely to the order and morphology of the Old Persian counterpart (xšāyaθiya xšāyaθiyānām).
A few passages in royal inscriptions imply an audience to whom the interplay of languages was meaningful. To appreciate the nuance and coherence of the suite of Persepolis Foundation inscriptions DPd‐DPg, for example, the ancient observer or his guide had to be literate in all the versions. Again, when Darius and Xerxes quoted the anticipated thoughts of the readers of Elamite versions, the thoughts were rendered once as transcribed Persian (dayawišmi tarma ašdu [representing dahyāušmai duruvā *astu] “my land, be safe,” DB Elamite iii 65), once translated into Elamite (appa hamak dayawiš hube appa Dariyamawiš sunkir marrišda “how made(?) (are) those lands that king Darius held,” DNa Elamite 33f.), and once partially transcribed and partially paraphrased in Elamite (šada hanu [representing Persian šiyāta ahani] katukda “‘may I be happy’ (while) you live” XPh Elamite 39). Darius and Xerxes expected the audience for their words not only to read and hear but also to think in Persian and Elamite together.
REFERENCES
Achaemenid royal inscriptions are cited according to the sigla assigned by Kent 1953, Mayrhofer 1978, and Schmitt 1981. Thanks are due to Annalisa Azzoni, Mark Garrison, and Wouter Henkelman for information, comments, and corrections. Responsibility for errors remains with the author.
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30 Lincoln,