Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/ʔuḏn-

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

A possible, although irregular, relationship has been suggested with Egyptian

(jdn).

Noun

*ʔuḏn- f

ear

Inflection

Declension of *ʔuḏn-
case	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*ʔuḏnum	*ʔuḏnāna	plural stem + *-ūna
accusative	*ʔuḏnam	*ʔuḏnayna	plural stem + *-īna
genitive	*ʔuḏnim	*ʔuḏnayna	plural stem + *-īna

possessive forms
1^st person	ʔuḏnī / ʔuḏnVya	—	*ʔuḏnVni
2^nd person m	*ʔuḏnVka	ʔuḏnVkumā / ʔuḏnVkumay	*ʔuḏnVkum(ū)
2^nd person f	*ʔuḏnVki	ʔuḏnVkumā / ʔuḏnVkumay	*ʔuḏnVkin(ā)
3^rd person m	*ʔuḏnVšu	ʔuḏnVšumā / ʔuḏnVšumay	*ʔuḏnVšum(ū)
3^rd person f	*ʔuḏnVša	ʔuḏnVšumā / ʔuḏnVšumay	*ʔuḏnVšin(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: *ʔuḏnuya for nom. case, *ʔuḏniya for gen. case, *ʔuḏnaya for acc. case, etc.

Declension of *ʔuḏn-
case	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*ʔuḏnum	*ʔuḏnāna	*ʔuḏnātum
accusative	*ʔuḏnam	*ʔuḏnayna	*ʔuḏnātim
genitive	*ʔuḏnim	*ʔuḏnayna	*ʔuḏnātim

possessive forms
1^st person	ʔuḏnī / ʔuḏnVya	—	*ʔuḏnVni
2^nd person m	*ʔuḏnVka	ʔuḏnVkumā / ʔuḏnVkumay	*ʔuḏnVkum(ū)
2^nd person f	*ʔuḏnVki	ʔuḏnVkumā / ʔuḏnVkumay	*ʔuḏnVkin(ā)
3^rd person m	*ʔuḏnVšu	ʔuḏnVšumā / ʔuḏnVšumay	*ʔuḏnVšum(ū)
3^rd person f	*ʔuḏnVša	ʔuḏnVšumā / ʔuḏnVšumay	*ʔuḏnVšin(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: *ʔuḏnuya for nom. case, *ʔuḏniya for gen. case, *ʔuḏnaya for acc. case, etc.

Descendants

East Semitic:
- Akkadian: 𒉿 (uznum)
West Semitic:
- Central Semitic:
  - Arabic: أُذُن (ʔuḏun), أُذْن (ʔuḏn)
    - Egyptian Arabic: ودن (widn)
    - Gulf Arabic: اذون (aḏūn)
    - Maltese: widna
    - ⇒ North Levantine Arabic: دينه (dayni) (from a diminutive)
    - North Levantine Arabic: دانة (dāne)
    - North Levantine Arabic: إدن (ʾidn)
  - Northwest Semitic:
    - Aramaic:
      Assyrian Neo-Aramaic: ܢܵܬ݂ܵܐ (nāṯā)
      
      Classical Syriac: ܐܕܢܐ (ʾeḏnā)
      
      Jewish Babylonian Aramaic: אֻדְנָא (ʾuḏnā), אוּנָא (ʾūnā)
      
      Jewish Palestinian Aramaic: אֶדְנָא (ʾeḏnā)
      
      Turoyo: ܐܰܕ݂ܢܐ (aḏno)
    - Canaanite:
      - Hebrew: אֹזֶן (ózen, ʾṓzen)
    - Ugaritic: 𐎜𐎄𐎐 (ủdn /⁠ʾudnu⁠/)
  - Old South Arabian:
    - Sabaean: 𐩱𐩹𐩬 (ʾḏn)
- Modern South Arabian:
  - Mehri: ḥə-yḏēn
  - Harsusi: ḥe-yḏēn
  - Shehri: ʾiḏɛ́n
  - Soqotri: ʾídihen
- Ethiopian Semitic:
  - North Ethiopian Semitic:
    - Ge'ez: እዝን (ʾəzn)
    - Tigre: እዝን (ʾəzən)
    - Tigrinya: እዝኒ (ʾəzni)
  - South Ethiopian Semitic:
    - Argobba:
      North Argobba: እዝን (əzən)
      
      South Argobba: ኢዚን (izin)
    - Gafat: እዝነ (əznä)
    - Gurage:
      Wolane: እዝን (əzən)
      
      Zay: እዝን (əzən)
      
      Silt'e: እዝን (əzn), ኢዝን (izn)
      
      Muher, Mäsqan, Gogot, Soddo: እንዝን (ənzən)
      
      Čaha, Eža, Ennemor, Endegeň, Gyeto: እዝር (əzər)
    - Harari: ኡዙን (ʾuzun)

References

Militarev, Alexander, Kogan, Leonid (2000) Semitic Etymological Dictionary, volumes I: Anatomy of Man and Animals, Münster: Ugarit-Verlag, →ISBN, pages 6–7 Nr. 4
Kogan, Leonid (2015) Genealogical Classification of Semitic. The Lexical Isoglosses, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, →ISBN
Huehnergard, John (2019) “Proto-Semitic”, in Huehnergard, John and Na'ama Pat-El, editors, The Semitic Languages, 2nd edition, Routledge, →ISBN