List of Proto-Semitic stems
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This is a list of Proto-Semitic stems with their reflexes in several Semitic languages (i.e. actually-pronounced forms with vowels, as opposed to Semitic pure consonantal roots). Only stems attested in Akkadian, or with cognates in other Afro-Asiatic groups, can be confidently included in Proto-Semitic; others must be placed in West Semitic. There is some controversy in Semitic linguistics over the sibilants' pronunciation; see below.
Contents |
[edit] Semitic Sound Correspondences
| Description | PS | Akkadian | Arabic | Canaanite | Aramaic | Geez |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| voiced bilabial plosive | b | b |
ب b | ב b | ב ḇ/b | በ b |
| voiceless bilabial plosive | p | p |
ف f | פ p | פ p̄/p | ፈ f |
| voiced dental fricative | ḏ | z |
ذ ḏ | ז ẕ | ד ḏ/d | ዘ z |
| voiceless dental fricative | ṯ | š |
ث ṯ | ש s̱ | ת ṯ/t | ሠ, ሰ š/s |
| emphatic voiceless dental fricative | ṱ | ṣ |
ظ ẓ | צ s̭ | ט ṭ | ዘ z |
| voiced dental plosive | d | d |
د d | ד d | ד ḏ/d | ደ d |
| voiceless dental plosive | t | t |
ت t | ת t | ת ṯ/t | ተ t |
| emphatic voiceless dental plosive | ṭ | ṭ |
ط ṭ | ט ṭ | ט ṭ | ጠ ṭ |
| (see notes) | š | š |
س s | ש š | ש š | ሠ, ሰ š/s |
| (see notes) | z | z |
ز z | ז z | ז z | ዘ z |
| (see notes) | s | s |
س s | ס s | ס s | ሠ š/s |
| (see notes) | ṣ | ṣ |
ص ṣ | צ ṣ | צ ṣ | ጸ, ፀ ṣ |
| lateral approximant | l | l |
ل l | ל l | ל l | ለ l |
| voiceless alveolar lateral fricative | ś | š |
ش ś | ש ś | ס s | ሠ š |
| emphatic voiceless alveolar lateral fricative | ṣ́ | ṣ |
ض ḷ | צ ṣ́ | ע ʻ | ጸ ṣ́ |
| voiced velar plosive | g | g |
ج g | ג g | ג ḡ/g | ገ g |
| voiceless velar plosive | k | k |
ك k | כ k | כ ḵ/k | ከ k |
| emphatic voiceless velar plosive | ḳ | ḳ |
ق q | ק ḳ | ק q | ቀ ḳ |
| voiced velar fricative | ġ | - |
غ ġ | ע ġ | ע ʻ | ዐ ʻ |
| voiceless velar fricative | ḫ | ḫ |
خ ḫ | ח ḫ | ח ḥ | ኀ ḫ |
| voiced pharyngeal fricative | ʻ | - |
ع ʻ | ע ʻ | ע ʻ | ዐ ʻ |
| voiceless pharyngeal fricative | ḥ | - |
ح ḥ | ח ḥ | ח ḥ | ሐ ḥ |
| glottal stop | ʼ | - |
ا ʼ | א ʼ | א ʼ | አ ʼ |
| voiceless glottal fricative | h | - |
ه h | ה h | ה h | ሀ h |
| bilabial nasal | m | m |
م m | מ m | מ m | መ m |
| dental nasal | n | n |
ن n | נ n | נ/ר n/r | ነ n |
| alveolar trill | r | r |
ر r | ר r | ר r | ረ r |
| labial-velar approximant | w | w |
و w | ו w | ו w | ወ w |
| initial labial-velar approximant | w- | w- |
و w- | י y- | י y- | ወ w- |
| palatal approximant | y | y |
ي y | י y | י y | የ y |
| shut close vowel | i | - | i | i | - | ə |
| prestressed close vowel | i | - | i | ə/ĕ/ē/ī | - | ə |
| stressed close vowel | í | - | í | ē/í | - | ə |
| long close vowel | ī | - | ī | î | - | i |
| shut open vowel | a | - | a | i/a/e | - | a |
| prestressed open vowel | a | - | a | ə/ă/ā | - | a |
| stressed open vowel | á | - | á | é/á/ā | - | a |
| long open vowel | ā | - | ā | ô | - | ā |
| shut back vowel | u | - | u | u/o | - | ə |
| prestressed back vowel | u | - | u | ə/ŏ/ō/ū | - | ə |
| stressed back vowel | ú | - | ú | ō/ú | - | ə |
| long back vowel | ū | - | ū | û | - | u |
The original value of the four sibilants here transcribed as /š, z, s, ṣ/ is controversial. The traditional values are as given, but in recent years /s, dz, ts, ṭṣ/ have been suggested, based on assimilations found in Akkadian. In the latter case, those values should be substituted into the Akkadian transcriptions as well.
