𐩪𐩨𐩺

Sabaean

Etymology

Cognate to Arabic سَبَى (sabā), سَبْي (saby).

Pronunciation

• (verb): IPA^(key): [ʃabaja]
• (noun): IPA^(key): [ʃabjum]

Verb

𐩪𐩨𐩺 (s¹by /šabaya/)

1. to take captive, to captivate

Noun

𐩪𐩨𐩺 (s¹by /šabyum/) (plural 𐩱𐩪𐩨𐩺 (ʾs¹by /ʾašbāyum/))

1. verbal noun of 𐩪𐩨𐩺 (s¹by, “to take captive”)
2. captives
   • second half of 1^st century BCE, Ir 20‎^[1]:

     𐩥𐩱𐩩𐩥𐩥 𐩽 𐩨𐩱𐩢𐩡𐩡𐩣 𐩽 𐩥𐩪𐩨𐩺𐩣 𐩽 𐩥𐩶𐩬𐩣𐩣 […] 𐩽 𐩨𐩬 𐩽 𐩱𐩢𐩨𐩦𐩬

     wʾtww bʾḥllm ws¹bym wġnmm […] bn ʾḥbs²n

     /*wa ʾatawū ba-ʾaḥlālim wa-šabyim wa-ġunmim ban ʾaḥbūśāni/

     And they came with spoils and captives and booty [taken] from the Abyssinians […]