Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/namir-

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

From Proto-Afroasiatic *mariy- (“wild cat, lion, leopard”). Cognate with Egyptian mꜣj (“lion”) and mjw (“cat”), Alagwa mariy-amo (“wild cat”), Pévé merian (“wild cat, serval”), Ngete mēr (“serval”).

Noun

*namir- m

1. leopard

Inflection

Declension of *namir-

Case	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	*namirum	*namirāna	plural stem + *-ūna
Genitive	*namirim	*namirayna	plural stem + *-īna
Accusative	*namiram
possessive forms
1st person	*namirī / *namirVya	—	*namirVni
2nd person m	*namirVka	*namirVkumā / *namirVkumay	*namirVkum(ū)
2nd person f	*namirVki		*namirVkin(ā)
3rd person m	*namirVšu	*namirVšumā / *namirVšumay	*namirVšum(ū)
3rd person f	*namirVša		*namirVšin(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: *namiruya for nom. case, *namiriya for gen. case, *namiraya for acc. case, etc. Declension of 2sg m. possessive form (your/thy m.) *namir- Singular Dual Plural Nominative *namiruka *namirāka plural stem + *-ūka Genitive *namirika *namirayka plural stem + *-īka Accusative *namiraka Declension of 2sg f. possessive form (your/thy f.) *namir- Singular Dual Plural Nominative *namiruki *namirāki plural stem + *-ūki Genitive *namiriki *namirayki plural stem + *-īki Accusative *namiraki

Descendants

• East Semitic:
  • Akkadian: 𒊊𒌉 (nimrum)
  • Eblaite: 𒈾𒈨𒈝 (na-me-lum)
• West Semitic:
  • Central Semitic:
    • Arabic: نَمِر (namir)
    • Northwest Semitic:
      • Aramaic: נִמְרָא (nimrā’)
        • Classical Syriac: ܢܶܡܪܳܐ (nemrā)
      • Canaanite:
        • Hebrew: נָמֵר (namér, nāmēr)
    • Old South Arabian:
      • Old South Arabian: 𐩬𐩣𐩧 (nmr)
  • Ethiopian Semitic:
    • Amharic: ነብር (näbr)
    • Ge'ez: ነምር (nämr)
    • Tigre: ነብሪ (näbri)
    • Tigrinya: ነምሪ (nämri), ነብሪ (näbri)
    • Sebat Bet Gurage: ነውር (näwǝr)
  • Modern South Arabian:
    • Harsusi: nemr