Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/-ay-

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

Etymology

Likely cognate with Proto-Berber *-e.

Suffix

*-ay- f

1. Used to create feminine forms of certain words.

Inflection

Declension of *-ay-

case	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*-ayum	*-ayāna	plural stem + *-ūna
accusative	*-ayam	*-ayayna	plural stem + *-īna
genitive	*-ayim
possessive forms
1st person	*-ayī / *-ayVya	—	*-ayVni
2nd person m	*-ayVka	*-ayVkumā / *-ayVkumay	*-ayVkum(ū)
2nd person f	*-ayVki		*-ayVkin(ā)
3rd person m	*-ayVšu	*-ayVšumā / *-ayVšumay	*-ayVšum(ū)
3rd person f	*-ayVša		*-ayVšin(ā)

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: *-ayuya for nom. case, *-ayiya for gen. case, *-ayaya for acc. case, etc.

See also

• *-at- (much more common)

Descendants

Used to form the feminine of *ʕašt- (“one”); see feminine descendants there for some unproductive descendants.

Productive descendants:

• West Semitic:
  • Central Semitic:
    • Arabic: ـَى (-ā)
    • Northwest Semitic:
      • Aramaic:
        • Classical Syriac: ـܰܝܳܐ (-ayā)
  • Ethiopian Semitic:
    • Ge'ez: -e

References

• van Putten, Marijn (2018), "The feminine endings *-ay and *-āy in Semitic and Berber", Bulletin of SOAS 81:2, p. 205–225.