The Etymology of the PNs Artimas and Arteimas from Asia Minor: a New Explanation

Abstract

The etymology of the PNs Artimas and Arteimas has been disputed among scholars. Initially, Artimas was considered to be an Iranian loanword (from the OIran. PN *R ̥ tima-). However, some researchers defended the position that Artimas was presumably constructed on the basis of the Greek-epichoric GN Ἄρτεμις/Ertemi. Moreover, other scholars prefer to analyse Artimas and Arteimas together 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 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 ˀrtmw 'Artemis', as well as between the Lyd. PN Artimas 'Artimas' and the GN Artimuś 'Artemis', and taking into account all the sources and languages from Asia Minor where both PNs occur.