Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/ʔahl-

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

Posited by Dolgopolsky as a cognate to a South Cushitic *ʾáŝa (“hut, shelter”) found in Iraqw islaangw (“watch-hut in a field”), to the consonant onset of which according to him there a cluster of a voiceless guttural fricative and voiced alveolar lateral approximant gets resolved. Possibly also related to Afar and Somali aqal (“hut, house”).

Noun

*ʔahl- m

tent camp

Inflection

Declension of *ʔahl-

Case

Singular

Dual

Plural

Nominative

*ʔahlum

*ʔahlāna

plural stem + *-ūna

Genitive

*ʔahlim

*ʔahlayna

plural stem + *-īna

Accusative

*ʔahlam

possessive forms

1st person

*ʔahlī / *ʔahlVya

—

*ʔahlVni

2nd person m

*ʔahlVka

*ʔahlVkumā / *ʔahlVkumay

*ʔahlVkum(ū)

2nd person f

*ʔahlVki

*ʔahlVkin(ā)

3rd person m

*ʔahlVšu

*ʔahlVšumā / *ʔahlVšumay

*ʔahlVšum(ū)

3rd person f

*ʔahlVša

*ʔahlVšin(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: *ʔahluya for nom. case, *ʔahliya for gen. case, *ʔahlaya for acc. case, etc.

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

	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	*ʔahluka	*ʔahlāka	plural stem + *-ūka
Genitive	*ʔahlika	*ʔahlayka	plural stem + *-īka
Accusative	*ʔahlaka	*ʔahlayka	plural stem + *-īka

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

	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	*ʔahluki	*ʔahlāki	plural stem + *-ūki
Genitive	*ʔahliki	*ʔahlayki	plural stem + *-īki
Accusative	*ʔahlaki	*ʔahlayki	plural stem + *-īki

Descendants

East Semitic:
- Akkadian: 𒌷 (ālum)
- Eblaite: 𒀀𒂍𒈤 (a-ʾà-al₆, “city”)
West Semitic:
- Central Semitic:
  - Arabic: أَهْل (ʔahl, “kinfolk”)
    - Judeo-Arabic: אהל (ʾahlun)
    - → Afar: áhli, aháli
    - → Hatran Aramaic: 𐣠𐣤𐣫 (ʾhl, “family”)
    - → Christian Palestinian Aramaic: ܐܗܠ (ʾhl, “family”)
    - → Azerbaijani: əhl
    - → Persian: اهل (ahl)
    - → Sindhi: اهل (ahl)
    - → Swahili: ahali
    - → Ottoman Turkish: اهل (ehl)
    - → Uzbek: ahl
    - → Uyghur: ئەھل (ehl)
  - Northwest Semitic:
    - Amorite: (/⁠ʾahlum⁠/, “tent”)
    - Aramaic:
      Jewish Palestinian Aramaic: אהיל
      
      Jewish Literary Aramaic: אׇהֲלָא (ʾāhălā)
      
      Jewish Babylonian Aramaic: אֹוהְלָא (ʾōhəlā, “tent”)
      
      Nabataean Aramaic: 𐢁𐢇𐢑 (“tent”)
      
      Classical Syriac: ܝܗܠܐ (yahlā, “clan, group, cohort”)
      - → Akkadian: 𒀪𒇻 (/⁠aʾlu⁠/, “confederation”)
    - Canaanite:
      - Hebrew: (“tent”)
        Palestinian vocalization: אַהֶל (ʾahel)
        
        Tiberian vocalization: אֹהֶל (óhel, ʾṓhel)
      - Phoenician: 𐤀𐤄𐤋 (ʾhl)
    - Ugaritic: 𐎀𐎅𐎍 (ảhl /⁠ʾahlu⁠/, “tent”)
  - Old South Arabian:
    - Minaean: 𐩱𐩠𐩡 (ʾhl, “community, folk”)
    - Qatabanian: 𐩱𐩠𐩡 (ʾhl, “community, folk”)
    - Sabaean: 𐩱𐩠𐩡 (ʾhl, “community, folk”)
  - Dadanitic: 𐪑𐪀𐪁 (ʾhl)
  - Safaitic: 𐪑𐪁 (ʾl)
  - Thamudic: 𐪑𐪀𐪁 (ʾhl), 𐪑𐪁 (ʾl)
→ Egyptian: jhjr (“tent”)

References

Dolgopolsky, Aron Borisovich (1987) “South Cushitic Lateral Consonants as Compared to Semitic and East Cushitic”, in Herrmann Jungraithmayr, Walter W. Müller, editor, Proceedings of the Fourth International Hamito-Semitic Congress, Marburg, 20–22 September, 1983, Amsterdam, Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Company, →ISBN, page 206 of 195–214
Guidi, Ignazio (1879) Della sede primitiva dei popoli semitici (in Italian), Rome: Tipi del Salviucci, page 31
Hoch, James E. (1994) Semitic Words in Egyptian Texts of the New Kingdom and Third Intermediate Period, Princeton: Princeton University Press, →ISBN, page 31, Nr. 24