Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/waʕil-

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

From Proto-Afroasiatic *waʕil- (“mountain goat or antelope”).

Noun

*waʕil- m

ibex

Inflection

Declension of *waʕil-
case	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*waʕilum	*waʕilāna	plural stem + *-ūna
accusative	*waʕilam	*waʕilayna	plural stem + *-īna
genitive	*waʕilim	*waʕilayna	plural stem + *-īna

possessive forms
1^st person	waʕilī / waʕilVya	—	*waʕilVni
2^nd person m	*waʕilVka	waʕilVkumā / waʕilVkumay	*waʕilVkum(ū)
2^nd person f	*waʕilVki	waʕilVkumā / waʕilVkumay	*waʕilVkin(ā)
3^rd person m	*waʕilVšu	waʕilVšumā / waʕilVšumay	*waʕilVšum(ū)
3^rd person f	*waʕilVša	waʕilVšumā / waʕilVšumay	*waʕilVšin(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: *waʕiluya for nom. case, *waʕiliya for gen. case, *waʕilaya for acc. case, etc.

Descendants

East Semitic:
- Eblaite: 𒉿𒉌𒈝 (wa-ʾa₅-lum, wa-i₃-lum)
West Semitic:
- Central Semitic:
  - Arabic: وَعِل (waʕil), وَعْل (waʕl)
  - Northwest Semitic:
    - Aramaic:
      Jewish Literary Aramaic: יַעֲלָה (yaʿălā)
      - Classical Syriac: ܝܰܥܠܳܐ (yaʿlā)
    - Canaanite:
      - Amorite: 𒅀𒄿𒆷 (ia-i-la /⁠yaʿila⁠/)
      - Hebrew: יָעֵל (ya'él, yāʿēl)
    - → Latin: eale (see there for further descendants)
    - Ugaritic: 𐎊𐎓𐎍 (yʿl /⁠yaʿilu⁠/)
  - Old South Arabian:
    - Hadrami: 𐩥𐩲𐩡 (wʿl)
    - Qatabanian: 𐩥𐩲𐩡 (wʿl)
    - Sabaean: 𐩥𐩲𐩡 (wʿl)
- Ethiopian Semitic:
  - Amharic: ዋሊያ (waliya), ዋልያ (waləya), ዋላ (wala)
  - Ge'ez: ውዕላ (wəʿəla), ወዓላ (wäʿala), ዋእላ (waʾəla)
  - >? Tigre: ወርዔ (wärʿe)
  - Tigrinya: ውዕላ (wəʿla)
- Modern South Arabian:
  - Mehri: wɛ̄l, wāl
  - Harsusi: wāl
  - Shehri: ɛbʿɔ́ẕ̂

References

Militarev, Alexander, Kogan, Leonid (2005) Semitic Etymological Dictionary, volume II: Animal Names, Münster: Ugarit-Verlag, →ISBN, pages 312–314 No. 244
Hommel, Fritz (1879) Die Namen der Säugethiere bei den südsemitischen Völkern als Beiträge zur arabischen und äthiopischen Lexicographie, zur semitischen Kulturforschung und Sprachvergleichung und zur Geschichte der Mittelmeerfauna. Mit steter Berücksichtigung auch der assyrischen und hebräischen Thiernamen und geographischen und literaturgeschichtlichen Excursen‎ (in German), Leipzig: J. C. Hinrichs’sche Buchhandlung, →DOI, page 391