Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/ṯ̣upr-

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

*ṯ̣upr- or *ṯ̣ipr- m

1. nail
2. claw

Inflection

Declension of *ṯ̣upr-

case	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*ṯ̣uprum	*ṯ̣uprāna	plural stem + *-ūna
accusative	*ṯ̣upram	*ṯ̣uprayna	plural stem + *-īna
genitive	*ṯ̣uprim
possessive forms
1st person	*ṯ̣uprī / *ṯ̣uprVya	—	*ṯ̣uprVni
2nd person m	*ṯ̣uprVka	*ṯ̣uprVkumā / *ṯ̣uprVkumay	*ṯ̣uprVkum(ū)
2nd person f	*ṯ̣uprVki		*ṯ̣uprVkin(ā)
3rd person m	*ṯ̣uprVšu	*ṯ̣uprVšumā / *ṯ̣uprVšumay	*ṯ̣uprVšum(ū)
3rd person f	*ṯ̣uprVša		*ṯ̣uprVšin(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: *ṯ̣upruya for nom. case, *ṯ̣upriya for gen. case, *ṯ̣upraya for acc. case, etc.

Descendants

• East Semitic:
  • Akkadian: 𒌢 (ṣuprum)
• West Semitic:
  • Central Semitic:
    • Arabic: ظُفْر (ẓufr), ظُفُر (ẓufur), ظِفْر (ẓifr)
      • Egyptian Arabic: ضفر (ḍufr)
      • Gulf Arabic: ظفر m (ḏ̣ifir)
      • Hijazi Arabic: ظفر m (ḍifir, ḏ̣ifir)
      • Maltese: difer m
    • Aramaic: טֻפְרָא (ṭuprā)
      • Classical Syriac: ܛܶܦ݂ܪܳܐ (ṭeprā)
      • → Israeli Hebrew: טֹפֶר m (tófer, ṭṓfer)
    • Canaanite:
      • Hebrew: צִפֹּרֶן f (tsippóren, ṣippṓren)
  • Ethiopian Semitic:
    • Amharic: ጥፍር (ṭəfər)
    • Ge'ez: ጽፍር (ṣəfr)
    • Sebat Bet Gurage: ጥፍር (ṭəfər)
    • Tigrinya: ጽፍሪ (ṣəfri)
    • Tigre: ጽፍር (ṣəfər)
  • Modern South Arabian:
    • Mehri: ḏ̣éfɛ́r
    • Shehri: śɛ́fər, ɛśpɔ́r
    • Soqotri: ṭifer

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 224
• Leslau, Wolf (1991) Comparative Dictionary of Geʿez (Classical Ethiopic), 2nd edition, Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz, →ISBN, page 549