Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/piʔat-

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

*piʔat- f

1. side, edge, front

Inflection

Declension of *piʔat-

Case	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	*piʔatum	*piʔatāna	*piʔātum
Genitive	*piʔatim	*piʔatayna	*piʔātim
Accusative	*piʔatam
possessive forms
1st person	*piʔatī / *piʔatVya	—	*piʔatVni
2nd person m	*piʔatVka	*piʔatVkumā / *piʔatVkumay	*piʔatVkum(ū)
2nd person f	*piʔatVki		*piʔatVkin(ā)
3rd person m	*piʔatVšu	*piʔatVšumā / *piʔatVšumay	*piʔatVšum(ū)
3rd person f	*piʔatVša		*piʔatVšin(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: *piʔatuya for nom. case, *piʔatiya for gen. case, *piʔataya for acc. case, etc. Declension of 2sg m. possessive form (your/thy m.) *piʔat- Singular Dual Plural Nominative *piʔatuka *piʔatāka *piʔātuka Genitive *piʔatika *piʔatayka *piʔātika Accusative *piʔataka Declension of 2sg f. possessive form (your/thy f.) *piʔat- Singular Dual Plural Nominative *piʔatuki *piʔatāki *piʔātuki Genitive *piʔatiki *piʔatayki *piʔātiki Accusative *piʔataki

Descendants

• East Semitic:
  • Akkadian: 𒊕𒆠 (pūtum) (vowel shift perhaps under the influence of the labial /p/)
    • → Aramaic: (if not instead from *ʔanp- (“nose”) blended with this or suffixed -ūṯā)

      Jewish Literary Aramaic, Jewish Babylonian Aramaic אַפּוּתָא (ʾappūṯā)

      Classical Mandaic: ࡐࡅࡕࡀ (pūṯā)

      Classical Syriac: ܐܰܦܾ݁ܘܬܳܐ (ʾappūṯā)

    • → Hebrew: פֹּת (pot, pōṯ)
  • Eblaite: 𒉈𒀀𒌈 (bí-a-tum /⁠piʾatum⁠/)
• West Semitic:
  • Central Semitic:
    • Arabic: فِئَة (fiʔa)
    • Northwest Semitic:
      • Aramaic:

        Jewish Literary Aramaic: פָּאתָא (pāṯā), פָּתָא (pāṯā)

        Samaritan Aramaic: ࠐࠀࠕࠄ (fʾth)

        • Classical Syriac: ܦܱ݁ܐܬܳܐ (paʾṯā), ܦܱ݁ܬܳܐ (paṯā)
      • Canaanite:
        • → Akkadian: 𒁉𒀀𒌈 (piātum)
        • Hebrew: פֵּאָה (pe'á, pēʾâ), construct פְּאַת (pe'át, pəʾaṯ)
      • Ugaritic: 𐎔𐎀𐎚 (pảt)
  • Ethiopian:
    • North Ethiopian Semitic:
      • Ge'ez: ⇒ univerbized with *la- (“for”) to ለፌ (läfe, “in the direction of or from, thence or thither”)
    • South Ethiopian Semitic:
      • Amharic: ፊት (fit)
        • → Tigrinya: ፊት (fit)
      • Argobba: ፊድ (fid)
      • Harari: ፊት (fit)
      • Gurage:
        • Northern Gurage:
          • Aymälläl: ኢፍት (ift)
          • Goggot: ኢፍት (ift)
        • East Gurage:
          • Silt'e: ኡፍት (uft)
          • Wolane: ኡፍት (uft)
          • Zay: እፊት (əfit)
        • West Gurage:
          • Mesqan: ኢፍት (ift)
          • Sebat Bet Gurage:

            Čaha, Eža, Gyeto: ዪፍት (yift)

            Ennemor, Endegeñ, Muher: ኢፍት (ift)

  • Modern South Arabian:
    • Soqotri: fī́ʾɔh

References

• Kaufman, Stephen A. (1974) The Akkadian Influences on Aramaic (The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago Assyriological Studies; 19)‎^[1], Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, →ISBN, page 85
• Kogan, Leonid, Krebernik, Manfred, editors (2020), Etymological Dictionary of Akkadian. Volume 1 Roots beginning with p and b, Leiden: Brill
• Militarev, Alexander, Kogan, Leonid (2000) Semitic Etymological Dictionary, volumes I: Anatomy of Man and Animals, Münster: Ugarit-Verlag, →ISBN, pages 180–182, Nr. 204
• Nöldeke, Theodor (1910) Neue Beiträge zur semitischen Sprachwissenschaft‎^[2] (in German), Straßburg: Karl J. Trübner, pages 151–152
• Nöldeke, Theodor (1875) Mandäische Grammatik‎^[3] (in German), Halle: Verlag der Buchhandlung des Waisenhauses, page 485, to Nöldeke, Theodor (1875) Mandäische Grammatik‎^[4] (in German), Halle: Verlag der Buchhandlung des Waisenhauses, page 97 footnote 1