Proto-Semitic
Proto-language (reconstructed) · historical / hidden variety
Proto-Semitic is the reconstructed ancestor of the Semitic languages (Akkadian, Arabic, Hebrew, Aramaic, Ethiopic and others), a branch of Afroasiatic. It is usually placed in the Levant or northern Arabia around 3800–3000 BCE and is one of the best-reconstructed proto-languages, thanks to the long written history of its descendants.
Where it is spoken
87 core words in Proto-Semitic
Sources
- Huehnergard & Pat-El (eds., 2019) The Semitic Languages
- Kogan (2011) Proto-Semitic Phonology and Lexicon
Words compared
Compared with languages in the same classification: Proto-language (reconstructed)
| Meaning | Proto-Semitic | Sabaean | Phoenician | Punic | Ugaritic | Quranic Arabic | Old Aramaic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | *māʔ- /māʔ/ | 𐩣𐩥 /maw/ | 𐤌𐤌 /meːm/ | 𐤌𐤌 /meːm/ | 𐎎𐎊 /maju/ | ماء /maːʔ/ | מין /majin/ |
| Fire | *ʔiš- /ʔiš/ | 𐩱𐩪 /ʔas/ | 𐤀𐤔 /ʔeʃ/ | 𐤀𐤔 /ʔeʃ/ | 𐎛𐎌𐎚 /ʔiʃt/ | نار /naːr/ | נור /nuːr/ |
| Sun | *šamš- /šamš/ | 𐩦𐩣𐩪 /ʃams/ | 𐤔𐤌𐤔 /ʃameʃ/ | 𐤔𐤌𐤔 /ʃameʃ/ | 𐎌𐎔𐎌 /ʃapʃ/ | شمس /ʃams/ | שמש /ʃamʃ/ |
| Moon | *warḫ- /warḫ/ | 𐩥𐩧𐩭 /warχ/ | 𐤉𐤓𐤇 /jaraħ/ | 𐤉𐤓𐤇 /jeraħ/ | 𐎊𐎗𐎈 /jaːriχ/ | قمر /qamar/ | שהר /sahr/ |
| Star | *kawkab- /kawkab/ | 𐩫𐩨𐩫𐩨 /kabkab/ | 𐤊𐤊𐤁 /koːkab/ | 𐤊𐤊𐤁 /koːkab/ | 𐎋𐎁𐎋𐎁 /kabkabu/ | نجم /nadʒm/ | כוכב /kawkab/ |
| Night | *layl- /lajl/ | 𐩡𐩺𐩡 /lajl/ | 𐤋𐤋 /lajl/ | 𐤋𐤋 /lajl/ | 𐎍𐎍 /lajlu/ | ليل /lajl/ | לליא /leːljaː/ |
| Rain | *maṭar- /maṭar/ | 𐩹𐩬𐩣 /ðanam/ | 𐤌𐤈𐤓 /maˈtˤar/ | 𐤌𐤈𐤓 /maˈtˤar/ | 𐎎𐎉𐎗 /maːˈtˤaru/ | مطر /matˤar/ | 𐡌𐡈𐡓 /maːtˤar/ |
| Snow | *ṯalg- /θalɡ/ | — | — | — | 𐎂𐎍𐎘 /ɡalθu/ | ثلج /θaldʒ/ | 𐡕𐡋𐡂 /talɡ/ |
| Wind | *rīḥ- /riːħ/ | — | 𐤓𐤇 /riːħ/ | 𐤓𐤅𐤇 /ruːħ/ | 𐎗𐎈 /riːħu/ | ريح /riːħ/ | 𐡓𐡅𐡇 /riːħ/ |
