Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/ṣ́aʔn-

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

*ṣ́aʔn- m or f

1. small cattle, especially sheep

Inflection

Declension of *ṣ́aʔn-

Case	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	*ṣ́aʔnum	*ṣ́aʔnāna	plural stem + *-ūna
Genitive	*ṣ́aʔnim	*ṣ́aʔnayna	plural stem + *-īna
Accusative	*ṣ́aʔnam
possessive forms
1st person	*ṣ́aʔnī / *ṣ́aʔnVya	—	*ṣ́aʔnVni
2nd person m	*ṣ́aʔnVka	*ṣ́aʔnVkumā / *ṣ́aʔnVkumay	*ṣ́aʔnVkum(ū)
2nd person f	*ṣ́aʔnVki		*ṣ́aʔnVkin(ā)
3rd person m	*ṣ́aʔnVšu	*ṣ́aʔnVšumā / *ṣ́aʔnVšumay	*ṣ́aʔnVšum(ū)
3rd person f	*ṣ́aʔnVša		*ṣ́aʔnVšin(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: *ṣ́aʔnuya for nom. case, *ṣ́aʔniya for gen. case, *ṣ́aʔnaya for acc. case, etc. Declension of 2sg m. possessive form (your/thy m.) *ṣ́aʔn- Singular Dual Plural Nominative *ṣ́aʔnuka *ṣ́aʔnāka plural stem + *-ūka Genitive *ṣ́aʔnika *ṣ́aʔnayka plural stem + *-īka Accusative *ṣ́aʔnaka Declension of 2sg f. possessive form (your/thy f.) *ṣ́aʔn- Singular Dual Plural Nominative *ṣ́aʔnuki *ṣ́aʔnāki plural stem + *-ūki Genitive *ṣ́aʔniki *ṣ́aʔnayki plural stem + *-īki Accusative *ṣ́aʔnaki

Descendants

• East Semitic:
  • Akkadian: 𒇇𒇻𒄭𒀀 (ṣēnum)
• West Semitic:
  • Central Semitic:
    • Arabic: ضَأْن (ḍaʔn)
    • Northwest Semitic:
      • Aramaic:

        Jewish Palestinian Aramaic, Jewish Literary Aramaic, Jewish Babylonian Aramaic: עָנָא (ʿānā)

        Classical Syriac: ܥܳܢܳܐ (ʿānā)

      • Canaanite
        • Hebrew: צֹאן (tsón, ṣōʾn)
      • Ugaritic: 𐎕𐎛𐎐 (ṣỉn /⁠ṣiʾnu⁠/)
    • Old South Arabian
      • Old South Arabian: 𐩼𐩱𐩬 (ẓʾn)
  • Ethiopian Semitic: (Can this⁽⁺⁾ etymology be sourced?)
    • Amharic: ሕፃን (ḥəṣ́an)
    • Ge'ez: ሕፃን (ḥəṣ́an)
    • Tigrinya: ሕፃን (ḥəṣ́an)

References

• Kogan, Leonid (2011) “Proto-Semitic Lexicon”, in Weninger, Stefan, editor, The Semitic Languages. An International Handbook (Handbücher zur Sprach- und Kommunikationswissenschaft – Handbooks of Linguistics and Communication Science; 36), Berlin: De Gruyter, →ISBN, page 205