Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/ʕaṯ̣m-

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

*ʕaṯ̣m- m or f

1. bone

Inflection

Masculine:

Declension of *ʕaṯ̣m-

case	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*ʕaṯ̣mum	*ʕaṯ̣māna	plural stem + *-ūna
accusative	*ʕaṯ̣mam	*ʕaṯ̣mayna	plural stem + *-īna
genitive	*ʕaṯ̣mim
possessive forms
1st person	*ʕaṯ̣mī / *ʕaṯ̣mVya	—	*ʕaṯ̣mVni
2nd person m	*ʕaṯ̣mVka	*ʕaṯ̣mVkumā / *ʕaṯ̣mVkumay	*ʕaṯ̣mVkum(ū)
2nd person f	*ʕaṯ̣mVki		*ʕaṯ̣mVkin(ā)
3rd person m	*ʕaṯ̣mVšu	*ʕaṯ̣mVšumā / *ʕaṯ̣mVšumay	*ʕaṯ̣mVšum(ū)
3rd person f	*ʕaṯ̣mVša		*ʕaṯ̣mVšin(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: *ʕaṯ̣muya for nom. case, *ʕaṯ̣miya for gen. case, *ʕaṯ̣maya for acc. case, etc.

Feminine:

Declension of *ʕaṯ̣m-

case	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*ʕaṯ̣mum	*ʕaṯ̣māna	*ʕaṯ̣mātum
accusative	*ʕaṯ̣mam	*ʕaṯ̣mayna	*ʕaṯ̣mātim
genitive	*ʕaṯ̣mim
possessive forms
1st person	*ʕaṯ̣mī / *ʕaṯ̣mVya	—	*ʕaṯ̣mVni
2nd person m	*ʕaṯ̣mVka	*ʕaṯ̣mVkumā / *ʕaṯ̣mVkumay	*ʕaṯ̣mVkum(ū)
2nd person f	*ʕaṯ̣mVki		*ʕaṯ̣mVkin(ā)
3rd person m	*ʕaṯ̣mVšu	*ʕaṯ̣mVšumā / *ʕaṯ̣mVšumay	*ʕaṯ̣mVšum(ū)
3rd person f	*ʕaṯ̣mVša		*ʕaṯ̣mVšin(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: *ʕaṯ̣muya for nom. case, *ʕaṯ̣miya for gen. case, *ʕaṯ̣maya for acc. case, etc.

Descendants

• East Semitic:
  • Akkadian: 𒄊𒉻𒁺 (eṣemtum)
• West Semitic:
  • Central Semitic:
    • Arabic: عَظْم (ʕaẓm) (see there for further descendants)
    • Northwest Semitic:
      • Aramaic: עַטְמָא (ʿaṭmā)
        • Classical Syriac: ܥܰܛܡܳܐ (ʿaṭmā)
      • Canaanite:
        • Hebrew: עֶצֶם ('étsem, ʿéṣem)
        • Phoenician: 𐤏𐤑𐤌 (ʿṣm)
      • Ugaritic: 𐎓𐎑𐎎 (ʿẓm /⁠ʿaẓmu⁠/)
  • Ethiopian Semitic:
    • Amharic: አጥንት (ʾäṭnət)
    • Ge'ez: ዐፅም (ʕäṣ́m), ዐጽም (ʕäṣm), አጽም (ʔäṣm)
      • →? Amharic: አጽም (ʾäṣm, “skeleton”)
    • Tigrinya: ዓጽሚ (ʕaṣmi)

References

• Alexander Militarev: Semitic etymology; entry *ʕat_̣m-(at-).
• Leslau, Wolf (1991) Comparative Dictionary of Geʿez (Classical Ethiopic), 2nd edition, Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz, →ISBN, page 58