Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/tall-

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 Proto-Afroasiatic *tVl- (“hill”). Possibly cognate with Proto-Berber *a-drar (see Central Atlas Tamazight ⴰⴷⵔⴰⵔ (adrar) for more), Oromo tulluu and Hausa tsaunī̀.

Noun

*tall- m

1. hill

Inflection

Declension of *tall-

case	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*tallum	*tallāna	plural stem + *-ūna
accusative	*tallam	*tallayna	plural stem + *-īna
genitive	*tallim
possessive forms
1st person	*tallī / *tallVya	—	*tallVni
2nd person m	*tallVka	*tallVkumā / *tallVkumay	*tallVkum(ū)
2nd person f	*tallVki		*tallVkin(ā)
3rd person m	*tallVšu	*tallVšumā / *tallVšumay	*tallVšum(ū)
3rd person f	*tallVša		*tallVšin(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: *talluya for nom. case, *talliya for gen. case, *tallaya for acc. case, etc.

Descendants

• East Semitic:
  • Akkadian: 𒇯 (tīlum, tillum)
• West Semitic:
  • Central Semitic:
    • Arabic: تَلّ (tall)
    • Northwest Semitic:
      • Aramaic:

        Old Aramaic: 𐤕𐤋

        Imperial Aramaic: 𐡕𐡋 (tl)

        Jewish Palestinian Aramaic, Jewish Literary Aramaic, Jewish Babylonian Aramaic תִּלָּא, תִּילָּא (tillā)

        Christian Palestinian Aramaic: ܬܷ݁ܠܴ݁ܐ

        • Classical Syriac: ܬܠܐ (tellā)
      • Canaanite:
        • Hebrew: תֵּל (tel, tēl)
      • Ugaritic: 𐎚𐎍 (tl /⁠tallu⁠/)

References

• “tl”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–
• 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 108