Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/śapat-

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 *śapat-. Cognate with Egyptian spt and Iraqw slufi.

Noun

*śapat- f

  1. lip
  2. (figurative) brink, brim, border, margin

Inflection

Declension of *śapat-
case singular dual plural
nominative *śapatum *śapatāna *śapātum
accusative *śapatam *śapatayna *śapātim
genitive *śapatim
possessive forms
1st person *śapatī / *śapatVya *śapatVni
2nd person m *śapatVka *śapatVkumā / *śapatVkumay *śapatVkum(ū)
2nd person f *śapatVki *śapatVkin(ā)
3rd person m *śapatVšu *śapatVšumā / *śapatVšumay *śapatVšum(ū)
3rd person f *śapatVša *śapatVšin(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: *śapatuya for nom. case, *śapatiya for gen. case, *śapataya for acc. case, etc.

Descendants

  • East Semitic:
    • Akkadian: 𒅻 (šaptum)
  • West Semitic:
    • Central Semitic:
      • Arabic: شَفَة (šafa)
        • Egyptian Arabic: شفة (šiffa)
        • Maltese: xoffa
        • Moroccan Arabic: شفة (šaffa), شنافة (šnāfa)
        • North Levantine Arabic: شفة (šiffe)
        • South Levantine Arabic: شفة (šiffe)
      • Northwest Semitic:
        • Aramaic:
          Western Neo-Aramaic: ܣܶܦܬܳܐ (sep̄ṯa)
          Jewish Palestinian Aramaic: סיפוותה
          Christian Palestinian Aramaic: ܣܝܦܘܐܬܐ
          Jewish Literary Aramaic: סִיפְתָּא (sip̄tā)
          Jewish Babylonian Aramaic: סִיפְתָּא (sip̄tā), שִׂיפְתָּא (śip̄tā)
        • Canaanite:
        • Ugaritic: 𐎌𐎔𐎚 (špt /⁠šapatu⁠/)
  • ? Old Armenian: շուրթն (šurtʻn)

Further reading

  • Militarev, Alexander, Kogan, Leonid (2000) Semitic Etymological Dictionary, volumes I: Anatomy of Man and Animals, Münster: Ugarit-Verlag, →ISBN, pages 235–237