Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/ḫatan-

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

*ḫatan- m

1. son-in-law

Reconstruction notes

This item is later denied by Kogan, with the consideration that the Akkadian term, known from Old Babylonian, would be attested relatively sparsely in comparison to Akkadian emum, likewise denoting the male members of the bride’s family in relation to the groom, and with the vocalization ḫatanu instead of ḫatānu the second vowel would be syncopated if the term were inherited, which according to this suggestion it was as ḫatnu only in attempt of Akkadization of an Amurrite borrowing. But of course if two kinship terms become synonymous then one will be chosen as iconic already when a language is first recorded, but mayhaps later reinforced or reinvigorated from neighbouring related languages, and the meaning slant within the root towards marriage and bridegrooms points at the present term having meant a son-in-law in opposition to *ḥam- a father-in-law. Terms for in-laws one reconstructs for proto-languages are less stably retained in general, compare for instance the remains of Proto-West Germanic *aiþum (“son-in-law”) or the extension of Proto-Slavic *zętь (“son-in-law”) to “brother-in-law”.

Inflection

Declension of *ḫatan-

Case	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	*ḫatanum	*ḫatanāna	*ʔabanūna
Genitive	*ḫatanim	*ḫatanayna	*ʔabanīna
Accusative	*ḫatanam
possessive forms
1st person	*ḫatanī / *ḫatanVya	—	*ḫatanVni
2nd person m	*ḫatanVka	*ḫatanVkumā / *ḫatanVkumay	*ḫatanVkum(ū)
2nd person f	*ḫatanVki		*ḫatanVkin(ā)
3rd person m	*ḫatanVšu	*ḫatanVšumā / *ḫatanVšumay	*ḫatanVšum(ū)
3rd person f	*ḫatanVša		*ḫatanVšin(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: *ḫatanuya for nom. case, *ḫataniya for gen. case, *ḫatanaya for acc. case, etc. Declension of 2sg m. possessive form (your/thy m.) *ḫatan- Singular Dual Plural Nominative *ḫatanuka *ḫatanāka *ʔabanūka Genitive *ḫatanika *ḫatanayka *ʔabanīka Accusative *ḫatanaka Declension of 2sg f. possessive form (your/thy f.) *ḫatan- Singular Dual Plural Nominative *ḫatanuki *ḫatanāki *ʔabanūki Genitive *ḫataniki *ḫatanayki *ʔabanīki Accusative *ḫatanaki

Descendants

• East Semitic:
  • Akkadian: 𒄩𒋫𒉡 (/⁠ḫatānu⁠/), 𒄩𒀜𒉡 (/⁠ḫatnu⁠/)
• West Semitic:
  • Central Semitic:
    • Arabic: خَتَن (ḵatan)
    • Northwest Semitic:
      • Amorite: *𒄩𒋫𒉡𒌝 (*ḫatanum)
      • Aramaic: חתנה / חַתְנָא / ܚܲܬܼܢܵܐ (ḥaṯnā)
      • Canaanite:
        • Hebrew: חָתָן (ḫātān)
      • Ugaritic: 𐎃𐎚𐎐 (ḫtn /⁠ḫatnu⁠/)
    • Old South Arabian:
      • Hadrami: 𐩭𐩩𐩬 (ḫtn)
      • Sabaean: 𐩭𐩩𐩬 (ḫtn)

References

• Goetze, Albrecht (1947) “Short or Long a? (Notes on Some Akkadian Words)”, in Orientalia‎^[1], volume 16, number 2, pages 246–247
• Kogan, Leonid (2011) “Proto-Semitic Lexicon”, in Weninger, Stefan, editor, The Semitic Languages. An International Handbook (Handbücher zur Sprach- und Kommunikationswissenschaft – Handbooks of Linguistics and Communication Science; 36), Berlin: De Gruyter, →ISBN, page 236
• Kogan, Leonid (2015) “PCS *ḫatan-”, in Genealogical Classification of Semitic. The Lexical Isoglosses, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, →ISBN, page 191