Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/raḥat-

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

Presumably from *rawaḥ- (“to be ample, to be open”) only maintained by descendants of Proto-West Semitic.

Noun

*raḥat- f

1. palm of the hand; perhaps also sole of the foot

   Coordinate term: *kapp-

   Holonym: *yad-

Usage notes

It is probable that there was a distinction between *kapp- and *raḥat-: if it was that one denotes the inner side of the hand with the fingers and thumb and the other without it is difficult to decide which is which. Likely it was the *kapp- tendentially meant the cupped inner of the hand while *raḥat- meant the flat hand: this picture reflects in the tool names secondarily derived from the words.

Inflection

Declension of *raḥat-

case	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*raḥatum	*raḥatāna	*raḥātum
accusative	*raḥatam	*raḥatayna	*raḥātim
genitive	*raḥatim
possessive forms
1st person	*raḥatī / *raḥatVya	—	*raḥatVni
2nd person m	*raḥatVka	*raḥatVkumā / *raḥatVkumay	*raḥatVkum(ū)
2nd person f	*raḥatVki		*raḥatVkin(ā)
3rd person m	*raḥatVšu	*raḥatVšumā / *raḥatVšumay	*raḥatVšum(ū)
3rd person f	*raḥatVša		*raḥatVšin(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: *raḥatuya for nom. case, *raḥatiya for gen. case, *raḥataya for acc. case, etc.

Descendants

• East Semitic:
  • Akkadian: rittum, rettum
  • Eblaite: [script needed] (ra/la-ʾà-tum /⁠raḥ(a)tum⁠/)
• West Semitic:
  • Central Semitic:
    • Arabic: رَاحَة (rāḥa) (modified by رَاحَة (rāḥa, “rest”), as understood as the rest of the hand)
    • Northwest Semitic:
      • Aramaic:

        Jewish Literary Aramaic: רֵיחְתָא, רֵחְתָא (riḥtā, “winnowing shovel”)

        Christian Palestinian Aramaic: ܪܚܬ (rḥt), ܪܘܚܬ (ruḥt, “winnowing shovel”)

        >? Jewish Babylonian Aramaic: לחתא, לוחתא (luḥtā), ליחתא (liḥtā, “sole of the foot”)

        • >? Classical Syriac: ܠܰܚܬܳܐ (laḥṯā, “palm of the hand”)
      • Canaanite:
        • Hebrew: רַחַת (rakhát, raḥaṯ, “winnowing shovel”)
      • Ugaritic: 𐎗𐎈𐎚 (rḥt)
  • Ethiopian Semitic:
    • Northern Ethiopian Semitic:
      • Ge'ez: እራሕ (ʾəraḥ) (with parasitic glottal preformant like እግር (ʾəgr, “foot”), አፍ (ʾäf, “mouth”) etc.)
      • Tigre: ረሐት (räḥät)
      • Tigrinya: ራሕ (raḥ), ራኅ (raḫ)
  • Modern South Arabian:
    • Mehri: rəḥāt
    • Harsusi: ərḥāt, rīḥet
    • Shehri: irɔ́ḥɔ́t
    • Soqotri: ríḥoh

References

• Militarev, Alexander, Kogan, Leonid (2000) Semitic Etymological Dictionary, volumes I: Anatomy of Man and Animals, Münster: Ugarit-Verlag, →ISBN, pages 202–203 Nr. 230, as often positing an unlikely variation, *rāḥat ~ *riḥat