Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/bint-

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

From *bin- (“son”) +‎ *-at- (“feminine suffix”), the unstressed vowel of which is lost through syncopation.

Noun

*bint- f (plural *banāt-)

1. daughter

Inflection

Declension of *bint-

Case	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	*bintum	*bintāna	*banātum
Genitive	*bintim	*bintayna	*banātim
Accusative	*bintam
possessive forms
1st person	*bintī / *bintVya	—	*bintVni
2nd person m	*bintVka	*bintVkumā / *bintVkumay	*bintVkum(ū)
2nd person f	*bintVki		*bintVkin(ā)
3rd person m	*bintVšu	*bintVšumā / *bintVšumay	*bintVšum(ū)
3rd person f	*bintVša		*bintVšin(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: *bintuya for nom. case, *bintiya for gen. case, *bintaya for acc. case, etc. Declension of 2sg m. possessive form (your/thy m.) *bint- Singular Dual Plural Nominative *bintuka *bintāka *banātuka Genitive *bintika *bintayka *banātika Accusative *bintaka Declension of 2sg f. possessive form (your/thy f.) *bint- Singular Dual Plural Nominative *bintuki *bintāki *banātuki Genitive *bintiki *bintayki *banātiki Accusative *bintaki

Coordinate terms

• *ʔabw-
• *ʔimm-
• *ʔaḫw-
• *ʔaḫwat-
• *bin-

Descendants

• East Semitic:
  • Akkadian: 𒁉𒅔𒌈 (bintum)
• West Semitic:
  • Central Semitic:
    • Arabic: بِنْت (bint), اِبْنَة (ibna), اِبْنَت (ibnat) — obsolete, مِنْت (mint) — Mauritania
      • Maltese: bint
      • → English: bint
      • → Swahili: binti
    • Northwest Semitic:
      • Canaanite:
        • Hebrew: בַּת m (bat, baṯ), בִּתּ־ (bit, bitt-); בָּנוֹת f pl (banót, bānôṯ)
      • Ugaritic: 𐎁𐎚 (bt /⁠bittu⁠/)
  • Old South Arabian:
    • Old South Arabian: 𐩨𐩬𐩩 (bnt)

References

• Huehnergard, John (2019) “Proto-Semitic”, in Huehnergard, John and Na'ama Pat-El, editors, The Semitic Languages, 2nd edition, Routledge, →ISBN