- We actually possess an enormous sample of Phoenician-Punic personal names thanks to surviving ex-votos and other inscriptions. You might consider investing in Frank L. Benz’s Personal Names in the Phoenician and Punic Inscriptions (Rome: Biblical Institute Press, 1972), which catalogues these names and discusses their etymologies. Most Phoenician-Punic names are compounds of two elements. Common and notable names below, although many of the pronunciations and meanings remain uncertain:
- [8:41 PM]’DNB‘L (Adonibaal = “Baal is my lord”), ’ŠMNYTN (Eshmunyaton = “Eshmun has given”), BDMLQRT (Bodmelqart = “in the hands of Melqart”), BD‘ŠTRT (Bodashtart = “in the hands of Ashtart”), B‘LḤN’ (Baalhanno = “favor/grace of Baal”), B‘LYTN (Baalyaton = “Baal has given”), GRSKN (Gersakun = “client of Sakun”), GR‘ŠTRT (Gerashtart = “client of Ashtart”), ḤMLK (Himilk = “Milk/the king is my brother”), ḤMLKT (Himilkat = “brother of the queen”), ḤN’ (Hanno = “grace be to him ?”), ḤNB‘L (Hannibaal = “favor/grace of Baal”), MGN (Magon = “gift”), MHRB‘L (Maharbaal = “servant/soldier of Baal”?), MTNB‘L (Mattanbaal = “gift of Baal”), ‘BD’ŠMN (Abdeshmun = “servant/slave of Eshmun”), ‘BDMLQRT (Abdmelqart = “servant/slave of Melqart”), ‘ZRB’L (Azrubaal = “help of Baal”). With few exceptions, most names are theophoric or abbreviations of them. Indeed, some deities are known mostly from personal names.
- It is difficult to separate men from women unless the text or their personal name specifically identifies them as such. For instance: QBR ZYBQT HKHN[T L]RBT [-?-]’ BT ‘BD’ŠMN BN B‘LYTN ‘BD’ŠMN ’ŠT B‘LḤN’… (“The tomb of ZYBQT, the priestess for the Lady [-?-], daughter of Abdeshmun son of Baalyaton, son of Abdeshmun; wife of Baalhanno…” or QBR BTB‘L RB KHNM BT ḤMLKT… (“The tomb of Batbaal the chief priestess, daughter of Himilkat…”) Regarding the latter example, Batbaal literally means “daughter of Baal.” What seems atypical of Hannibal’s family is that they possess a cognomen–Barca, probably deriving from BRK meaning “blessed.” Cognomina are rarely attested in Phoenician-Punic settings except as gentilics or toponymics (’BDŠMŠ ṢDNY = Abdshemesh the Sidonian). In contrast, the appendage “man of Sidon” (’Š ṢDN), which crops up somewhat frequently in Carthage and even in a series of decrees issued by the People’s Assembly of Carthage (‘M QRTḤDŠT), evidently denotes some sort of social status.
- See: Cooke, George A. A Text-book of North-Semitic Inscriptions. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1903. Donner, Herbert, and Wolfgang Röllig. Kanaanäische und aramäische Inschriften (Band II). Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowiz, 1973. Donner, Herbert, and Wolfgang Röllig. Kanaanäische und aramäische Inschriften (Band 1): 5., erweiterte und überarbeitete Auflage. Wiesbaden: Harrassowiz Verlag, 2002. Harris, Zellig S. A Grammar of the Phoenician Language. New Haven: American Oriental Society, 1936. Jongeling, Karel (ed.), and Robert M. Kerr (ed.). Late Punic Epigraphy. Tübingen: Mohr Siebek, 2005. Krahmalkov, Charles R. A Phoenician-Punic Grammar. Leiden, Boston, Köln: Brill, 2001. Répertoire d’épigraphie sémitique. Paris: Académie des inscriptions & belles-lettres, 1905. Segert, Stanislav. A Grammar of Phoenician and Punic. Munich: Verlag C. H. Beck, 1976. Tomback, Richard S. A Comparative Semitic Lexicon of the Phoenician and Punic Languages. Missoula: Scholars Press, 1978.