| Earth | *ʔarṣ̂- /ʔarsˤ/ | 𐩱𐩧𐩳 /ʔardˤ/ | 𐤀𐤓𐤑 /ʔarsˤ/ | 𐤀𐤓𐤑 /ʔarsˤ/ | 𐎀𐎗𐎕 /ʔarsˤu/ | تراب /turaːb/ | 𐡀𐡓𐡒 /ʔarq/ |
| Stone | *ʔabn- /ʔabn/ | 𐩱𐩨𐩬 /ʔabn/ | 𐤀𐤁𐤍 /ʔaben/ | 𐤀𐤁𐤍 /ʔaben/ | 𐎀𐎁𐎐 /ʔabnu/ | حجر /ħadʒar/ | אבן /ʔaben/ |
| Sea | *tihām- /tihaːm/ | 𐩨𐩢𐩧 /baħr/ | 𐤉𐤌 /jamm/ | — | 𐎊𐎎 /jammu/ | بحر /baħr/ | — |
| Mother | *ʔimm- /ʔimm/ | 𐩱𐩣 /ʔumm/ | 𐤀𐤌 /ʔem/ | 𐤀𐤌 /ʔem/ | 𐎜𐎎 /ʔumm/ | أم /ʔumm/ | אמ /ʔem/ |
| Father | *ʔab- /ʔab/ | 𐩱𐩨 /ʔab/ | 𐤀𐤁 /ʔab/ | 𐤀𐤁 /ʔav/ | 𐎜𐎁 /ʔabu/ | أب /ʔab/ | אב /ʔab/ |
| Daughter | *bint- /bint/ | 𐩨𐩬𐩩 /bint/ | 𐤁𐤕 /bat/ | 𐤁𐤕 /bat/ | 𐎁𐎚 /bittu/ | بنت /bint/ | ברת /bart/ |
| I | *ʔanāku /ʔanāku/ | 𐩱𐩬 /ʔana/ | 𐤀𐤍𐤊 /ʔanoːkiː/ | 𐤀𐤍𐤊 /ʔanoːk/ | 𐎀𐎐𐎋 /ʔanaːku/ | أنا /ʔanaː/ | אנה /ʔanaː/ |
| You | *ʔanta /ʔanta/ | 𐩱𐩬𐩩 /ʔanta/ | 𐤀𐤕 /ʔatta/ | 𐤀𐤕 /ʔatta/ | 𐎀𐎚 /ʔatta/ | أنتَ /ʔanta/ | אנת /ʔantaː/ |
| We | *niḥnu /niħnu/ | — /—/ | 𐤀𐤍𐤇𐤍 /ʔanaħnu/ | 𐤀𐤍𐤇𐤍 /ʔanaħnu/ | — /—/ | نحن /naħnu/ | אנחנא /ʔanaħnaː/ |
| Name | *šim- /šim/ | 𐩪𐩣 /sim/ | 𐤔𐤌 /ʃem/ | 𐤔𐤌 /ʃem/ | 𐎌𐎎 /ʃumu/ | اسم /ism/ | שם /ʃum/ |
| Person | *ʔināš- /ʔinaːʃ/ | 𐩱𐩬𐩪 /ʔins/ | 𐤀𐤃𐤌 /ʔadam/ | 𐤍𐤐𐤔 /nefeʃ/ | 𐎎𐎚 /mutu/ | إنسان /ʔinsaːn/ | אנש /ʔenaːʃ/ |
| Head | *raʔš- /raʔš/ | 𐩧𐩱𐩪 /raʔs/ | 𐤓𐤀𐤔 /ruːʃ/ | 𐤓𐤀𐤔 /ruːʃ/ | 𐎗𐎛𐎌 /raʔʃu/ | رأس /raʔs/ | — |
| Eye | *ʕayn- /ʕayn/ | 𐩲𐩺𐩬 /ʕajn/ | 𐤏𐤍 /ʕajin/ | 𐤏𐤍 /ʕajin/ | 𐎓𐎐 /ʕajnu/ | عين /ʕajn/ | עין /ʕajn/ |
| Ear | *ʔuḏn- /ʔuðn/ | 𐩱𐩹𐩬 /ʔuðn/ | 𐤀𐤆𐤍 /ʔuzn/ | 𐤀𐤆𐤍 /ʔuzn/ | 𐎜𐎄𐎐 /ʔudn/ | أذن /ʔuðun/ | 𐡀𐡃𐡍𐡀 /ʔuðnaː/ |
| Nose | *ʔanp- /ʔanp/ | — | — | — | 𐎀𐎔 /ʔappu/ | أنف /ʔanf/ | אפא /ʔappaː/ |
| Mouth | *pay- /paj/ | 𐩰𐩣 /fam/ | 𐤐 /peː/ | 𐤐 /peː/ | 𐎔 /puː/ | — | פם /pum/ |
| Tooth | *šinn- /ʃinː/ | 𐩦𐩬 /ʃinː/ | 𐤔𐤍 /ʃen/ | 𐤔𐤍 /ʃen/ | 𐎌𐎐 /ʃinːu/ | سن /sinː/ | שנא /ʃenːaː/ |
| Tongue | *lišān- /liʃaːn/ | 𐩡𐩪𐩬 /lisaːn/ | 𐤋𐤔𐤍 /laʃon/ | 𐤋𐤔𐤍 /laʃon/ | 𐎍𐎌𐎐 /laʃaːnu/ | لسان /lisaːn/ | לשנא /liʃːaːnaː/ |
