Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/ḥalīb-

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

*ḥalīb- m

1. milk, fresh milk
2. fat

Inflection

Declension of *ḥalīb-

Case	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	*ḥalībum	*ḥalībāna	plural stem + *-ūna
Genitive	*ḥalībim	*ḥalībayna	plural stem + *-īna
Accusative	*ḥalībam
possessive forms
1st person	*ḥalībī / *ḥalībVya	—	*ḥalībVni
2nd person m	*ḥalībVka	*ḥalībVkumā / *ḥalībVkumay	*ḥalībVkum(ū)
2nd person f	*ḥalībVki		*ḥalībVkin(ā)
3rd person m	*ḥalībVšu	*ḥalībVšumā / *ḥalībVšumay	*ḥalībVšum(ū)
3rd person f	*ḥalībVša		*ḥalībVšin(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: *ḥalībuya for nom. case, *ḥalībiya for gen. case, *ḥalībaya for acc. case, etc. Declension of 2sg m. possessive form (your/thy m.) *ḥalīb- Singular Dual Plural Nominative *ḥalībuka *ḥalībāka plural stem + *-ūka Genitive *ḥalībika *ḥalībayka plural stem + *-īka Accusative *ḥalībaka Declension of 2sg f. possessive form (your/thy f.) *ḥalīb- Singular Dual Plural Nominative *ḥalībuki *ḥalībāki plural stem + *-ūki Genitive *ḥalībiki *ḥalībayki plural stem + *-īki Accusative *ḥalībaki

Descendants

• East Semitic:
  • Akkadian: 𒄭𒅋𒁍 (ḫilpu)
• West Semitic:
  • Central Semitic:
    • Arabic: حَلِيب (ḥalīb)
      • Maltese: ħalib
      • Moroccan Arabic: حليب (ḥlīb)
    • Northwest Semitic:
      • Aramaic: חַלְבָּא (ħalbā)
        • Classical Syriac: ܚܰܠܒܴ݁ܐ (ħalbā)
      • Canaanite:
        • Hebrew: חָלָב (khaláv, ḥālāḇ)
        • Phoenician: 𐤇𐤋𐤁 (ḥlb)
      • Ugaritic: 𐎈𐎍𐎁 (ḥlb /⁠ḥalību⁠/)
  • Ethiopian Semitic:
    • Amharic: ማለብ (malāb, “to milk”)
    • Ge'ez: ሐሊብ (ḥälib)