Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/ʔaḫw-

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

*ʔaḫw- m (plural *ʔaḫan)^[1]

brother

Inflection

Declension of *ʔaḫw-

Case

Singular

Dual

Plural

Nominative

*ʔaḫwum

*ʔaḫwāna

*ʔaḫanūna

Genitive

*ʔaḫwim

*ʔaḫwayna

*ʔaḫanīna

Accusative

*ʔaḫwam

possessive forms

1st person

*ʔaḫwī / *ʔaḫwVya

—

*ʔaḫwVni

2nd person m

*ʔaḫwVka

*ʔaḫwVkumā / *ʔaḫwVkumay

*ʔaḫwVkum(ū)

2nd person f

*ʔaḫwVki

*ʔaḫwVkin(ā)

3rd person m

*ʔaḫwVšu

*ʔaḫwVšumā / *ʔaḫwVšumay

*ʔaḫwVšum(ū)

3rd person f

*ʔaḫwVša

*ʔaḫwVšin(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: *ʔaḫwuya for nom. case, *ʔaḫwiya for gen. case, *ʔaḫwaya for acc. case, etc.

Declension of 2sg m. possessive form (your/thy m.) *ʔaḫw-

	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	*ʔaḫwuka	*ʔaḫwāka	*ʔaḫanūka
Genitive	*ʔaḫwika	*ʔaḫwayka	*ʔaḫanīka
Accusative	*ʔaḫwaka	*ʔaḫwayka	*ʔaḫanīka

Declension of 2sg f. possessive form (your/thy f.) *ʔaḫw-

	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	*ʔaḫwuki	*ʔaḫwāki	*ʔaḫanūki
Genitive	*ʔaḫwiki	*ʔaḫwayki	*ʔaḫanīki
Accusative	*ʔaḫwaki	*ʔaḫwayki	*ʔaḫanīki

Coordinate terms

Derived terms

*ʔaḫwat- (“sister”)

Descendants

East Semitic:
- Akkadian: 𒋀 (aḫum)
West Semitic:
- Central Semitic:
  - Arabic: أَخ (ʔaḵ)
    - Gulf Arabic: أخو (uḵu)
    - Maltese: ħu
    - Moroccan Arabic: أخ (ʔaḵḵ), (construct state) خو (ḵū), (construct state) خا (ḵā)
    - → English: ock, akh, akhi
    - → Malayalam: ഇക്ക (ikka)
    - → Portuguese: Lafões
  - Northwest Semitic:
    - Aramaic:
      Jewish Babylonian Aramaic: אֲחָא (ʾăḥā)
      - Classical Syriac: ܐܰܚܳܐ (ʾaḥā)
    - Canaanite:
      - Hebrew: אָח ('ákh, ʾāḥ)
      - Phoenician: 𐤀𐤇 (ʾḥ)
        Punic: 𐤀𐤇 (ʾḥ)
    - Ugaritic: 𐎀𐎃 (ảḫ /⁠ʾaḫu⁠/)
  - Old South Arabian:
    - Hadrami: 𐩱𐩭 (ʾḫ)
    - Minaean: 𐩱𐩭 (ʾḫ)
    - Qatabanian: 𐩱𐩭 (ʾḫ)
    - Sabaean: 𐩱𐩭 (ʾḫ)
- Ethiopian Semitic:
  - Argobba: አህ (äh)
  - Ge'ez: እኍ (ʾəḫʷ), አኀው (ʾäḫäw, plural)
  - Harari: እሕ (əḥ)
  - Tigre: ሑ (ḥu)
  - Tigrinya: ሓወ (ḥawä)

References

^ John Huehnergard (2019) “Proto-Semitic”, in The Semitic Languages‎, 2nd edition, Routledge, →ISBN

[1] John Huehnergard (2019) “Proto-Semitic”, in The Semitic Languages‎, 2nd edition, Routledge, →ISBN

[1]