| Hand | *yad- /yad/ | 𐩺𐩵 /jad/ | 𐤉𐤃 /jad/ | 𐤉𐤃 /jad/ | 𐎊𐎄 /jadu/ | يد /jad/ | יד /jad/ |
| Foot | *rigl- /rigl/ | 𐩧𐩴𐩡 /riɡl/ | 𐤐𐤏𐤌 /paʕam/ | 𐤐𐤏𐤌 /paʕam/ | 𐎔𐎓𐎐 /paʕnu/ | رجل /ridʒl/ | רגל /reɡel/ |
| Heart | *libb- /libb/ | 𐩡𐩨 /lubb/ | 𐤋𐤁 /lib/ | 𐤋𐤁 /lib/ | 𐎍𐎁 /libbu/ | قلب /qalb/ | לב /leb/ |
| Bone | *ʕaṯ̣m- /ʕaθˤm/ | 𐩲𐩼𐩣 /ʕaðˤm/ | 𐤏𐤑𐤌 /ʕasˤm/ | 𐤏𐤑𐤌 /ʕasˤm/ | 𐎓𐎑𐎎 /ʕaðˤmu/ | عظم /ʕaðˤm/ | גרמא /ɡarmaː/ |
| Blood | *dam- /dam/ | 𐩵𐩣 /dam/ | 𐤃𐤌 /dam/ | 𐤃𐤌 /dam/ | 𐎄𐎎 /damu/ | دم /dam/ | דמא /dmaː/ |
| Poop | *ḫaraʔ- /haraʔ/ | — | — | — | 𐎃𐎗𐎜 /χurʔu/ | — | — |
| Love | — /—/ | 𐩥𐩵𐩵 /wadda/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | 𐎜𐎈𐎁 /ʔaːhab/ | حب /ħubb/ | רחם /raħem/ |
| Tree | *ʕiṣ́- /ʕiṣ́/ | 𐩲𐩳 /ʕaːdˤ/ | 𐤏𐤑 /ʕesˤ/ | 𐤏𐤑 /ʕesˤ/ | 𐎓𐎕 /ʕasˤu/ | شجرة /ʃadʒara/ | עץ /ʕeːsˤ/ |
| Dog | *kalb- /kalb/ | 𐩫𐩡𐩨 /kalb/ | 𐤊𐤋𐤁 /kalb/ | 𐤊𐤋𐤁 /kalb/ | 𐎋𐎍𐎁 /kalbu/ | كلب /kalb/ | כלב /kalb/ |
| Cat | — /—/ | — /—/ | 𐤔𐤍𐤓 /ʃunaːr/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | قط /qitˤtˤ/ | — /—/ |
| Fish | *nūn- /nuːn/ | — /—/ | 𐤃𐤂 /daɡ/ | 𐤃𐤂 /daɡ/ | 𐎄𐎂 /daɡu/ | حوت /ħuːt/ | נונא /nuːnaː/ |
| Bird | *ʕuṣṣūr- /ʕuṣṣūr/ | — | — | 𐤑𐤐𐤓 /sˤippor/ | 𐎓𐎕𐎗 /ʕusˤsˤuːru/ | طائر /tˤaːʔir/ | צפר /sˤippar/ |
| Egg | *bayṣ́at- /bayṣ́at/ | — | — | — | — | بيضة /bajdˤa/ | ביעתא /beːʕtaː/ |
| Bear | *dubb- /dubb/ | — | — | — | 𐎄𐎁 /dubbu/ | دب /dubb/ | דבא /dubbaː/ |
| House | *bayt- /bayt/ | 𐩨𐩺𐩩 /bajt/ | 𐤁𐤕 /beːt/ | 𐤁𐤕 /beːt/ | 𐎁𐎚 /bajtu/ | بيت /bajt/ | בית /beːt/ |
| Milk | *ḥalab- /ħalab/ | 𐩢𐩡𐩨 /ħalab/ | 𐤇𐤋𐤁 /ħalab/ | 𐤇𐤋𐤁 /ħalab/ | 𐎈𐎍𐎁 /ħalabu/ | لبن /laban/ | — |
| Honey | *dibš- /dibʃ/ | — /—/ | — | 𐤍𐤐𐤕 /nofet/ | 𐎐𐎁𐎚 /nubtu/ | عسل /ʕasal/ | דבשא /debʃaː/ |
| Salt | *milḥ- /milħ/ | 𐩣𐩡𐩢 /milħ/ | — | — | 𐎎𐎍𐎈𐎚 /milħatu/ | ملح /milħ/ | מלח /melaħ/ |
