Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/ʔarnab-

Proto-Semitic

Etymology

Only attested in central semitic.

Noun

*ʔarnab- m or *ʔarnab- f

rabbit

Inflection

Declension of *ʔarnab-

Case

Singular

Dual

Plural

Nominative

*ʔarnabum

*ʔarnabāna

plural stem + *-ūna

Genitive

*ʔarnabim

*ʔarnabayna

plural stem + *-īna

Accusative

*ʔarnabam

possessive forms

1st person

*ʔarnabī / *ʔarnabVya

—

*ʔarnabVni

2nd person m

*ʔarnabVka

*ʔarnabVkumā / *ʔarnabVkumay

*ʔarnabVkum(ū)

2nd person f

*ʔarnabVki

*ʔarnabVkin(ā)

3rd person m

*ʔarnabVšu

*ʔarnabVšumā / *ʔarnabVšumay

*ʔarnabVšum(ū)

3rd person f

*ʔarnabVša

*ʔarnabVšin(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: *ʔarnabuya for nom. case, *ʔarnabiya for gen. case, *ʔarnabaya for acc. case, etc.

Declension of 2sg m. possessive form (your/thy m.) *ʔarnab-

	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	*ʔarnabuka	*ʔarnabāka	plural stem + *-ūka
Genitive	*ʔarnabika	*ʔarnabayka	plural stem + *-īka
Accusative	*ʔarnabaka	*ʔarnabayka	plural stem + *-īka

Declension of 2sg f. possessive form (your/thy f.) *ʔarnab-

	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	*ʔarnabuki	*ʔarnabāki	plural stem + *-ūki
Genitive	*ʔarnabiki	*ʔarnabayki	plural stem + *-īki
Accusative	*ʔarnabaki	*ʔarnabayki	plural stem + *-īki

Descendants

- Central Semitic:
  - Arabic: أرنب
    - > Cypriot Arabic: arnep (inherited)
  - Northwest Semitic:
    - Aramaic: ארנבא (`arnava)
    - Canaanite:
      - Hebrew: ארנב (arnáv, ʾarnā́ḇ)

References

Militarev, Alexander, Kogan, Leonid (2000–2005) Semitic Etymological Dictionary, Münster: Ugarit-Verlag
Huehnergard, John (2019) “Proto-Semitic”, in Huehnergard, John and Na'ama Pat-El, editors, The Semitic Languages, 2nd edition, Routledge, →ISBN