Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/ʔuḏn-

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

A possible, although irregular, relationship has been suggested with Egyptian

(jdn).

Noun

*ʔuḏn- f

1. ear

Inflection

Declension of *ʔuḏn-

case	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*ʔuḏnum	*ʔuḏnāna	plural stem + *-ūna
accusative	*ʔuḏnam	*ʔuḏnayna	plural stem + *-īna
genitive	*ʔuḏnim
possessive forms
1st person	*ʔuḏnī / *ʔuḏnVya	—	*ʔuḏnVni
2nd person m	*ʔuḏnVka	*ʔuḏnVkumā / *ʔuḏnVkumay	*ʔuḏnVkum(ū)
2nd person f	*ʔuḏnVki		*ʔuḏnVkin(ā)
3rd person m	*ʔuḏnVšu	*ʔuḏnVšumā / *ʔuḏnVšumay	*ʔuḏnVšum(ū)
3rd person f	*ʔuḏnVša		*ʔuḏnVšin(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: *ʔuḏnuya for nom. case, *ʔuḏniya for gen. case, *ʔuḏnaya for acc. case, etc.

Declension of *ʔuḏn-

case	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*ʔuḏnum	*ʔuḏnāna	*ʔuḏnātum
accusative	*ʔuḏnam	*ʔuḏnayna	*ʔuḏnātim
genitive	*ʔuḏnim
possessive forms
1st person	*ʔuḏnī / *ʔuḏnVya	—	*ʔuḏnVni
2nd person m	*ʔuḏnVka	*ʔuḏnVkumā / *ʔuḏnVkumay	*ʔuḏnVkum(ū)
2nd person f	*ʔuḏnVki		*ʔuḏnVkin(ā)
3rd person m	*ʔuḏnVšu	*ʔuḏnVšumā / *ʔuḏnVšumay	*ʔuḏnVšum(ū)
3rd person f	*ʔuḏnVša		*ʔuḏnVšin(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: *ʔuḏnuya for nom. case, *ʔuḏniya for gen. case, *ʔuḏnaya for acc. case, etc.

Descendants

• East Semitic:
  • Akkadian: 𒉿 (uznum)
• West Semitic:
  • Central Semitic:
    • Arabic: أُذُن (ʔuḏun), أُذْن (ʔuḏn)
      • Egyptian Arabic: ودن (widn)
      • Gulf Arabic: اذون (aḏūn)
      • Maltese: widna
      • ⇒ North Levantine Arabic: دينه (dayni) (from a diminutive)
      • North Levantine Arabic: دانة (dāne)
      • North Levantine Arabic: إدن (ʾidn)
    • Northwest Semitic:
      • Aramaic:

        Assyrian Neo-Aramaic: ܢܵܬ݂ܵܐ (nāṯā)

        Classical Syriac: ܐܕܢܐ (ʾeḏnā)

        Jewish Babylonian Aramaic: אֻדְנָא (ʾuḏnā), אוּנָא (ʾūnā)

        Jewish Palestinian Aramaic: אֶדְנָא (ʾeḏnā)

        Turoyo: ܐܰܕ݂ܢܐ (aḏno)

      • Canaanite:
        • Hebrew: אֹזֶן (ózen, ʾṓzen)
      • Ugaritic: 𐎜𐎄𐎐 (ủdn /⁠ʾudnu⁠/)
    • Old South Arabian:
      • Sabaean: 𐩱𐩹𐩬 (ʾḏn)
  • Modern South Arabian:
    • Mehri: ḥə-yḏēn
    • Harsusi: ḥe-yḏēn
    • Shehri: ʾiḏɛ́n
    • Soqotri: ʾídihen
  • Ethiopian Semitic:
    • North Ethiopian Semitic:
      • Ge'ez: እዝን (ʾəzn)
      • Tigre: እዝን (ʾəzən)
      • Tigrinya: እዝኒ (ʾəzni)
    • South Ethiopian Semitic:
      • Argobba:

        North Argobba: እዝን (əzən)

        South Argobba: ኢዚን (izin)

      • Gafat: እዝነ (əznä)
      • Gurage:

        Wolane: እዝን (əzən)

        Zay: እዝን (əzən)

        Silt'e: እዝን (əzn), ኢዝን (izn)

        Muher, Mäsqan, Gogot, Soddo: እንዝን (ənzən)

        Čaha, Eža, Ennemor, Endegeň, Gyeto: እዝር (əzər)

      • Harari: ኡዙን (ʾuzun)

References

• Militarev, Alexander, Kogan, Leonid (2000) Semitic Etymological Dictionary, volumes I: Anatomy of Man and Animals, Münster: Ugarit-Verlag, →ISBN, pages 6–7 Nr. 4
• 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