Reconstruction:Proto-West Semitic/rīḥ-

This Proto-West 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.

*rīḥ-

1. emission of gas, whiff, air passing (Luftzug)
2. odour, smell
3. flatus

• *rawaḥ- (“to have open space or open up, to leave room free, to be forlet; to go out, to lapse, to leave; to breeze, to fan; to pass gas”) (form I)
• *rawwiḥ- (“to widen, to give space to; to relieve”) (form II)
• *harawaḥ- (“to make or allow to go out, to release; to amplify, to inflate”) (form IV)
• *rūḥ- (“wind, gust”)

• Central Semitic:
  • Arabic: رِيح (rīḥ, “whiff; odour”)
  • Northwest Semitic:
    • Aramaic:
      • Classical Syriac: ܪܶܝܚܐ (rēḥā, “smell; odour”)
      • Christian Palestinian Aramaic: ܪܝܚ (“smell; odour”)
      • Biblical Aramaic, Jewish Palestinian Aramaic, Jewish Literary Aramaic, Jewish Babylonian Aramaic: רֵיחָא (rīḥā, “smell; odour”)
    • Canaanite:
      • Hebrew: רֵיחַ (réakh, rēaḥ, “scent; odour”)
    • Ugaritic: 𐎗𐎈 (rḥ /⁠rīḥu⁠/, “aroma, perfume”)
• Ethiopian Semitic:
  • Ge'ez: ርሔ (rəḥe, “scent, odour”)
• Modern South Arabian:
  • Mehri: rīḥ, reɛ̄ḥ (“hot wind”)
  • Harsusi: ryaḥ, rīəḥ
  • Shehri: raḥ, iráḥ
  • Soqotri: raḥ, ə́rwaḥ