Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/ʔamat-

This Proto-Semitic entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-Semitic

Etymology

A baby’s word for its maid.

Noun

*ʔamat- f

maid, maidservant

Inflection

Declension of *ʔamat-

Case

Singular

Dual

Plural

Nominative

*ʔamatum

*ʔamatāna

*ʔamātum

Genitive

*ʔamatim

*ʔamatayna

*ʔamātim

Accusative

*ʔamatam

possessive forms

1st person

*ʔamatī / *ʔamatVya

—

*ʔamatVni

2nd person m

*ʔamatVka

*ʔamatVkumā / *ʔamatVkumay

*ʔamatVkum(ū)

2nd person f

*ʔamatVki

*ʔamatVkin(ā)

3rd person m

*ʔamatVšu

*ʔamatVšumā / *ʔamatVšumay

*ʔamatVšum(ū)

3rd person f

*ʔamatVša

*ʔamatVšin(ā)

Note: the endings -m and -na are dropped in the bound form, which may also undergo syncopation of an unstressed final vowel where possible.

Note: the ending -V before the possessive endings responds to case: *ʔamatuya for nom. case, *ʔamatiya for gen. case, *ʔamataya for acc. case, etc.

Declension of 2sg m. possessive form (your/thy m.) *ʔamat-

	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	*ʔamatuka	*ʔamatāka	*ʔamātuka
Genitive	*ʔamatika	*ʔamatayka	*ʔamātika
Accusative	*ʔamataka	*ʔamatayka	*ʔamātika

Declension of 2sg f. possessive form (your/thy f.) *ʔamat-

	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	*ʔamatuki	*ʔamatāki	*ʔamātuki
Genitive	*ʔamatiki	*ʔamatayki	*ʔamātiki
Accusative	*ʔamataki	*ʔamatayki	*ʔamātiki

Descendants

East Semitic:
- Akkadian: 𒊩𒆳 (amtum)
West Semitic:
- Central Semitic:
  - Arabic: أَمَة (ʔama)
  - Northwest Semitic:
    - Aramaic:
      Jewish Babylonian Aramaic: אַמְתָא (ʾamṯā)
      - Classical Mandaic: ࡀࡌࡕࡀ (ʾamtā)
      - Classical Syriac: ܐܰܡܬܳܐ (ʾamṯā)
    - Canaanite:
      - Hebrew: אָמָה ('amá, ʾāmâ)
      - Phoenician: 𐤀𐤌𐤕 (ʾmt)
    - Ugaritic: 𐎀𐎎𐎚 (ảmt /⁠ʾamatu⁠/)
  - Old South Arabian:
    - Sabaean: 𐩱𐩣𐩩 (ʾmt)
    - Qatabanian: 𐩱𐩣𐩩 (ʾmt)
- Ethiopian Semitic:
  - Ge'ez: አመት (ʾämät)
    - → Amharic: አመት (ʾamät)
  - Tigre: አመት (ʾämät)

References

Goetze, Albrecht (1947) “Short or Long a? (Notes on Some Akkadian Words)”, in Orientalia‎, volume 16, number 2, page 240
Kogan, Leonid (2011) “Proto-Semitic Lexicon”, in Weninger, Stefan, editor, The Semitic Languages. An International Handbook (Handbücher zur Sprach- und Kommunikationswissenschaft – Handbooks of Linguistics and Communication Science; 36), Berlin: De Gruyter, →ISBN, page 237
Nöldeke, Theodor (1910) Neue Beiträge zur semitischen Sprachwissenschaft‎ (in German), Straßburg: Karl J. Trübner, pages 129–130

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