List of Proto-Semitic roots
Proto-Semitic
This is a list of Proto-Semitic roots with their reflexes in several Semitic languages. Only roots attested in Akkadian, or with cognates in other Afro-Asiatic groups, can be confidently included in Proto-Semitic; others must be placed in West Semitic. There is some controversy in Semitic linguistics over the sibilants' pronunciation; see below.
Semitic Sound Correspondences
Description |
PS |
Akkadian |
Arabic |
Canaanite |
Aramaic |
Geez |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VOICED bilabial plosive |
b |
b |
b |
b |
ḇ/b |
b |
voiceless bilabial plosive |
p |
p |
f |
p |
p̄/p |
f |
voiced dental fricative |
ḏ |
z |
ḏ |
z |
ḏ/d |
z |
voiceless dental fricative |
ṯ |
š |
ṯ |
š |
ṯ/t |
s |
emphatic voiceless dental fricative |
ṱ |
ṣ |
ḓ |
ṣ̌ |
ṭ |
ṣ |
voiced dental plosive |
d |
d |
d |
d |
ḏ/d |
d |
voiceless dental plosive |
t |
t |
t |
t |
ṯ/t |
t |
emphatic voiceless dental plosive |
ṭ |
ṭ |
ṭ |
ṭ |
ṭ |
ṭ |
(see notes) |
š |
š |
s |
š |
š |
s |
(see notes) |
z |
z |
z |
z |
z |
z |
(see notes) |
s |
s |
s |
s |
s |
s |
(see notes) |
ṣ |
ṣ |
ṣ |
ṣ |
ṣ |
ṣ |
lateral approximant |
l |
l |
l |
l |
l |
l |
voiceless alveolar lateral fricative |
ś |
š |
š |
ś |
s |
ś |
emphatic voiceless alveolar lateral fricative |
ṣ́ |
ṣ |
ḍ |
ṣ́ |
ʿ |
ṣ́ |
voiced velar plosive |
g |
g |
g |
g |
ḡ/g |
g |
voiceless velar plosive |
k |
k |
k |
k |
ḵ/k |
k |
emphatic voiceless velar plosive |
ḳ |
ḳ |
q |
ḳ |
q |
ḳ |
voiced velar fricative |
ġ |
- |
ġ |
ġ |
ʿ |
ʿ |
voiceless velar fricative |
ḫ |
ḫ |
ḫ |
ḫ |
ḥ |
ḫ |
voiced pharyngeal fricative |
ʿ |
- |
ʿ |
ʿ |
ʿ |
ʿ |
voiceless pharyngeal fricative |
ḥ |
- |
ḥ |
ḥ |
ḥ |
ḥ |
glottal stop |
ʾ |
- |
ʾ |
ʾ |
ʾ |
ʾ |
voiceless glottal fricative |
h |
- |
h |
h |
h |
h |
bilabial nasal |
m |
m |
m |
m |
m |
m |
dental nasal |
n |
n |
n |
n |
n/r |
n |
alveolar trill |
r |
r |
r |
r |
r |
r |
labial-velar approximant |
w |
w |
w |
w |
w |
w |
initial labial-velar approximant |
w- |
w- |
w- |
y- |
y- |
w- |
palatal approximant |
y |
y |
y |
y |
y |
y |
shut close vowel |
i |
- |
i |
i/e |
- |
- |
prestressed close vowel |
i |
- |
i |
ə/ĕ/ē |
- |
- |
stressed close vowel |
í |
- |
í |
í/ē |
- |
- |
long close vowel |
ī |
- |
ī |
î |
- |
- |
shut open vowel |
a |
- |
a |
i/a |
- |
- |
prestressed open vowel |
a |
- |
a |
ə/ă/ā |
- |
- |
stressed open vowel |
á |
- |
á |
é/á/ā |
- |
- |
long open vowel |
ā |
- |
ā |
ô |
- |
- |
shut back vowel |
u |
- |
u |
u/o |
- |
- |
prestressed back vowel |
u |
- |
u |
ə/ŏ/ō |
- |
- |
stressed back vowel |
ú |
- |
ú |
ú/ō |
- |
- |
long back vowel |
ū |
- |
ū |
û |
- |
- |
The original value of the four sibilants here transcribed as /š, z, s, ṣ/ is controversial. The traditional values are as given, but in recent years /s, dz, ts, ṭṣ/ have been suggested, based on assimilations found in Akkadian. In the latter case, those values should be substituted into the Akkadian transcriptions as well.
