Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/śapat-

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 *śapat-. Cognate with Egyptian spt.

Noun

*śapat- f

1. lip
2. (figurative) brink, brim, border, margin

Inflection

Declension of *śapat-

case	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*śapatum	*śapatāna	*śapātum
accusative	*śapatam	*śapatayna	*śapātim
genitive	*śapatim
possessive forms
1st person	*śapatī / *śapatVya	—	*śapatVni
2nd person m	*śapatVka	*śapatVkumā / *śapatVkumay	*śapatVkum(ū)
2nd person f	*śapatVki		*śapatVkin(ā)
3rd person m	*śapatVšu	*śapatVšumā / *śapatVšumay	*śapatVšum(ū)
3rd person f	*śapatVša		*śapatVšin(ā)

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: *śapatuya for nom. case, *śapatiya for gen. case, *śapataya for acc. case, etc.

Descendants

• East Semitic:
  • Akkadian: 𒅻 (šaptum)
• West Semitic:
  • Central Semitic:
    • Arabic: شَفَة (šafa)
      • Maltese: xoffa
    • Northwest Semitic:
      • Aramaic:

        Western Neo-Aramaic: ܣܶܦܬܳܐ (sep̄ṯa)

        Jewish Palestinian Aramaic: סיפוותה

        Christian Palestinian Aramaic: ܣܝܦܘܐܬܐ

        Jewish Literary Aramaic: סִיפְתָּא (sip̄tā)

        Jewish Babylonian Aramaic: סִיפְתָּא (sip̄tā), שִׂיפְתָּא (śip̄tā)

        • Classical Syriac: ܣܶܦܬܳܐ (sep̄ṯā)
      • Canaanite:
        • Hebrew: שָׂפָה (safá, śāfâ)
      • Ugaritic: 𐎌𐎔𐎚 (špt /⁠šapatu⁠/)
• →? Old Armenian: շուրթն (šurtʻn)

Further reading

• Militarev, Alexander, Kogan, Leonid (2000) Semitic Etymological Dictionary, volumes I: Anatomy of Man and Animals, Münster: Ugarit-Verlag, →ISBN, pages 235–237