Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/-at-
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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
Alternative forms
- *-t- (syncope)
Etymology
Inherited from Proto-Afroasiatic *-t (feminine suffix). The semantic extension from feminine to abstract/collective is comparable (albeit in reverse) to the one of Proto-Indo-European *-h₂, *-eh₂.
Suffix
*-at- f
- Feminine-forming suffix.
- Synonym: *-ay- (on certain words)
- Abstract/collective-forming suffix.
Inflection
Declension of *-at-
| Case | Singular | Dual | Plural | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | *-atum | *-atāna | *-ātum | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Genitive | *-atim | *-atayna | *-ātim | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Accusative | *-atam | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| possessive forms | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1st person | *-atī / *-atVya | — | *-atVni | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2nd person m | *-atVka | *-atVkumā / *-atVkumay | *-atVkum(ū) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2nd person f | *-atVki | *-atVkin(ā) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3rd person m | *-atVšu | *-atVšumā / *-atVšumay | *-atVšum(ū) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3rd person f | *-atVša | *-atVšin(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: *-atuya for nom. case, *-atiya for gen. case, *-ataya for acc. case, etc. Declension of 2sg m. possessive form (your/thy m.) *-at-
Declension of 2sg f. possessive form (your/thy f.) *-at-
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Notes
- Syncopation of unstressed vowels caused the form *-t to appear in many nouns; in some descendants, this distinction became lexicalized.
- Proto-Semitic numerals from three to ten were formed adding the abstract/collective suffix *-at- to the root. The bare root morpheme continued to be used with feminine nouns, which led to a phenomenon of gendered numerals in various Semitic languages.
Derived terms
- *ʔaḫwat- (“sister”)
- *bint- (“daughter”)
- *baʕlat- (“mistress, lady”)
- *ʔilāhat- (“goddess”)
- *-atum (nominative absolutive forming-suffix) (+ *-um (singular nominative ending))
- *ṯalāṯatum (“three”)
- *ʔarbaʕatum (“four”)
- *ḫamšatum (“five”)
- *šidṯatum (“six”)
- *šabʕatum (“seven”)
- *ṯamāniyatum (“eight”)
- *tišʕatum (“nine”)
- *ʕaśaratum (“ten”)
Descendants
- East Semitic:
- Akkadian: -𒌈 (-(a)tum, feminine suffix)
- West Semitic:
- Central Semitic:
- Arabic: ـَة (-a)
- Northwest Semitic:
- Aramaic:
- Canaanite:
- Central Semitic:
References
- Huehnergard, John (2019) “Proto-Semitic”, in Huehnergard, John and Na'ama Pat-El, editors, The Semitic Languages, 2nd edition, Routledge, →ISBN