Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/ʔabw-

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

From Proto-Afroasiatic *ʔab-, ultimately an onomatopoeic nursery word. Cognate with Egyptian ꜣbwt, Proto-Berber *ʔabb, Hausa ùbā, Somali aabo, Afar abba.

Noun

*ʔabw- m (plural *ʔaban-)

1. father

Inflection

Declension of *ʔabw-

Case	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	*ʔabwum	*ʔabwāna	*ʔabanūna
Genitive	*ʔabwim	*ʔabwayna	*ʔabanīna
Accusative	*ʔabwam
possessive forms
1st person	*ʔabwī / *ʔabwVya	—	*ʔabwVni
2nd person m	*ʔabwVka	*ʔabwVkumā / *ʔabwVkumay	*ʔabwVkum(ū)
2nd person f	*ʔabwVki		*ʔabwVkin(ā)
3rd person m	*ʔabwVšu	*ʔabwVšumā / *ʔabwVšumay	*ʔabwVšum(ū)
3rd person f	*ʔabwVša		*ʔabwVšin(ā)
Note: 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: *ʔabwuya for nom. case, *ʔabwiya for gen. case, *ʔabwaya for acc. case, etc. Declension of 2sg m. possessive form (your/thy m.) *ʔabw- Singular Dual Plural Nominative *ʔabwuka *ʔabwāka *ʔabanūka Genitive *ʔabwika *ʔabwayka *ʔabanīka Accusative *ʔabwaka Declension of 2sg f. possessive form (your/thy f.) *ʔabw- Singular Dual Plural Nominative *ʔabwuki *ʔabwāki *ʔabanūki Genitive *ʔabwiki *ʔabwayki *ʔabanīki Accusative *ʔabwaki

Reconstruction notes

The final consonant of the stem is inferred based on construct forms, but Kogan reconstructs this item as *ʔab- instead.

Coordinate terms

• *ʔimm-
• *ʔaḫw-
• *ʔaḫwat-
• *bin-
• *bint-

Derived terms

• East Semitic:
  • Akkadian: 𒀀𒁀 (abum)
• West Semitic:
  • Central Semitic:
    • Arabic: أَب (ʔab) (see there for further descendants)
      • Maltese: bu
    • Northwest Semitic:
      • Aramaic: אַבָּא (’abā’)
        • Classical Syriac: ܐܰܒ݂ܳܐ (’aḇā’)
        • → Ancient Greek: ἀββα (abba) (see there for further descendants)
      • Canaanite:
        • Ammonite: 𐤀𐤁 (ʾb)
        • Edomite: 𐤀𐤁 (ʾb)
        • Hebrew: אָב (av, ʾāḇ)
        • Moabite: 𐤀𐤁 (ʾb)
        • Phoenician: 𐤀𐤁 (ʾb /⁠ʾab⁠/)
          • Punic: 𐤀𐤁 (ʾb /⁠ʾab⁠/)
      • Ugaritic: 𐎀𐎁 (ảb /⁠ʾabu⁠/)
    • Old South Arabian:
      • Minaean: 𐩱𐩨 (ʾb)
      • Qatabanian: 𐩱𐩨 (ʾb)
      • Sabaean: 𐩱𐩨 (ʾb)
  • Ethiopian Semitic:
    • Amharic: አባት (ʾabbat)
    • Ge'ez: አብ (ʾäb)
    • Tigre: አብ (ʾäb)
    • Tigrinya: ኣቦ (ʾabo)

References

• 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