Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/ʕapar-

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

*ʕapar- m

1. soil, dust

Inflection

Declension of *ʕapar-

case	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*ʕaparum	*ʕaparāna	plural stem + *-ūna
accusative	*ʕaparam	*ʕaparayna	plural stem + *-īna
genitive	*ʕaparim
possessive forms
1st person	*ʕaparī / *ʕaparVya	—	*ʕaparVni
2nd person m	*ʕaparVka	*ʕaparVkumā / *ʕaparVkumay	*ʕaparVkum(ū)
2nd person f	*ʕaparVki		*ʕaparVkin(ā)
3rd person m	*ʕaparVšu	*ʕaparVšumā / *ʕaparVšumay	*ʕaparVšum(ū)
3rd person f	*ʕaparVša		*ʕaparVšin(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: *ʕaparuya for nom. case, *ʕapariya for gen. case, *ʕaparaya for acc. case, etc.

Descendants

• East Semitic:
  • Akkadian: 𒅖 (eperum)
• West Semitic:
  • Central Semitic:
    • Arabic: عَفَر (ʕafar) (possibly borrowed from Ancient North Arabian)
    • Northwest Semitic:
      • Aramaic:

        Jewish Babylonian Aramaic: עַפְרָא (ʿap̄rā)

        Jewish Palestinian Aramaic: עַפְרָא (ʿap̄rā)

        • Classical Syriac: ܥܰܦܪܳܐ (ʿap̄rā)
      • Canaanite:
        • → Akkadian: [script needed] (ḫa-pa-ru), Akkadian: [script needed] (a-pa-ru) (Amarna letters)
        • Hebrew: עָפָר ('afár, ʿāp̄ār)
      • Ugaritic: 𐎓𐎔𐎗 (ʿpr /⁠ʿaparu⁠/)
  • Ethiopian Semitic:
    • Amharic: አፈር (ʾäfär)
    • Argobba: አፈር
    • Ge'ez: አፈር (ʾäfär) (possibly borrowed from Amharic or Hebrew)
    • Harari: አፈር (ʾäfär)
    • Sebat Bet Gurage: አፈር (äfär)
    • Tigrinya: ዓፈር (ʿafär)
  • Modern South Arabian:
    • Mehri: ʾōfər (“red”)
    • Hobyót: ʾóofər (“red”)
    • Shehri: ʿɔ́fər (“red”)
    • Soqotri: ʿáfer (“red”)
    • Harsusi: ʾáfer (“red”)

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