Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/ʔiṣbaʕ-

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 Egyptian ḏbꜥ (“finger”).

Noun

*ʔiṣbaʕ- m or f

1. finger, toe

Inflection

Masculine:

Declension of *ʔiṣbaʕ-

case	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*ʔiṣbaʕum	*ʔiṣbaʕāna	plural stem + *-ūna
accusative	*ʔiṣbaʕam	*ʔiṣbaʕayna	plural stem + *-īna
genitive	*ʔiṣbaʕim
possessive forms
1st person	*ʔiṣbaʕī / *ʔiṣbaʕVya	—	*ʔiṣbaʕVni
2nd person m	*ʔiṣbaʕVka	*ʔiṣbaʕVkumā / *ʔiṣbaʕVkumay	*ʔiṣbaʕVkum(ū)
2nd person f	*ʔiṣbaʕVki		*ʔiṣbaʕVkin(ā)
3rd person m	*ʔiṣbaʕVšu	*ʔiṣbaʕVšumā / *ʔiṣbaʕVšumay	*ʔiṣbaʕVšum(ū)
3rd person f	*ʔiṣbaʕVša		*ʔiṣbaʕVšin(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: *ʔiṣbaʕuya for nom. case, *ʔiṣbaʕiya for gen. case, *ʔiṣbaʕaya for acc. case, etc.

Feminine:

Declension of *ʔiṣbaʕ-

case	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*ʔiṣbaʕum	*ʔiṣbaʕāna	*ʔiṣbaʕātum
accusative	*ʔiṣbaʕam	*ʔiṣbaʕayna	*ʔiṣbaʕātim
genitive	*ʔiṣbaʕim
possessive forms
1st person	*ʔiṣbaʕī / *ʔiṣbaʕVya	—	*ʔiṣbaʕVni
2nd person m	*ʔiṣbaʕVka	*ʔiṣbaʕVkumā / *ʔiṣbaʕVkumay	*ʔiṣbaʕVkum(ū)
2nd person f	*ʔiṣbaʕVki		*ʔiṣbaʕVkin(ā)
3rd person m	*ʔiṣbaʕVšu	*ʔiṣbaʕVšumā / *ʔiṣbaʕVšumay	*ʔiṣbaʕVšum(ū)
3rd person f	*ʔiṣbaʕVša		*ʔiṣbaʕVšin(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: *ʔiṣbaʕuya for nom. case, *ʔiṣbaʕiya for gen. case, *ʔiṣbaʕaya for acc. case, etc.

Descendants

• West Semitic:
  • Central Semitic:
    • Arabic: إِصْبَع (ʔiṣbaʕ), أُصْبَع (ʔuṣbaʕ), أَصْبَع (ʔaṣbaʕ), أُصْبِع (ʔuṣbiʕ), أَصْبِع (ʔaṣbiʕ), أُصْبُع (ʔuṣbuʕ), أَصْبُع (ʔaṣbuʕ), أُصْبُوع (ʔuṣbūʕ), إِصْبِع (ʔiṣbiʕ), إِصْبُع (ʔiṣbuʕ)
      • Cypriot Arabic: ispec
      • Egyptian Arabic: صباع (ṣubāʕ), صابع (ṣābiʕ), صوبع (ṣōbaʕ)
      • Hijazi Arabic: أصباع (ʔuṣbāʕ)
      • Maltese: suba’, seba’, saba’
      • Moroccan Arabic: صبع (ṣbuʕ, ṣbaʕ)
      • South Levantine Arabic: أصبع (ʔuṣbaʕ)
    • Northwest Semitic:
      • Aramaic: אֶצְבְּעָא (ʾeṣbəʿā)
        • Classical Syriac: ܨܶܒܥܳܐ (ṣeḇʿā)
      • Canaanite:
        • Biblical Hebrew: אֶצְבַּע (ʔɛṣbáʕ)
          • Israeli Hebrew: אֶצְבַּע (étsba)
      • Ugaritic: 𐎜𐎕𐎁𐎓 (ủṣbʿ /⁠ʾuṣbaʿ⁠/)
  • Ethiopian Semitic
    • Ge'ez: አጽባዕት (ʾäṣbaʿt)
    • Tigrinya: ኣጻብዕ (ʾaṣabʿ)

References

• Leslau, Wolf (1991) Comparative Dictionary of Geʿez (Classical Ethiopic), 2nd edition, Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz, →ISBN, page 45