Some observations on the Hittite lexicon of reverence

The paper aims to provide a systematic, context-based, overview of some of the most frequently attested verbs indicating acts of devotion or deference in Hittite sources, ḫaliya-, ḫenk-/ ḫink- and aruwai-, the last two formally corresponding to the Akkadian verb šukênu. The study will attempt to establish their exact meaning and their respective extent of use, thus determining for each one of them the possible translation(s) according to the context. The verbs are documented in different text categories but, in this paper, attention will be given in particular to their meaning in religious contexts.