Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/šamāy-

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

Noun

*šamāy- f

sky, space
welkin, firmament
heaven, empyrean (religion)
sphere (astronomy/astrology/cosmology)
aether (astronomy/astrology/cosmology)

Inflection

Declension of *šamāy-
case	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*šamāyum	*šamāyāna	*šamāyātum
accusative	*šamāyam	*šamāyayna	*šamāyātim
genitive	*šamāyim	*šamāyayna	*šamāyātim

possessive forms
1^st person	šamāyī / šamāyVya	—	*šamāyVni
2^nd person m	*šamāyVka	šamāyVkumā / šamāyVkumay	*šamāyVkum(ū)
2^nd person f	*šamāyVki	šamāyVkumā / šamāyVkumay	*šamāyVkin(ā)
3^rd person m	*šamāyVšu	šamāyVšumā / šamāyVšumay	*šamāyVšum(ū)
3^rd person f	*šamāyVša	šamāyVšumā / šamāyVšumay	*šamāyVšin(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: *šamāyuya for nom. case, *šamāyiya for gen. case, *šamāyaya for acc. case, etc.

Descendants

East Semitic:
- Akkadian: 𒀭 (šamû)
West Semitic:
- Central Semitic:
  - Arabic: سَمَاء (samāʔ)
    - Algerian Arabic: سما (smā)
    - Egyptian Arabic: سما (sama)
    - Gulf Arabic: سما (sima)
    - Hijazi Arabic: سما (sama)
    - Maltese: sema
    - Moroccan Arabic: سما (smā)
    - South Levantine Arabic: سما (sama)
    - Tunisian Arabic: سما (smā)
  - Northwest Semitic:
    - Aramaic: שְׁמַיְן (šmayn), שְׁמָיָא (šmayyā), שְׁמָיָה
      Imperial Aramaic: 𐡔𐡌𐡉𐡍 (šmyn)
      - Lishana Deni: שמיה (šəmme)
      - Classical Mandaic: ࡔࡅࡌࡉࡀ (šumia)
      - Classical Syriac: ܫܡܰܝܴ݁ܐ (šmayyā)
    - Canaanite:
      - Hebrew: שָׁמַיִם (shamáyim, šāmáyim)
      - Phoenician: 𐤔𐤌𐤌 (šmm)
        → Greek: Σάμος (Sámos)
    - Ugaritic: 𐎌𐎎𐎎 (šmm), 𐎌𐎎𐎊𐎐 (šmyn)
  - Old South Arabian:
    - Sabaean: 𐩪𐩣𐩺𐩬 (s¹myn)
  - Safaitic: 𐪊𐪃𐪚 (s¹my)
- Ethiopian Semitic:
  - Amharic: ሰማይ (sämay)
  - Ge'ez: ሰማይ (sämay)
  - Tigre: ሻማአ (šamaʾä)
  - Tigrinya: ሰማይ (sämay)

References

Botterweck, G. Johannes, Ringgren, Helmer, Fabry, Heinz-Josef (2006) Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, page 206
Kogan, Leonid (2011) “Proto-Semitic Lexicon”, in Weninger, Stefan, editor, The Semitic Languages. An International Handbook (Handbücher zur Sprach- und Kommunikationswissenschaft – Handbooks of Linguistics and Communication Science; 36), Berlin: De Gruyter, →ISBN, page 192