Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/paʔr-

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

*paʔr- m

1. mouse

Inflection

Declension of *paʔr-

case	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*paʔrum	*paʔrāna	plural stem + *-ūna
accusative	*paʔram	*paʔrayna	plural stem + *-īna
genitive	*paʔrim
possessive forms
1st person	*paʔrī / *paʔrVya	—	*paʔrVni
2nd person m	*paʔrVka	*paʔrVkumā / *paʔrVkumay	*paʔrVkum(ū)
2nd person f	*paʔrVki		*paʔrVkin(ā)
3rd person m	*paʔrVšu	*paʔrVšumā / *paʔrVšumay	*paʔrVšum(ū)
3rd person f	*paʔrVša		*paʔrVšin(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: *paʔruya for nom. case, *paʔriya for gen. case, *paʔraya for acc. case, etc.

Descendants

• East Semitic:
  • Akkadian: 𒉾𒌉 (pērūrūtum, “mouse”)
• West Semitic:
  • Central Semitic:
    • Arabic: فَأْر (faʔr)
      • Gulf Arabic: فار (far)
      • Maltese: far
      • Moroccan Arabic: فار (fār)
      • South Levantine Arabic: فار (fār)
  • Ethiopian Semitic:
    • Amharic: ፍርፍር (fərfər, “a kind of field mouse”)
    • Harari: فُوءْر (fūr)
    • Inor: ፉኡር (fuʾur)
    • Sebat Bet Gurage: ፉር (fur)

References

• Leslau, Wolf (1963) Etymological Dictionary of Harari, Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, page 63
• Nöldeke, Theodor (1904) Beiträge zur semitischen Sprachwissenschaft‎^[1] (in German), Straßburg: Karl J. Trübner, page 109