Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/ṯin-

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.

Compare with Central Atlas Tamazight ⵙⵉⵏ (sin) and Egyptian snwj; Hurrian šini (“two”) and Proto-Nakh *ši(n) (“two”).

*ṯin-

1. two

Various tentative forms are given below to account for the descendants, many of which seem to have incorporated a dual suffix. Huehnergard reconstructs the lemma as *ṯin(ā)- to reflect both the Akkadian and West Semitic roots. Testen reconstructs *ṯn-, with an initial consonant cluster, which accounts for the r forms in Aramaic and Modern South Arabian.

• *ṯin-āni ~ *(i)ṯn-āni (absolute with dual suffix)^[1]
  • East Semitic:
    • Akkadian: 𒈫 (šinā)
  • West Semitic:
    • Central Semitic:
      • Arabic: اِثْنَانِ (iṯnāni) (see there for further descendants)
      • Northwest Semitic:
        • Aramaic: תְּרַיִן (tərayin), תְּרֵין (tərēn)
        • Canaanite:
          • Hebrew: שְׁנַיִם (sh'náyim, šənáyim)
          • Phoenician: ‎𐤔𐤍𐤌 (‎šnm), 𐤀‎𐤔𐤍𐤌 (ʾ‎šnm)
        • Ugaritic: 𐎘𐎐 (ṯn /⁠ṯinā⁠/)
      • Old South Arabian:
        • Hadrami: 𐩯𐩬𐩺𐩣 (s₃nym)
    • Modern South Arabian:
      • Bathari: ṯeroh
      • Mehri: ṯroh
      • Harsusi: ṯruh
      • Hobyót: iṯroh
• *ṯin-ā ~ *(i)ṯn-ā (construct with dual suffix)
  • West Semitic:
    • Arabic: اِثْنَا (iṯnā)
      • Northwest Semitic:
        • Aramaic: תְּרֵי (tərē)
        • Canaanite:
          • Hebrew: שְׁנֵי (sh'né, šənê)
• *ṯin-t-āni ~ *(i)ṯn-at-āni (absolute with feminine and dual suffix)
  • East Semitic:
    • Akkadian: 𒈫 (šittā)
  • West Semitic:
    • Central Semitic:
      • Arabic: ثِنْتَانِ (ṯintāni), اِثْنَتَانِ (iṯnatāni) (see there for further descendants)
      • Northwest Semitic:
        • Aramaic: תַּרְתֵּיִן (tartayin), Aramaic: תַּרְתֵּין (tartēn)
        • Canaanite:
          • Hebrew: שְׁתַּיִם (shtáyim, štáyim)
        • Ugaritic: 𐎘𐎚 (ṯt /⁠ṯittā⁠/)
    • Modern South Arabian:
      • Bathari: ṯerēt
      • Harsusi: ṯart
      • Hobyót: iṯrīt
      • Mehri: ṯrayt
• *ṯin-t-ā ~ *(i)ṯn-at-ā (construct with feminine and dual suffix)
  • Arabic: ثِنْتَا (ṯintā), اِثْنَتَا (iṯnatā)
• *(i)ṯn̥-t-ā ~ *(i)ṯr̥-t-ā (construct with feminine and dual suffix and syncope)
  • Hebrew: שְׁתֵּי (shté, štê) < *štā < *ṯtā < *ṯt-t-ā < *ṯn̥-t-ā
• Unsorted formations:
  • Old South Arabian: , 𐩻𐩬𐩺 (ṯny)
  • Eblaite: šina

• Huehnergard, John (2019) “Proto-Semitic”, in Huehnergard, John and Na'ama Pat-El, editors, The Semitic Languages, 2nd edition, Routledge, →ISBN
• Testen, David (1985) "The Significance of Aramaic r < *n" Journal of Near Eastern Studies, Vol. 44, No. 2, pp. 143-146.