| Wine | *wayn- /wajn/ | — | 𐤉𐤍 /jeːn/ | 𐤉𐤍 /jeːn/ | 𐎊𐎐 /jenu/ | خمر /xamr/ | חמרא /ħamraː/ |
| Eat | *ʔakal- /ʔakal/ | — /—/ | 𐤀𐤊𐤋 /ʔakal/ | 𐤀𐤊𐤋 /ʔakal/ | 𐎍𐎈𐎎 /laħam/ | أكل /ʔakala/ | אכל /ʔakal/ |
| Drink | *šatay- /šatay/ | 𐩪𐩩𐩺 /sataja/ | 𐤔𐤕 /ʃat/ | 𐤔𐤕 /ʃat/ | 𐎌𐎚𐎊 /ʃataju/ | شرب /ʃariba/ | שתה /ʃataː/ |
| One | *ʔaḥad- /ʔaḥad/ | 𐩱𐩢𐩵 /ʔaħad/ | 𐤀𐤇𐤃 /ʔeħad/ | 𐤀𐤇𐤃 /ʔeħad/ | 𐎀𐎈𐎄 /ʔaːħadu/ | واحد /waːħid/ | חד /ħad/ |
| Two | *ṯin- /ṯin/ | 𐩻𐩬𐩺 /θanay/ | 𐤔𐤍𐤌 /ʃnem/ | 𐤔𐤍𐤌 /ʃnem/ | 𐎘𐎐 /θnaː/ | اثنان /iθnaːn/ | תרין /treːn/ |
| Three | *ṯalāṯ- /θalaːθ/ | 𐩻𐩡𐩻 /θalaːθ/ | 𐤔𐤋𐤔 /ʃaloʃ/ | 𐤔𐤋𐤔 /ʃaloːʃ/ | 𐎘𐎍𐎘 /θalaːθu/ | ثلاثة /θalaːθa/ | תלת /tlaːt/ |
| Four | *ʼarbaʻ- /ʔarbaʕ/ | 𐩱𐩧𐩨𐩲 /ʔarbaʕ/ | 𐤀𐤓𐤁𐤏 /ʔarbaʕ/ | 𐤀𐤓𐤁𐤏 /ʔarbaʕ/ | 𐎀𐎗𐎁𐎓 /ʔarbaʕu/ | أربعة /ʔarbaʕa/ | ארבע /ʔarbaʕ/ |
| Five | *ḫamš- /χamʃ/ | 𐩭𐩣𐩪 /xams/ | 𐤇𐤌𐤔 /ħameʃ/ | 𐤇𐤌𐤔 /ħameʃ/ | 𐎃𐎎𐎌 /χamʃu/ | خمسة /xamsa/ | חמש /ħamːeʃ/ |
| Hundred | *miʾat- /miʔat/ | 𐩣𐩱𐩩 /miʔat/ | 𐤌𐤀𐤕 /miʔat/ | 𐤌𐤀𐤕 /miʔat/ | 𐎎𐎛𐎚 /miʔatu/ | مائة /miʔa/ | מאה /maː/ |
| Hello | — /—/ | 𐩪𐩡𐩣 /salaːm/ | 𐤔𐤋𐤌 /ʃalom/ | 𐤔𐤋𐤌 /ʃaloːm/ | 𐎌𐎍𐎎 /ʃalaːmu/ | السلام عليكم /assalaːmu ʕalajkum/ | שלם /ʃəlaːm/ |
| Thank you | — /—/ | 𐩢𐩣𐩵 /ħamad/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | الحمد لله /alħamdu lillaːh/ | — /—/ |
| Good | *ṭāb- /ṭāb/ | — /—/ | 𐤈𐤁 /tˤob/ | 𐤈𐤁 /tˤob/ | 𐎉𐎁 /tˤaːbu/ | طيب /tˤajjib/ | טב /tˤab/ |
| New | *ḥad(i)ṯ- /ħadiθ/ | — | — | 𐤇𐤃𐤔 /ħadaʃ/ | 𐎈𐎄𐎘 /ħadaːθu/ | جديد /dʒadiːd/ | — |
| Red | *ʔadam- /ʔadam/ | — /—/ | 𐤀𐤃𐤌 /ʔadom/ | 𐤀𐤃𐤌 /ʔadom/ | 𐎀𐎄𐎎 /ʔadam/ | أحمر /ʔaħmaru/ | סמק /summaːq/ |
| White | *laban- /laban/ | — | 𐤋𐤁𐤍 /laban/ | 𐤋𐤁𐤍 /laban/ | 𐎍𐎁𐎐 /laban/ | أبيض /ʔabjadˤu/ | חור /ħewːaːr/ |
| Green | *waraḳ- /waraq/ | — | — | — | — | أخضر /ʔaxdˤaru/ | ירק /jraːq/ |
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