Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/waral-

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

*waran-

Etymology

Very likely a borrowing, in consideration of the consonant pairing, which is, barring perhaps a breakdown of a quadriconsonantal or any such arbitrary occurrence, impossible, whether it be r and l or r and n, as there is a strict rule^[1]^[2] that the second and third consonant of a triconsonantal Semitic root can only be identical but not otherwise homorganic; whereas a Proto-Hurro-Urartian origin is thinkable, compare *kinnār- and خُلَّر (ḵullar).

Noun

*waral- m

monitor lizard

Inflection

Declension of *waral-

Case

Singular

Dual

Plural

Nominative

*waralum

*waralāna

plural stem + *-ūna

Genitive

*waralim

*waralayna

plural stem + *-īna

Accusative

*waralam

possessive forms

1st person

*waralī / *waralVya

—

*waralVni

2nd person m

*waralVka

*waralVkumā / *waralVkumay

*waralVkum(ū)

2nd person f

*waralVki

*waralVkin(ā)

3rd person m

*waralVšu

*waralVšumā / *waralVšumay

*waralVšum(ū)

3rd person f

*waralVša

*waralVšin(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: *waraluya for nom. case, *waraliya for gen. case, *waralaya for acc. case, etc.

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

	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	*waraluka	*waralāka	plural stem + *-ūka
Genitive	*waralika	*waralayka	plural stem + *-īka
Accusative	*waralaka	*waralayka	plural stem + *-īka

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

	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	*waraluki	*waralāki	plural stem + *-ūki
Genitive	*waraliki	*waralayki	plural stem + *-īki
Accusative	*waralaki	*waralayki	plural stem + *-īki

Descendants

East Semitic:
- Akkadian: 𒌨𒉡 (urnum)
West Semitic:
- Central Semitic:
  - Arabic: وَرَل (waral), وَرَن (waran) — post-Classical, dialectal
    - → English: worral
    - → German: Waran
      - ⇒ German: Waraneidechse, Warneidechse
        ⇒ German: Warner
        → Translingual: (calque) Monitor (obsolete) and Lacerta monitor (obsolete)
        → English: monitory lizard, monitor lizard
        → German: Monitor
    - → Classical Syriac: ܘܪܠܐ (warlā), ܘܪܢܐ (warnā), ܘܪܐܠܐ (waralā)
    - → Translingual: Varanus (from which most European translations of monitor lizard)
  - Northwest Semitic:
    - Aramaic:
      Jewish Literary Aramaic, Jewish Babylonian Aramaic: יַלָּא (yallā), יָלָא (yālā)
      - Classical Syriac: ܝܰܪܠܳܐ (yarlā), ܝܠܐ (yallā)
    - Canaanite:
      - Phoenician: *𐤉𐤋 (*yl /⁠*yūl⁠/)
        → Ancient Greek: ἴουλος (íoulos, “catkin; woodlouse; the first growth of the whiskers and beard; corn-sheaf”)
        → Latin: iūlus (“catkin; woodlouse; rainbow wrasse”)
- Modern South Arabian:
  - Harsusi: rewōl
  - Mehri: rəwōl

References

Löw, Immanuel (1912) “Aramäische Lurchnamen”, in Zeitschrift für Assyriologie und verwandte Gebiete‎ (in German), volume 26, pages 129–132
Militarev, Alexander, Kogan, Leonid (2005) Semitic Etymological Dictionary, volume II: Animal Names, Münster: Ugarit-Verlag, →ISBN, pages 316–317, Nr. 246
Zimmern, Heinrich (1915) Akkadische Fremdwörter als Beweis für babylonischen Kultureinfluss (in German), Leipzig: A. Edelmann, page 52, considers it foreign in Akkadian and Syriac and Arabic borrowed thence, but a borrowing could only have happened early in view of the Northwest Semitic change w → y.

^ Greenberg, Joseph Harold (1950) “The Patterning of Root Morphemes in Semitic”, in Word‎, volume 6, number 2, →DOI, page 162, point 2
^ Vernet i Pons, Eulàlia (2011 March 1) “Semitic Root Incompatibilities and Historical Linguistics”, in Journal of Semitic Studies, volume 56, number 1, →DOI, page 4

[1] Greenberg, Joseph Harold (1950) “The Patterning of Root Morphemes in Semitic”, in Word‎, volume 6, number 2, →DOI, page 162, point 2

[2] Vernet i Pons, Eulàlia (2011 March 1) “Semitic Root Incompatibilities and Historical Linguistics”, in Journal of Semitic Studies, volume 56, number 1, →DOI, page 4

[1]

[2]

Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/waral-

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