Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/šamāy-

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

Noun

*šamāy- f

1. sky, space
2. welkin, firmament
3. heaven, empyrean (religion)
4. sphere (astronomy/astrology/cosmology)
5. aether (astronomy/astrology/cosmology)

Inflection

Declension of *šamāy-

case	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*šamāyum	*šamāyāna	*šamāyātum
accusative	*šamāyam	*šamāyayna	*šamāyātim
genitive	*šamāyim
possessive forms
1st person	*šamāyī / *šamāyVya	—	*šamāyVni
2nd person m	*šamāyVka	*šamāyVkumā / *šamāyVkumay	*šamāyVkum(ū)
2nd person f	*šamāyVki		*šamāyVkin(ā)
3rd person m	*šamāyVšu	*šamāyVšumā / *šamāyVšumay	*šamāyVšum(ū)
3rd person f	*šamāyVša		*šamāyVšin(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: *šamāyuya for nom. case, *šamāyiya for gen. case, *šamāyaya for acc. case, etc.

Descendants

• East Semitic:
  • Akkadian: 𒀭 (šamû)
• West Semitic:
  • Central Semitic:
    • Arabic: سَمَاء (samāʔ)
      • Algerian Arabic: سما (smā)
      • Egyptian Arabic: سما (sama)
      • Gulf Arabic: سما (sima)
      • Hijazi Arabic: سما (sama)
      • Maltese: sema
      • Moroccan Arabic: سما (smā)
      • South Levantine Arabic: سما (sama)
      • Tunisian Arabic: سما (smā)
    • Northwest Semitic:
      • Aramaic: שְׁמַיְן (šmayn), שְׁמָיָא (šmayyā), שְׁמָיָה

        Imperial Aramaic: 𐡔𐡌𐡉𐡍 (šmyn)

        • Lishana Deni: שמיה (šəmme)
        • Classical Mandaic: ࡔࡅࡌࡉࡀ (šumia)
        • Classical Syriac: ܫܡܰܝܴ݁ܐ (šmayyā)
      • Canaanite:
        • Hebrew: שָׁמַיִם (shamáyim, šāmáyim)
        • Phoenician: 𐤔𐤌𐤌 (šmm)
          • → Greek: Σάμος (Sámos)
      • Ugaritic: 𐎌𐎎𐎎 (šmm), 𐎌𐎎𐎊𐎐 (šmyn)
    • Old South Arabian:
      • Sabaean: 𐩪𐩣𐩺𐩬 (s¹myn)
    • Safaitic: 𐪊𐪃𐪚 (s¹my)
  • Ethiopian Semitic:
    • Amharic: ሰማይ (sämay)
    • Ge'ez: ሰማይ (sämay)
    • Tigre: ሻማአ (šamaʾä)
    • Tigrinya: ሰማይ (sämay)

References

• Botterweck, G. Johannes, Ringgren, Helmer, Fabry, Heinz-Josef (2006) Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, page 206
• 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 192