[edit] Proto-Semitic Stems
| English | PS | Akkadian | Arabic | Hebrew | Syriac | Ge'ez | Mehri |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| earth | *ʼarṣ́- | erṣet- | ʼarḍ- | ʼéreṣ | ʼarʻ-ā | ? | ? |
| father | *ʼab- | ab- | ʼab- | ʼāḇ | ʼab-ā | ʼab | ḥa-yb |
| god | *ʼil-(āh)- | il- | ʼilāh- | ʼēl-(ôh)- | ʼalāh-ā | - | - |
| grape | *wayn- | - | wayn- | yáyin ('wine') | - | wayn- | - |
| house | bayt- | bītu, bētu | bayt- | báyiṯ, bêṯ | bayt-ā | bet | beyt, bêt |
| husband | baʻl- | bēlu | baʻl- | báʻal | b·ʻ·l | baʻāl | bâl |
| king | mal(i)k- | mal(i)ku | malik- | méleḵ | - | - | - |
| milk | ḥalīb- | ḫilpu | ḥalīb-, ḥalab- | ḥālāḇ | ḥalb-ā | ḥalīb | - |
| name | *šm- | šum- | ism- | šēm | šm-ā | sim | ham |
| peace | *šalām- | šalām- | salām- | šālôm | šlām-ā | salām | səlōm |
| sun | *śamš- | šamšu | šams- | šémeš | šemš-ā | - | - |
| tree | *ʻiṣ- | iṣu, iṣṣu | ʻiḍ-at- | ʻēṣ | - | ʻiṣ | - |
| water | *may-/*māy- | mū | māʼ- | máyim | mayy-ā | māy | ḥə-mō |
[edit] Body parts
| English | PS | Akkadian | Arabic | Hebrew | Syriac | Geez | Mehri |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| blood | *dam- | - | dam- | dām | dm-ā | dam | - |
| eye | *ʻayn- | īn- | ʻayn- | ʻáyin | ʻayn-ā | ʻayn | ʼāyn |
| hand | *yad- | id- | yad- | yāḏ | ʼīdā | ʼid | ḥayd |
| heart | *lib(a)b- | libb- | lubb- | lēḇ(āḇ) | lebb-ā | libb | ḥa-wbēb |
| tongue | *lišān-/*lašān- | lišān- | lisān- | lāšôn | leššān-ā | lissān | əwšēn |
| tooth | *šinn- | šinn- | sinn- | šēn | šenn-ā | śinn* | - |
[edit] Animal names
| English | PS | Akkadian | Arabic | Hebrew | Syriac | Geez | Mehri |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| bull | *ṯawr- | šūru | ṯawr- | šôr (> 'ox') | - | sōr | - |
| camel | *gam(a)l- | gammal- (gaml-) | ǧamal- | gāmāl | gaml-ā | gamal | gəmmōl |
| dog | *kalb- | kalb- | kalb- | kéleḇ | kalb-ā | kalb | ? |
| ewe | *raḫil- | laḫru | riḫl(at)- | rāḫēl | - | - | - |
- Note: "ś" is used to transliterate Ge'ez šin/sin, which could represent either "š" or "s," depending on the word and time period.
[edit] Proto-West-Semitic Stems
This is a list of cognates for which no Akkadian cognate is known or attested.
| English | PWS | Arabic | Hebrew | Syriac | Geez | Mehri |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| wasp | *dVb(V)r- | dabr-, dibr- | dəḇôrāh (> "bee") | debbōr-ā, debbor-t-ā | - | - |
| holy | *ḳudš- | quds | qōḏeš | qudš-ā | qiddūs | - |
| son | *bn- | ibn | bēn | br-ā | - | bər, ḥə-brē |
| white | *laban- | laban (> "buttermilk") | lāḇān | - | - | lbōn |
