Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/ʔimm-

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

Alternative forms

• *ʔumm-

Etymology

From Proto-Afroasiatic *ʔam, ultimately an onomatopoeic nursery word. Cognate with Egyptian mwt and Proto-Berber *ʔamm (whence Central Atlas Tamazight ⵎⵎⴰ (mma)).

Noun

*ʔimm- f (plural *ʔimmahāt-)

1. mother

Inflection

Declension of *ʔimm-

Case	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	*ʔimmum	*ʔimmāna	*ʔimmahātum
Genitive	*ʔimmim	*ʔimmayna	*ʔimmahātim
Accusative	*ʔimmam
possessive forms
1st person	*ʔimmī / *ʔimmVya	—	*ʔimmVni
2nd person m	*ʔimmVka	*ʔimmVkumā / *ʔimmVkumay	*ʔimmVkum(ū)
2nd person f	*ʔimmVki		*ʔimmVkin(ā)
3rd person m	*ʔimmVšu	*ʔimmVšumā / *ʔimmVšumay	*ʔimmVšum(ū)
3rd person f	*ʔimmVša		*ʔimmVšin(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: *ʔimmuya for nom. case, *ʔimmiya for gen. case, *ʔimmaya for acc. case, etc. Declension of 2sg m. possessive form (your/thy m.) *ʔimm- Singular Dual Plural Nominative *ʔimmuka *ʔimmāka *ʔimmahātuka Genitive *ʔimmika *ʔimmayka *ʔimmahātika Accusative *ʔimmaka Declension of 2sg f. possessive form (your/thy f.) *ʔimm- Singular Dual Plural Nominative *ʔimmuki *ʔimmāki *ʔimmahātuki Genitive *ʔimmiki *ʔimmayki *ʔimmahātiki Accusative *ʔimmaki

Coordinate terms

• *bin-
• *bint-
• *ʔabw-
• *ʔaḫw-
• *ʔaḫwat-

 

Descendants

• East Semitic:
  • Akkadian: 𒂼 (ummum)
• West Semitic:
  • Central Semitic:
    • Arabic: أُمّ (ʔumm)
      • Maltese: omm
      • → Malayalam: ഉമ്മ (umma)
    • Northwest Semitic:
      • Aramaic:

        Imperial Aramaic: 𐡀𐡌𐡀 (ʾmʾ)

        Palmyrene Aramaic: 𐡠𐡬𐡠 (ʾmʾ)

        Hatran Aramaic: 𐣠𐣬𐣠

        Nabataean Aramaic: 𐢁𐢓𐢀

        Christian Palestinian Aramaic: ܐܺܡܴ݁ܐ, ܐܺܝܡܴ݁ܐ (ʾimmā)

        Jewish Palestinian Aramaic, Jewish Literary Aramaic, Jewish Babylonian Aramaic: אִמָּה (ʾimmā) אִמָּא (ʾimmā)

        • → Ancient Greek: ἀμμά (ammá)
          • → Coptic: ⲁⲙⲁ (ama)
        • → Hebrew: אִמָּא (ímma)

        • Classical Syriac: ܐܺܡܴ݀݁ܐ (ʾimmā)
      • Canaanite:
        • Hebrew: אֵם (em, ʾēm)
        • Phoenician: 𐤀𐤌 (ʾm)
          • Punic: 𐤀𐤌 (ʾm /⁠ʾam⁠/)
      • Ugaritic: 𐎜𐎎 (ủm /⁠ʾummu⁠/)
    • Old South Arabian:
      • Minaean: 𐩱𐩣 (ʾm)
      • Qatabanian: 𐩱𐩣 (ʾm)
      • Sabaean: 𐩱𐩣 (ʾm)
  • Ethiopian Semitic:
    • ⇒ Amharic: እማዬ (ʾəmaye), እማ (ʾəma)
    • Argobba: እም
    • Ge'ez: እም (ʾəmm)
    • Tigre: እም (ʾəm)

References

• Kogan, Leonid (2015) Genealogical Classification of Semitic. The Lexical Isoglosses, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, →ISBN
• Huehnergard, John (2019) “Proto-Semitic”, in Huehnergard, John and Na'ama Pat-El, editors, The Semitic Languages, 2nd edition, Routledge, →ISBN