Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/ʔarṣ́-

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

*ʔarṣ́- f

1. earth

Inflection

Declension of *ʔarṣ́-

case	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*ʔarṣ́um	*ʔarṣ́āna	*ʔarṣ́ātum
accusative	*ʔarṣ́am	*ʔarṣ́ayna	*ʔarṣ́ātim
genitive	*ʔarṣ́im
possessive forms
1st person	*ʔarṣ́ī / *ʔarṣ́Vya	—	*ʔarṣ́Vni
2nd person m	*ʔarṣ́Vka	*ʔarṣ́Vkumā / *ʔarṣ́Vkumay	*ʔarṣ́Vkum(ū)
2nd person f	*ʔarṣ́Vki		*ʔarṣ́Vkin(ā)
3rd person m	*ʔarṣ́Všu	*ʔarṣ́Všumā / *ʔarṣ́Všumay	*ʔarṣ́Všum(ū)
3rd person f	*ʔarṣ́Vša		*ʔarṣ́Všin(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: *ʔarṣ́uya for nom. case, *ʔarṣ́iya for gen. case, *ʔarṣ́aya for acc. case, etc.

Descendants

• East Semitic:
  • Akkadian: 𒆠 (erṣetum)
• West Semitic:
  • Central Semitic:
    • Arabic: أَرْض (ʔarḍ)
      • Gulf Arabic: ارض (arḏ̣)
      • Maltese: art
      • → Afar: árdi
      • → Somali: arli
      • → Swahili: ardhi
      • → Zazaki: erd
      • → Northern Kurdish: erd
      • → Ottoman Turkish: ارض
        • Turkish: arz
      • → Persian: ارض
    • Northwest Semitic:
      • Aramaic:

        Imperial Aramaic: 𐡀𐡓𐡒 (ʾrq)

        Biblical Aramaic: ארק

        Jewish Babylonian Aramaic: אַרְעָא (ʾarʿā)

        • Classical Syriac: ܐܰܪܥܳܐ (ʾarʿā)
      • Canaanite:
        • Hebrew: אֶרֶץ ('érets, ʾéreṣ)
        • Moabite: 𐤀𐤓𐤑 (ʾrṣ)
        • Phoenician: 𐤀𐤓𐤑 (ʾrṣ /⁠ʾerṣ⁠/)
          • Punic: 𐤀𐤓𐤑 (ʾrṣ /⁠ʾars⁠/)
      • Ugaritic: 𐎀𐎗𐎕 (ảrṣ /⁠ʾarṣu⁠/)
    • Old South Arabian:
      • Hadrami: 𐩱𐩧𐩳 (ʾrḍ)
      • Minaean: 𐩱𐩧𐩳 (ʾrḍ)
      • Qatabanian: 𐩱𐩧𐩳 (ʾrḍ)
      • Sabaean: 𐩱𐩧𐩳 (ʾrḍ)
  • Modern South Arabian
    • Shehri: ʾɛrẓ̂
• ⇒? Egyptian: rṯnw (possibly)

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 189
• Kogan, Leonid (2015) Genealogical Classification of Semitic. The Lexical Isoglosses, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, →ISBN
• Huehnergard, John (2019) “Proto-Semitic”, in Huehnergard, John and Na'ama Pat-El, editors, The Semitic Languages, 2nd edition, Routledge, →ISBN