Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/ʔabn-

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 *ʾabun-.

Noun

*ʔabn- m

1. stone

Inflection

Declension of *ʔabn-

case	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*ʔabnum	*ʔabnāna	plural stem + *-ūna
accusative	*ʔabnam	*ʔabnayna	plural stem + *-īna
genitive	*ʔabnim
possessive forms
1st person	*ʔabnī / *ʔabnVya	—	*ʔabnVni
2nd person m	*ʔabnVka	*ʔabnVkumā / *ʔabnVkumay	*ʔabnVkum(ū)
2nd person f	*ʔabnVki		*ʔabnVkin(ā)
3rd person m	*ʔabnVšu	*ʔabnVšumā / *ʔabnVšumay	*ʔabnVšum(ū)
3rd person f	*ʔabnVša		*ʔabnVšin(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: *ʔabnuya for nom. case, *ʔabniya for gen. case, *ʔabnaya for acc. case, etc.

Descendants

• East Semitic:
  • Akkadian: 𒎎 (abnum)
• West Semitic:
  • Central Semitic:
    • Northwest Semitic:
      • Aramaic: אַבְנָא (ʾaḇnā)
        • Classical Syriac: ܐܰܒܢܳܐ (ʾaḇnā)
      • Canaanite:
        • Hebrew: אֶבֶן (éven, ʾéḇen)
        • Phoenician: 𐤀𐤁𐤍 (ʾbn)
          • Punic: 𐤀𐤁𐤍 (ʾbn)
      • Ugaritic: 𐎀𐎁𐎐 (ảbn /⁠ʾabnu⁠/)
    • Old South Arabian:
      • Minaean: 𐩱𐩨𐩬 (ʾbn)
      • Qatabanian: 𐩱𐩨𐩬 (ʾbn)
      • Sabaean: 𐩱𐩨𐩬 (ʾbn)
  • Ethiopian Semitic:
    • Ge'ez: እብን (ʾəbn)
    • Harari: ኡን (ʾun)
    • Tigre: እብን (ʾəbn)
    • Tigrinya: እምኒ (ʾəmni)
  • Modern South Arabian:
    • Soqotri: أأبن (óʔobən)

References

• 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 190
• Huehnergard, John (2019) “Proto-Semitic”, in Huehnergard, John and Na'ama Pat-El, editors, The Semitic Languages, 2nd edition, Routledge, →ISBN
• Orel, Vladimir E., Stolbova, Olga V. (1995) Hamito-Semitic Etymological Dictionary: Materials for a Reconstruction (Handbuch der Orientalistik; I.18), Leiden, New York, Köln: E.J. Brill, page 3