Hurrian language
An alternative suggestion connects the name to the Syriac "tedmurtā" (ܬܕܡܘܪܬܐ) "miracle", hence "tedmurtā" "object of wonder", from the root "dmr" "to wonder"; this possibility was mentioned favourably by Franz Altheim and Ruth Altheim-Stiehl (1973), but rejected by Jean Starcky (1960) and Michael Gawlikowski (1974). Michael Patrick O'Connor (1988) suggested that the names "Palmyra" and "Tadmor" originated in the Hurrian language. As evidence, he cited the inexplicability of alterations to the theorized roots of both names (represented in the addition of "-d-" to "tamar" and "-ra-" to "palame"). According to this theory, "Tadmor" derives from the Hurrian word "tad" ("to love") with the addition of the typical Hurrian mid vowel rising (mVr) formant "mar". Similarly, according to this theory, "Palmyra" derives from the Hurrian word "pal" ("to know") using the same mVr formant ("mar").