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List of Proto-Semitic roots

Proto-Semitic


This is a list of Proto-Semitic roots with their reflexes in several Semitic languages. Only roots 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

Semitic Sound Correspondences

Description PS Akkadian Arabic Canaanite Aramaic Geez
voiced bilabial plosive b b b b ḇ/b b
voiceless bilabial plosive p p f p p̄/p f
voiced dental fricative z z ḏ/d z
voiceless dental fricative š š ṯ/t s
emphatic voiceless dental fricative ṣ̌
voiced dental plosive d d d d ḏ/d d
voiceless dental plosive t t t t ṯ/t t
emphatic voiceless dental plosive
(see notes) š š s š š s
(see notes) z z z z z z
(see notes) s s s s s s
(see notes)
lateral approximant l l l l l l
voiceless alveolar lateral fricative ś š š ś s ś
emphatic voiceless alveolar lateral fricative ṣ́ ṣ́ ʿ ṣ́
voiced velar plosive g g g g ḡ/g g
voiceless velar plosive k k k k ḵ/k k
emphatic voiceless velar plosive q q
voiced velar fricative ġ - ġ ġ ʿ ʿ
voiceless velar fricative
voiced pharyngeal fricative ʿ - ʿ ʿ ʿ ʿ
voiceless pharyngeal fricative -
glottal stop ʾ - ʾ ʾ ʾ ʾ
voiceless glottal fricative h - h h h h
bilabial nasal m m m m m m
dental nasal n n n n n/r n
alveolar trill r r r r r r
labial-velar approximant w w w w w w
initial labial-velar approximant w- w- w- y- y- w-
palatal approximant y y y y y y
shut close vowel i - i i/e - -
prestressed close vowel i - i ə/ĕ/ē - -
stressed close vowel í - í í/ē - -
long close vowel ī - ī î - -
shut open vowel a - a i/a - -
prestressed open vowel a - a ə/ă/ā - -
stressed open vowel á - á é/á/ā - -
long open vowel ā - ā ô - -
shut back vowel u - u u/o - -
prestressed back vowel u - u ə/ŏ/ō - -
stressed back vowel ú - ú ú/ō - -
long back vowel ū - ū û - -

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.

Proto-Semitic Roots

English PS Akkadian Arabic Hebrew Syriac Geez Mehri
earth *ʾarṣ́- erṣet- ʾarḍ- ʾéreṣ ʾarʿ-ā - -
father *ʾab- ab- ʾab- ʾāḇ ʾab-ā ʾab ḥa-yb
god *ʾil-(āh)- il- ʾilāh- ʾēl (but ʾĕlōh-îm) ʾalāh-ā - -
house bayt- bītu, bētu bayt- báyiṯ, bêṯ - bet beyt, bêt
husband baʿl- bēlu baʿl- báʿal b·ʿ·l baʿāl bâl
king malik- malku, maliku malik- méleḵ - - -
milk ḥalīb- ḫilpu ḥalīb-, ḥalab- ḥālāḇ ḥalb-ā ḥalīb -
name *šm- šum- ism- šēm šm-ā səm ham
peace *šalām- šalām- salām- šālôm šlām-ā salām səlōm
sun *śamš- šamšu šams- šémeš šemš - -
tree *ʿiṣ- iṣu, iṣṣu ʿiḍ-at- ʿēṣ - ʿeḍ -
water *may-/*māy- māʾ- máyim may-ā māy ḥə-mō

Body parts

English PS Akkadian Arabic Hebrew Syriac Geez Mehri
blood *dam- - dam- dām dm-ā dam -
eye *ʿayn- īn- ʿayn- ʿáyin ʿayn-ā ʿayn ʾāyn
hand *yad- id- yad- yāḏ ʾīdā ʾəd ḥayd
heart *libb- libb- lubb- lēḇ leb-ā ləbb ḥa-wbēb
tongue *lišān-/*lašān- lišān- lisān- lāšôn lešān-ā ləsān əwšēn
tooth *šinn- šinn- sinn- šēn šenn-ā sənn -

Animal names

English PS Akkadian Arabic Hebrew Syriac Geez Mehri
camel *gam(a)l- gammal- (gaml-) gamal-/jamal- gāmāl gaml-ā gamal gəmmōl
dog *kalb- kalb- kalb- kéleḇ kalb-ā kalb  ?
ewe *raḫil- laḫru riḫl(at)- rāḫēl - - -

Proto-West-Semitic Roots

This is a list of cognates for which no Akkadian cognate is known or attested.

English PWS Arabic Hebrew Syriac Geez Mehri
bee *dVb(V)r- dabr-, dibr- dəḇōrāh debbōr-ā, debbor-t-ā - -
holy *ḳudš- quds ḳāḏēš qudš-ā - -
son *bn- ibn bēn br-ā - bər, ḥə-brē
white *laban- laban (> "buttermilk") lāḇān - - lbōn

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Last updated: 05-21-2005 02:06:34