Wiktionary:Proto-Semitic entry guidelines

	This is a Wiktionary policy, guideline or common practices page. Specifically it is a policy think tank, working to develop a formal policy.
	Policies – Entries: CFI - EL - NORM - NPOV - QUOTE - REDIR - DELETE. Languages: LT - AXX. Others: BLOCK - BOTS - VOTES.

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Proto-Semitic language

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Proto-Semitic is the reconstructed ancestor of all Semitic languages, old as well as modern. It is a descendant of Proto-Afroasiatic.

Note that ⟨*š⟩ stands for */s/, whereas ⟨*s⟩ stands for */t͡s/, and that ⟨*ḥ⟩ is not an emphatic ⟨*h⟩. Elsewhere, an underdot denotes an emphatic consonant and an underline a fricative consonant.

The short vowels are *a, *i, and *u; the long vowels are *ā, *ī, and *ū. A vowel of unknown quality can be given as *V (short) or *V̄ (long).

Nominal, adjectival and verbal entries should just be the root followed by a hyphen, e.g. *ḳarn-.

Proto-Semitic entries should always provide inherited reflexes in East and West Semitic. If the Western branch provides attestation but not the Eastern (Akkadian and Eblaite), the entry must be created as Proto-West Semitic.

Nouns should use {{sem-noun}} in the headword line, and {{sem-decl-noun}} to show inflection. If the plural stem is known, it must be indicated in both templates using the pl= parameter. Adjectives should show inflection with {{sem-decl-adj}}.

When descended in the usual, linear fashion, descendants may be listed in the following order for consistency. The former contains only the most frequent languages; the latter is the full tree.

• East Semitic:
  • Akkadian:
• West Semitic:
  • Central Semitic:
    • Arabic:
      • Maltese:
    • Northwest Semitic:
      • Aramaic:
      • Canaanite:
        • Hebrew:
        • Phoenician:
      • Ugaritic:
    • Old South Arabian:
      • Old South Arabian:
  • Ethiopian Semitic:
    • Amharic:
    • Ge'ez:
    • Tigrinya:

• Ancient North Arabian:
• Chaha:
• East Semitic:
  • Akkadian:
  • Eblaite:
• Shehri:
• West Semitic:
  • Central Semitic:
    • Arabic:
      • Maltese:
    • Dadanitic:
    • Dumaitic:
    • Hasaitic:
    • Hismaic:
    • Northwest Semitic:
      • Amorite:
      • Aramaic:
      • Canaanite:
        • Ammonite:
        • Edomite:
        • Hebrew:
        • Moabite:
        • Phoenician:
        • Samaritan Hebrew:
      • Ugaritic:
    • Old South Arabian:
      • Minaean:
      • Old South Arabian:
      • Qatabanian:
      • Sabaean:
    • Safaitic:
    • Taymanitic:
    • Thamudic:
  • Ethiopian Semitic:
    • Amharic:
    • Argobba:
    • Dahalik:
    • Gafat:
    • Ge'ez:
    • Harari:
    • Inor:
    • Kistane:
    • Mesmes:
    • Mesqan:
    • Muher:
    • Sebat Bet Gurage:
    • Silt'e:
    • Tigre:
    • Tigrinya:
    • Wolane:
    • Zay:
  • Modern South Arabian:
    • Bathari:
    • Harsusi:
    • Hobyót:
    • Mehri:
    • Soqotri: