Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/ṯaʕlab-

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

*ṯaʕlab- m

fox

Inflection

Declension of *ṯaʕlab-
case	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*ṯaʕlabum	*ṯaʕlabāna	plural stem + *-ūna
accusative	*ṯaʕlabam	*ṯaʕlabayna	plural stem + *-īna
genitive	*ṯaʕlabim	*ṯaʕlabayna	plural stem + *-īna

possessive forms
1^st person	ṯaʕlabī / ṯaʕlabVya	—	*ṯaʕlabVni
2^nd person m	*ṯaʕlabVka	ṯaʕlabVkumā / ṯaʕlabVkumay	*ṯaʕlabVkum(ū)
2^nd person f	*ṯaʕlabVki	ṯaʕlabVkumā / ṯaʕlabVkumay	*ṯaʕlabVkin(ā)
3^rd person m	*ṯaʕlabVšu	ṯaʕlabVšumā / ṯaʕlabVšumay	*ṯaʕlabVšum(ū)
3^rd person f	*ṯaʕlabVša	ṯaʕlabVšumā / ṯaʕlabVšumay	*ṯaʕlabVšin(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: *ṯaʕlabuya for nom. case, *ṯaʕlabiya for gen. case, *ṯaʕlabaya for acc. case, etc.

Descendants

East Semitic:
- Akkadian: 𒈜 (šēlebum)
West Semitic:
- Central Semitic:
  - Arabic: ثَعْلَب (ṯaʕlab)
    - Egyptian Arabic: تعلب (táʕlab)
    - Gulf Arabic: ثعلب (ṯaʕlab)
    - Hijazi Arabic: ثعلب (taʕlab, ṯaʕlab)
    - South Levantine Arabic: تعلب (táʕlab)
    - Yemeni Arabic: ثَعَلْ (ṯaʕal)
  - Aramaic:
    Hebrew script: תַּעַל (taʿal), תַּעֲלָא (taʿălāʾ)
    
    Syriac script: ܬ݁ܥܶܠ (təʿel), ܬܱ݁ܥܠܳܐ (taʿlāʾ)
  - Canaanite:
    - Hebrew: שׁוּעָל (shu'ál, šûʿāl)
  - Ugaritic 𐎘𐎓𐎍𐎁 (ṯʿlb /⁠ṯaʿlabu⁠/)

References

Militarev, Alexander, Kogan, Leonid (2000–2005) Semitic Etymological Dictionary, Münster: Ugarit-Verlag
Diakonoff, Igor M. (1988) Afrasian Languages (Languages of Asia and Africa), Moscow: Nauka, page 57.