Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/ʔimm-

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

From Proto-Afroasiatic *ʔam, ultimately an onomatopoeic nursery word. Cognate with Egyptian mwt and Proto-Berber *ʔamm (whence Central Atlas Tamazight ⵎⵎⴰ (mma)).

Noun

*ʔimm- f (plural *ʔimmahāt-)

mother

Inflection

Declension of *ʔimm-

Case

Singular

Dual

Plural

Nominative

*ʔimmum

*ʔimmāna

*ʔimmahātum

Genitive

*ʔimmim

*ʔimmayna

*ʔimmahātim

Accusative

*ʔimmam

possessive forms

1st person

*ʔimmī / *ʔimmVya

—

*ʔimmVni

2nd person m

*ʔimmVka

*ʔimmVkumā / *ʔimmVkumay

*ʔimmVkum(ū)

2nd person f

*ʔimmVki

*ʔimmVkin(ā)

3rd person m

*ʔimmVšu

*ʔimmVšumā / *ʔimmVšumay

*ʔimmVšum(ū)

3rd person f

*ʔimmVša

*ʔimmVšin(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: *ʔimmuya for nom. case, *ʔimmiya for gen. case, *ʔimmaya for acc. case, etc.

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

	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	*ʔimmuka	*ʔimmāka	*ʔimmahātuka
Genitive	*ʔimmika	*ʔimmayka	*ʔimmahātika
Accusative	*ʔimmaka	*ʔimmayka	*ʔimmahātika

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

	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	*ʔimmuki	*ʔimmāki	*ʔimmahātuki
Genitive	*ʔimmiki	*ʔimmayki	*ʔimmahātiki
Accusative	*ʔimmaki	*ʔimmayki	*ʔimmahātiki

Coordinate terms

Descendants

East Semitic:
- Akkadian: 𒂼 (ummum)
West Semitic:
- Central Semitic:
  - Arabic: أُمّ (ʔumm)
    - → Malayalam: ഉമ്മ (umma)
    - Maltese: omm
  - Northwest Semitic:
    - Aramaic:
      Imperial Aramaic: 𐡀𐡌𐡀 (ʾmʾ)
      
      Palmyrene Aramaic: 𐡠𐡬𐡠 (ʾmʾ)
      
      Hatran Aramaic: 𐣠𐣬𐣠
      
      Nabataean Aramaic: 𐢁𐢓𐢀
      
      Christian Palestinian Aramaic: ܐܺܡܴ݁ܐ, ܐܺܝܡܴ݁ܐ (ʾimmā)
      
      Jewish Palestinian Aramaic, Jewish Literary Aramaic, Jewish Babylonian Aramaic: אִמָּה (ʾimmā) אִמָּא (ʾimmā)
      → Ancient Greek: ἀμμά (ammá)
      → Coptic: ⲁⲙⲁ (ama)
      → Hebrew: אִמָּא (ímma)
      - Classical Syriac: ܐܺܡܴ݀݁ܐ (ʾimmā)
    - Canaanite:
      - Hebrew: אֵם (em, ʾēm)
      - Phoenician: 𐤀𐤌 (ʾm)
        Punic: 𐤀𐤌 (ʾm /⁠ʾam⁠/)
    - Ugaritic: 𐎜𐎎 (ủm /⁠ʾummu⁠/)
  - Old South Arabian:
    - Minaean: 𐩱𐩣 (ʾm)
    - Qatabanian: 𐩱𐩣 (ʾm)
    - Sabaean: 𐩱𐩣 (ʾm)
- Ethiopian Semitic:
  - ⇒ Amharic: እማዬ (ʾəmaye), እማ (ʾəma)
  - Argobba: እም
  - Ge'ez: እም (ʾəmm)
  - Tigre: እም (ʾəm)

References

Kogan, Leonid (2015) Genealogical Classification of Semitic. The Lexical Isoglosses, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, →ISBN
Huehnergard, John (2019) “Proto-Semitic”, in Huehnergard, John and Na'ama Pat-El, editors, The Semitic Languages, 2nd edition, Routledge, →ISBN

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