Proto-Semitic Roots
English |
PS |
Akkadian |
Arabic |
Hebrew |
Syriac |
Geez |
Mehri |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
earth |
*ʾarṣ́- |
erṣet- |
ʾarḍ- |
ʾéreṣ |
ʾarʿ-ā |
- |
- |
father |
*ʾab- |
ab- |
ʾab- |
ʾāḇ |
ʾab-ā |
ʾab |
ḥa-yb |
god |
*ʾil-(āh)- |
il- |
ʾilāh- |
ʾēl (but ʾĕlōh-îm) |
ʾalāh-ā |
- |
- |
house |
bayt- |
bītu, bētu |
bayt- |
báyiṯ, bêṯ |
- |
bet |
beyt, bêt |
husband |
baʿl- |
bēlu |
baʿl- |
báʿal |
b·ʿ·l |
baʿāl |
bâl |
king |
malik- |
malku, maliku |
malik- |
méleḵ |
- |
- |
- |
milk |
ḥalīb- |
ḫilpu |
ḥalīb-, ḥalab- |
ḥālāḇ |
ḥalb-ā |
ḥalīb |
- |
name |
*šm- |
šum- |
ism- |
šēm |
šm-ā |
səm |
ham |
peace |
*šalām- |
šalām- |
salām- |
šālôm |
šlām-ā |
salām |
səlōm |
sun |
*śamš- |
šamšu |
šams- |
šémeš |
šemš |
- |
- |
tree |
*ʿiṣ- |
iṣu, iṣṣu |
ʿiḍ-at- |
ʿēṣ |
- |
ʿeḍ |
- |
water |
*may-/*māy- |
mū |
māʾ- |
máyim |
may-ā |
māy |
ḥə-mō |
Body parts
English |
PS |
Akkadian |
Arabic |
Hebrew |
Syriac |
Geez |
Mehri |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
blood |
*dam- |
- |
dam- |
dām |
dm-ā |
dam |
- |
eye |
*ʿayn- |
īn- |
ʿayn- |
ʿáyin |
ʿayn-ā |
ʿayn |
ʾāyn |
hand |
*yad- |
id- |
yad- |
yāḏ |
ʾīdā |
ʾəd |
ḥayd |
heart |
*libb- |
libb- |
lubb- |
lēḇ |
leb-ā |
ləbb |
ḥa-wbēb |
tongue |
*lišān-/*lašān- |
lišān- |
lišān- |
lāšôn |
lešān-ā |
ləsān |
əwšēn |
tooth |
*šinn- |
šinn- |
sinn- |
šēn |
šenn-ā |
sənn |
- |
Animal names
English |
PS |
Akkadian |
Arabic |
Hebrew |
Syriac |
Geez |
Mehri |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
camel |
*gam(a)l- |
gammal- (gaml-) |
jamal- |
gāmāl |
gaml-ā |
gamal |
gəmmōl |
dog |
*kalb- |
kalb- |
kalb- |
kéleḇ |
kalb-ā |
kalb |
? |
ewe |
*raḫil- |
laḫru |
riḫl(at)- |
rāḫēl |
- |
- |
- |
Proto-West-Semitic Roots
This is a list of cognates for which no Akkadian cognate is known or attested.
English |
PWS |
Arabic |
Hebrew |
Syriac |
Geez |
Mehri |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
bee |
*dVb(V)r- |
dabr-, dibr- |
dəḇōrāh |
debbōr-ā, debbor-t-ā |
- |
- |
holy |
*ḳudš- |
quds |
ḳāḏēš |
qudš-ā |
- |
- |
son |
*bn- |
ibn |
bēn |
br-ā |
- |
bər, ḥə-brē |
white |
*laban- |
laban (> "buttermilk") |
lāḇān |
- |
- |
lbōn |