Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/ʔil-

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

*ʔil- m

1. deity, god

Inflection

Declension of *ʔil-

case	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*ʔilum	*ʔilāna	plural stem + *-ūna
accusative	*ʔilam	*ʔilayna	plural stem + *-īna
genitive	*ʔilim
possessive forms
1st person	*ʔilī / *ʔilVya	—	*ʔilVni
2nd person m	*ʔilVka	*ʔilVkumā / *ʔilVkumay	*ʔilVkum(ū)
2nd person f	*ʔilVki		*ʔilVkin(ā)
3rd person m	*ʔilVšu	*ʔilVšumā / *ʔilVšumay	*ʔilVšum(ū)
3rd person f	*ʔilVša		*ʔilVšin(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: *ʔiluya for nom. case, *ʔiliya for gen. case, *ʔilaya for acc. case, etc.

Coordinate terms

• *ʔilāhat-

Descendants

• East Semitic:
  • Akkadian: 𒀭 (ilum)
• West Semitic:
  • Central Semitic:
    • Arabic: إِلّ (ʔill)
    • Northwest Semitic:
      • Aramaic:

        Samaritan Aramaic: ࠀࠢࠋ (ʾĕl), ࠀࠜࠋࠠࠄ (ēla), ࠀࠝࠋࠦࠄࠉ࠙ࠝࠌࠬ (ʾelūwem)

      • Canaanite:
        • Ammonite: 𐤀𐤋𐤌 (ʾlm)
        • Hebrew: אֵל (el, ʾēl)
        • Phoenician: 𐤀𐤋 (ʾl), 𐤀𐤋𐤕 (ʾlt), 𐤀𐤋𐤌 (ʾlm)
      • Ugaritic: 𐎛𐎍 (ỉl /⁠ʾilu⁠/), 𐎛𐎍𐎚 (ỉlt /⁠ʾilatu⁠/)
    • Old South Arabian:
      • Old South Arabian: 𐩱𐩡 (ʾl)

Extended form *ʔilāh-:

• West Semitic:
  • Central Semitic:
    • Arabic: إِلَٰه (ʔilāh), الله (allāh)
      • Maltese: Alla, alla
    • Northwest Semitic:
      • Aramaic:

        Biblical Aramaic: אֱלָהָא (ʾĕlāhā)

        Samaritan Aramaic: ࠀࠣࠋࠟࠄࠟࠄ (ʾĕlāhā)

        • Lishana Deni: אִילָאהָא (ʾīlāhā)
        • Mandaic: ࡀࡋࡀࡄࡀ (alaha)
        • Classical Syriac: ܐܰܠܳܗܳܐ (ʾalāhā)
      • Canaanite:
        • Hebrew: אֱלוֹהַּ (elóah, ʾĕlốah), אֱלֹהִים (elohím, ʾĕlōhîm)
    • Old South Arabian:
      • Old South Arabian: 𐩱𐩡𐩠 (ʾlh)