Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/kalb-

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

Diakonoff argues that the *-b of the root is likely a fossilized nominal class suffix pertaining to “harmful animals”, comparing Proto-Semitic *ḏiʔb- (“wolf”) as well as *ʕaḳrab- (“scorpion”), *ṯaʕlab- (“fox”), *dubb- (“bear”) and *ʔarnab- (“hare”).^[1]

Noun

*kalb- m

dog

Inflection

Declension of *kalb-

Case

Singular

Dual

Plural

Nominative

*kalbum

*kalbāna

plural stem + *-ūna

Genitive

*kalbim

*kalbayna

plural stem + *-īna

Accusative

*kalbam

possessive forms

1st person

*kalbī / *kalbVya

—

*kalbVni

2nd person m

*kalbVka

*kalbVkumā / *kalbVkumay

*kalbVkum(ū)

2nd person f

*kalbVki

*kalbVkin(ā)

3rd person m

*kalbVšu

*kalbVšumā / *kalbVšumay

*kalbVšum(ū)

3rd person f

*kalbVša

*kalbVšin(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: *kalbuya for nom. case, *kalbiya for gen. case, *kalbaya for acc. case, etc.

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

	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	*kalbuka	*kalbāka	plural stem + *-ūka
Genitive	*kalbika	*kalbayka	plural stem + *-īka
Accusative	*kalbaka	*kalbayka	plural stem + *-īka

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

	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	*kalbuki	*kalbāki	plural stem + *-ūki
Genitive	*kalbiki	*kalbayki	plural stem + *-īki
Accusative	*kalbaki	*kalbayki	plural stem + *-īki

Descendants

East Semitic:
- Akkadian: 𒌨 (kalbum)
West Semitic:
- Central Semitic:
  - Arabic: كَلْب (kalb)
    - Gulf Arabic: چَلْب (/t͡ʃəlb/), جَلْب (čalb)
    - Hijazi Arabic: كلب (kalb)
    - Maltese: kelb
    - Moroccan Arabic: كلب (kalb)
    - → Gujarati: કલ્બ (kalb)
    - → Ottoman Turkish: كلب (kelp)
    - → Russian: калби́т (kalbít)
    - → Swahili: kelbu
  - Northwest Semitic:
    - Aramaic: כַּלְבָּא (kalbā)
      - Classical Syriac: ܟܱ݁ܠܒܴ݁ܐ (kalbā)
    - Canaanite:
      - Hebrew: כֶּלֶב (kélev, kéleḇ)
      - Phoenician: 𐤊𐤋𐤁 (klb)
    - Ugaritic: 𐎋𐎍𐎁 (klb /⁠kalbu⁠/)
  - Old South Arabian:
    - Sabaean: 𐩫𐩡𐩨 (klb)
    - Hadramautic: 𐩫𐩡𐩨 (klb)
- Ethiopian Semitic:
  - Amharic: ከልብ (kälb)
  - Ge'ez: ከልብ (kälb)
  - Tigre: ከልብ (kälb)
  - Tigrinya: ከልቢ (kälbi)
- Modern South Arabian:
  - Mehri: كَوب (kawb)

References

Militarev, Alexander, Kogan, Leonid (2000–2005) Semitic Etymological Dictionary, Münster: Ugarit-Verlag
Huehnergard, John (2019) “Proto-Semitic”, in Huehnergard, John and Na'ama Pat-El, editors, The Semitic Languages, 2nd edition, Routledge, →ISBN

^ Diakonoff, Igor M. (1988) Afrasian Languages (Languages of Asia and Africa), Moscow: Nauka, page 57.

[1] Diakonoff, Igor M. (1988) Afrasian Languages (Languages of Asia and Africa), Moscow: Nauka, page 57.

[1]