Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/ʔalp-

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

Numeral

Proto-Semitic numbers ^(edit)

←  100	←  200	1,000	2,000  →
		100
Cardinal: *ʔalp-

*ʔalp-

1. thousand

Declension

Declension of *ʔalp-

case	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*ʔalpum	*ʔalpāna	plural stem + *-ūna
accusative	*ʔalpam	*ʔalpayna	plural stem + *-īna
genitive	*ʔalpim
possessive forms
1st person	*ʔalpī / *ʔalpVya	—	*ʔalpVni
2nd person m	*ʔalpVka	*ʔalpVkumā / *ʔalpVkumay	*ʔalpVkum(ū)
2nd person f	*ʔalpVki		*ʔalpVkin(ā)
3rd person m	*ʔalpVšu	*ʔalpVšumā / *ʔalpVšumay	*ʔalpVšum(ū)
3rd person f	*ʔalpVša		*ʔalpVšin(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: *ʔalpuya for nom. case, *ʔalpiya for gen. case, *ʔalpaya for acc. case, etc.

Usage notes

The term probably wasn’t strictly a certain number but meant an amount of about this number. In Ethiopian it tends to mean a myriad.

Descendants

• Central Semitic:
  • Arabic: أَلْف (ʔalf)
    • → Azerbaijani: əlif
    • → Classical Persian: اَلِف (alif)
      • Iranian Persian: اَلِف (alef)
      • Tajik: алиф (alif)
    • → Uzbek: alif
  • Northwest Semitic:
    • Aramaic: אַלְפָּא (ʾalpā)
      • Classical Syriac: ܐܰܠܦܴ݁ܐ (ʾalpā)
    • Canaanite:
      • Hebrew: אֶלֶף ('élef, ʾélep̄)
      • Moabite: 𐤀𐤋𐤐 (ʾlp)
      • Phoenician: 𐤀𐤋𐤐 (ʾlp)
        • Punic: 𐤀𐤋𐤐 (ʾlp)
    • Ugaritic: 𐎀𐎍𐎔 (ảlp /⁠ʾalpu⁠/)
  • Old South Arabian:
    • Old South Arabian: 𐩱𐩡𐩰 (ʾlf)
• Ethiopian Semitic:
  • Amharic: እልፍ (ʾəlf)
  • Ge'ez: እልፍ (ʾəlf)
  • Harari: አልፊ (ʾälfi)
  • Tigre: እልፍ (ʾəlf)
  • Tigrinya: እልፊ (ʾəlfi)
• Modern South Arabian:
  • Mehri: ʾalf, ʾāf
  • Shehri: ʾelf, ʾɔf
  • Soqotri: ʾalf

Noun

*ʔalp- m (plural *ʔalap-)

1. head of cattle

Declension

Declension of *ʔalp-

case	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*ʔalpum	*ʔalpāna	*ʔalapūna
accusative	*ʔalpam	*ʔalpayna	*ʔalapīna
genitive	*ʔalpim
possessive forms
1st person	*ʔalpī / *ʔalpVya	—	*ʔalpVni
2nd person m	*ʔalpVka	*ʔalpVkumā / *ʔalpVkumay	*ʔalpVkum(ū)
2nd person f	*ʔalpVki		*ʔalpVkin(ā)
3rd person m	*ʔalpVšu	*ʔalpVšumā / *ʔalpVšumay	*ʔalpVšum(ū)
3rd person f	*ʔalpVša		*ʔalpVšin(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: *ʔalpuya for nom. case, *ʔalpiya for gen. case, *ʔalpaya for acc. case, etc.

Related terms

• *ʔalap- (“to be familiar with”, verb)
• *ʔallip- (“to tame, to domesticate; to familiarize, to instruct; to unite, to join”, verb)

Descendants

• East Semitic:
  • Akkadian: 𒄞 (alpum)
• West Semitic:
  • Central Semitic:
    • Northwest Semitic:
      • Canaanite:
        • Hebrew: אֶלֶף ('élef, ʾélep̄)
        • Phoenician: 𐤀𐤋𐤐 (ʾlp)
          • Punic: 𐤀𐤋𐤐 (ʾlp)
          • → Arabic: أَلِف (ʔalif) (see there for further descendants)
          • → Ancient Greek: ἄλφα (álpha) (see there for further descendants)
          • → Hebrew: אלף (álef)
      • Ugaritic: 𐎀𐎍𐎔 (ảlp /⁠ʾalpu⁠/)
  • Modern South Arabian:
    • Soqotri: ʾalf (“heifer”)