Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/ṯaʕlab-

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

*ṯaʕlab- m

1. fox

Inflection

Declension of *ṯaʕlab-

case	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*ṯaʕlabum	*ṯaʕlabāna	plural stem + *-ūna
accusative	*ṯaʕlabam	*ṯaʕlabayna	plural stem + *-īna
genitive	*ṯaʕlabim
possessive forms
1st person	*ṯaʕlabī / *ṯaʕlabVya	—	*ṯaʕlabVni
2nd person m	*ṯaʕlabVka	*ṯaʕlabVkumā / *ṯaʕlabVkumay	*ṯaʕlabVkum(ū)
2nd person f	*ṯaʕlabVki		*ṯaʕlabVkin(ā)
3rd person m	*ṯaʕlabVšu	*ṯaʕlabVšumā / *ṯaʕlabVšumay	*ṯaʕlabVšum(ū)
3rd person f	*ṯaʕlabVša		*ṯaʕlabVšin(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: *ṯaʕlabuya for nom. case, *ṯaʕlabiya for gen. case, *ṯaʕlabaya for acc. case, etc.

Descendants

• East Semitic:
  • Akkadian: 𒈜 (šēlebum)
• West Semitic:
  • Central Semitic:
    • Arabic: ثَعْلَب (ṯaʕlab)
      • Egyptian Arabic: تعلب (táʕlab)
      • Gulf Arabic: ثعلب (ṯaʕlab)
      • Hijazi Arabic: ثعلب (taʕlab, ṯaʕlab)
      • South Levantine Arabic: تعلب (táʕlab)
      • Yemeni Arabic: ثَعَلْ (ṯaʕal)
    • Aramaic:

      Hebrew script: תַּעַל (taʿal), תַּעֲלָא (taʿălāʾ)

      Syriac script: ܬ݁ܥܶܠ (təʿel), ܬܱ݁ܥܠܳܐ (taʿlāʾ)

    • Canaanite:
      • Hebrew: שׁוּעָל (shu'ál, šûʿāl)
    • Ugaritic 𐎘𐎓𐎍𐎁 (ṯʿlb /⁠ṯaʿlabu⁠/)

References

• Militarev, Alexander, Kogan, Leonid (2000–2005) Semitic Etymological Dictionary, Münster: Ugarit-Verlag
• Diakonoff, Igor M. (1988) Afrasian Languages (Languages of Asia and Africa), Moscow: Nauka, page 57.