Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/ʕiṣ́-

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

Perhaps related to Central Atlas Tamazight ⴰⵙⴽⵍⵓ (asklu).

Noun

*ʕiṣ́- m

1. tree
2. branch, piece of wood

Inflection

Declension of *ʕiṣ́-

case	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*ʕiṣ́um	*ʕiṣ́āna	plural stem + *-ūna
accusative	*ʕiṣ́am	*ʕiṣ́ayna	plural stem + *-īna
genitive	*ʕiṣ́im
possessive forms
1st person	*ʕiṣ́ī / *ʕiṣ́Vya	—	*ʕiṣ́Vni
2nd person m	*ʕiṣ́Vka	*ʕiṣ́Vkumā / *ʕiṣ́Vkumay	*ʕiṣ́Vkum(ū)
2nd person f	*ʕiṣ́Vki		*ʕiṣ́Vkin(ā)
3rd person m	*ʕiṣ́Všu	*ʕiṣ́Všumā / *ʕiṣ́Všumay	*ʕiṣ́Všum(ū)
3rd person f	*ʕiṣ́Vša		*ʕiṣ́Všin(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: *ʕiṣ́uya for nom. case, *ʕiṣ́iya for gen. case, *ʕiṣ́aya for acc. case, etc.

Descendants

• East Semitic:
  • Akkadian: 𒄑 (iṣum)
• West Semitic:
  • Arabic: عَصًا (ʕaṣan)
    • Maltese: għasa
    • Moroccan Arabic: عصا (ʕṣā)
    • ⇒ Gulf Arabic: عصاية (ʕaṣāya)
    • ⇒ Hijazi Arabic: عصاية (ʕaṣāya)
    • → Armenian: ասա (asa)
  • Arabic: عُضّ (ʕuḍḍ), عِضّ (ʕiḍḍ)
  • Northwest Semitic:
    • Aramaic: אָעָא (ʾāʿā), עָעָא (ʿāʿā), עָקָא (ʿāqā)
    • Hebrew: עֵץ ('ets, ʿēṣ)
    • Phoenician: 𐤏𐤑 (ʿṣ)
      • Punic: 𐤏𐤑 (ʿṣ)
    • Ugaritic: 𐎓𐎕 (ʿṣ /⁠ʿiṣ⁠/)
  • Old South Arabian:
    • Minaean: 𐩲𐩳 (ʿḍ)
    • Qatabanian: 𐩲𐩳 (ʿḍ)
    • Sabaean: 𐩲𐩳 (ʿḍ)
  • Ethiopian Semitic:
    • Ge'ez: ዕፅ (ʿəṣ́)
    • Amharic: ዕንጨት (ənč̣ät)
    • Tigrinya: ዕጨት (ˁəč̣č̣ät)

References

• Huehnergard, John (2019) “Proto-Semitic”, in Huehnergard, John and Na'ama Pat-El, editors, The Semitic Languages, 2nd edition, Routledge, →ISBN
• Kogan, Leonid (2015) Genealogical Classification of Semitic. The Lexical Isoglosses, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, →ISBN
• Leslau, Wolf (1991) Comparative Dictionary of Geʿez (Classical Ethiopic), 2nd edition, Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz, →ISBN, page 57, [1]