Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/ḥarb-

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

*ḥarb- m or f

1. blade, knife, long and sharp implement

Inflection

Masculine:

Declension of *ḥarb-

case	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*ḥarbum	*ḥarbāna	plural stem + *-ūna
accusative	*ḥarbam	*ḥarbayna	plural stem + *-īna
genitive	*ḥarbim
possessive forms
1st person	*ḥarbī / *ḥarbVya	—	*ḥarbVni
2nd person m	*ḥarbVka	*ḥarbVkumā / *ḥarbVkumay	*ḥarbVkum(ū)
2nd person f	*ḥarbVki		*ḥarbVkin(ā)
3rd person m	*ḥarbVšu	*ḥarbVšumā / *ḥarbVšumay	*ḥarbVšum(ū)
3rd person f	*ḥarbVša		*ḥarbVšin(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: *ḥarbuya for nom. case, *ḥarbiya for gen. case, *ḥarbaya for acc. case, etc.

Femenine:

Declension of *ḥarb-

case	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*ḥarbum	*ḥarbāna	*ḥarbātum
accusative	*ḥarbam	*ḥarbayna	*ḥarbātim
genitive	*ḥarbim
possessive forms
1st person	*ḥarbī / *ḥarbVya	—	*ḥarbVni
2nd person m	*ḥarbVka	*ḥarbVkumā / *ḥarbVkumay	*ḥarbVkum(ū)
2nd person f	*ḥarbVki		*ḥarbVkin(ā)
3rd person m	*ḥarbVšu	*ḥarbVšumā / *ḥarbVšumay	*ḥarbVšum(ū)
3rd person f	*ḥarbVša		*ḥarbVšin(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: *ḥarbuya for nom. case, *ḥarbiya for gen. case, *ḥarbaya for acc. case, etc.

Reconstruction notes

Not inherited in West Semitic outside Central Semitic, and the Akkadian reflex is irregular unless one accepts Proto-Semitic *x̣. Kogan considers this term only to be reconstructible to Proto-Central Semitic.

Descendants

• East Semitic:
  • Akkadian: 𒄑𒀳𒌆𒆥 (ḫarbum, “specialized plow used to physically break apart solid soil, opposed to other weaker types used to merely draw furrows to drop seeds in”)
• West Semitic:
  • Central Semitic:
    • Arabic: حَرْب f (ḥarb, “war”)
      • ⇒ Arabic: حَرْبَة f (ḥarba, “javelin, spearhead”)
      • Egyptian Arabic: حرب f (ḥarb, “war”)
      • Gulf Arabic: حرب f (ḥarb, “war”)
      • Maltese: ħarb m (“war”)
      • → Persian: حرب (harb, “war”)
      • → Soqotri: ḥarib (“fight”)
      • ⇒ Amharic: አርበኛ (ʾärbäñña, “patriot”)
    • Northwest Semitic:
      • Aramaic:
        • Imperial Aramaic: 𐡇𐡓𐡁 (ḥrb)
        • Christian Palestinian Aramaic: ܚܪܒ
        • Classical Syriac: ܚܰܪܒ݂ܴܿܐ (ḥarbā, “sword; spearhead”)
        • Jewish Babylonian Aramaic: חַרְבׇּא (ḥarbā, “sword; blade”)
        • Jewish Palestinian Aramaic: חַרְבׇּא (“sword”)
      • Canaanite:
        • Hebrew: חֶרֶב f (khérev, ḥéreḇ, “sword; war; ploughshare”)
      • Ugaritic: 𐎈𐎗𐎁 (ḥrb /⁠ḥarbu⁠/, “knife, sword”)
    • Old South Arabian
      • Old South Arabian: 𐩢𐩧𐩨𐩩 (ḥrbt, “battle”)
• →? Ancient Greek: ἅρπη (hárpē, “sickle, scimitar; a bird of prey”)
• → Egyptian: ḥjrꜣpw (“dagger, short sword”)

References

• Kogan, Leonid (2015) Genealogical Classification of Semitic. The Lexical Isoglosses, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, →ISBN, page 211