Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/ʔak-

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

Compare Central Atlas Tamazight ⴰⴳⴹⵉⴹ (agḍiḍ, “bird”).

Noun

*ʔak- m or f

1. owl
2. raven
3. vulture

Inflection

Declension of *ʔak-

case	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*ʔakum	*ʔakāna	plural stem + *-ūna
accusative	*ʔakam	*ʔakayna	plural stem + *-īna
genitive	*ʔakim
possessive forms
1st person	*ʔakī / *ʔakVya	—	*ʔakVni
2nd person m	*ʔakVka	*ʔakVkumā / *ʔakVkumay	*ʔakVkum(ū)
2nd person f	*ʔakVki		*ʔakVkin(ā)
3rd person m	*ʔakVšu	*ʔakVšumā / *ʔakVšumay	*ʔakVšum(ū)
3rd person f	*ʔakVša		*ʔakVšin(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: *ʔakuya for nom. case, *ʔakiya for gen. case, *ʔakaya for acc. case, etc.

Descendants

• East Semitic:
  • Akkadian: 𒀝𒆪𒌑 (akkû, “owl”)
• West Semitic:
  • Central Semitic:
    • Northwest Semitic:
      • Aramaic:
        • Classical Syriac: ܟܱ݁ܘܟ݁ܒܰܝ (kawk(ə)ḇay, “owl”)
      • Canaanite:
        • Hebrew: אוֹחַ (óakh, ʾốaḥ, “eagle owl”)
  • Ethiopian Semitic:
    • Amharic: ጉጉት (gugut, “owl”)
    • Ge'ez: ኳኳ (kʷakʷa, “raven”)
    • Tigrinya: ኳኵ (kʷakʷ, “crow, raven”)