古代南アラビア語碑文に見られるnfs -ステラとの関係を中心に-

Abstract

Ancient South Arabians had a tradition of worshipping stelae. A large number of stelae found in pre-Islamic tombs and temples sometimes have short inscriptions including names of the dedicants or deceased. Followed by these names, some of them include a word nfs. Words etymologically equivalent to nfs exist not only in other South-West Semitic languages but also in North-West Semitic languages. In the latter, the original meaning of npš, which is etymologically equivalent to South Arabic nfs, is “soul”, and in the middle of the first millennium B. C., npš came into use as a word which indicates “stelae” or “funeral monument”. In South Arabia, however, it is uncertain when this word began to be inscribed on stelae. By analyzing South Arabian inscriptions both containing nfs and connected with stelae this paper points out that it is not until Bedouins penetrated South Arabia that this word was adopted as indicating stelae.As far as grammatical distinction is available, all these inscriptions are Sabaic in spite of the region. Most personal names on these inscriptions are attested in other South-West Semitic languages (Lihyanite, Safaitic, Thamudic) inscribed by Bedouins. The iconography of one of the stelae shows a man on horseback with a long lance driving a camel. Horses were not introduced into South Arabia before the first century A. D.. These facts show their close relations with Bedouins and also indicate that stelae connected with nfs came into use after the second century A. D., except in the Jawf region, where according to paleographical evidence stelae connected with nfs were used from the first century B. C. to the first century A. D. The Jawf region is in the northern part of South Arabia and was frequently invaded by Bedouins.In the second century B. C. there was a change in Bedouin society in North Arabia, and Bedouins became very powerful and offensive. However, it was not until the second century A. D. that most of South Arabia was affected by this situation. The word nfs was used for stelae in the middle of the first millennium B. C. in North Arabia, but at that time in South Arabic nfs had nothing to do with stelae.The word nfs seems to have been brought into South Arabia by the offensive Bedouins who adopted the npš-stela tradition of the sedentary people in North or East Arabia.