Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/raḥat-
Proto-Semitic
editEtymology
editPresumably from *rawaḥ- (“to be ample, to be open”) only maintained by descendants of Proto-West Semitic.
Noun
edit*raḥat- f
Usage notes
editIt is probable that there was a distinction between *kapp- and *raḥat-: if it was that one denotes the inner side of the hand with the fingers and thumb and the other without it is difficult to decide which is which. Likely it was the *kapp- tendentially meant the cupped inner of the hand while *raḥat- meant the flat hand: this picture reflects in the tool names secondarily derived from the words.
Inflection
editDeclension of *raḥat-
Case | Singular | Dual | Plural | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nominative | *raḥatum | *raḥatāna | *raḥātum | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Genitive | *raḥatim | *raḥatayna | *raḥātim | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Accusative | *raḥatam | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
possessive forms | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1st person | *raḥatī / *raḥatVya | — | *raḥatVni | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2nd person m | *raḥatVka | *raḥatVkumā / *raḥatVkumay | *raḥatVkum(ū) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2nd person f | *raḥatVki | *raḥatVkin(ā) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
3rd person m | *raḥatVšu | *raḥatVšumā / *raḥatVšumay | *raḥatVšum(ū) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
3rd person f | *raḥatVša | *raḥatVšin(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: *raḥatuya for nom. case, *raḥatiya for gen. case, *raḥataya for acc. case, etc. Declension of 2sg m. possessive form (your/thy m.) *raḥat-
Declension of 2sg f. possessive form (your/thy f.) *raḥat-
|
Descendants
edit- East Semitic:
- West Semitic:
- Central Semitic:
- Arabic: رَاحَة (rāḥa) (modified by رَاحَة (rāḥa, “rest”), as understood as the rest of the hand)
- Northwest Semitic:
- Aramaic:
- Jewish Literary Aramaic: רֵיחְתָא, רֵחְתָא (riḥtā, “winnowing shovel”)
- Christian Palestinian Aramaic: ܪܚܬ (rḥt), ܪܘܚܬ (ruḥt, “winnowing shovel”)
- >? Jewish Babylonian Aramaic: לחתא, לוחתא (luḥtā), ליחתא (liḥtā, “sole of the foot”)
- >? Classical Syriac: ܠܰܚܬܳܐ (laḥṯā, “palm of the hand”)
- Canaanite:
- Hebrew: רַחַת (rakhát, raḥaṯ, “winnowing shovel”)
- Ugaritic: 𐎗𐎈𐎚 (rḥt)
- Aramaic:
- Ethiopian Semitic:
- Modern South Arabian:
- Central Semitic:
References
edit- Militarev, Alexander, Kogan, Leonid (2000) Semitic Etymological Dictionary, volumes I: Anatomy of Man and Animals, Münster: Ugarit-Verlag, →ISBN, pages 202–203 Nr. 230, as often positing an unlikely variation, *rāḥat ~ *riḥat