Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/bayt-

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

Possibly a deverbal. Compare Arabic: بَتَّ (batta).

Noun

*bayt- m

house

Inflection

Declension of *bayt-
case	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*baytum	*baytāna	plural stem + *-ūna
accusative	*baytam	*baytayna	plural stem + *-īna
genitive	*baytim	*baytayna	plural stem + *-īna

possessive forms
1^st person	baytī / baytVya	—	*baytVni
2^nd person m	*baytVka	baytVkumā / baytVkumay	*baytVkum(ū)
2^nd person f	*baytVki	baytVkumā / baytVkumay	*baytVkin(ā)
3^rd person m	*baytVšu	baytVšumā / baytVšumay	*baytVšum(ū)
3^rd person f	*baytVša	baytVšumā / baytVšumay	*baytVšin(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: *baytuya for nom. case, *baytiya for gen. case, *baytaya for acc. case, etc.

Descendants

East Semitic:
- Akkadian: 𒂍 (bītum)
West Semitic:
- Central Semitic:
  - Arabic: بَيْت (bayt)
    - Egyptian Arabic: بيت (bēt)
    - Gulf Arabic: بيت (bēt)
    - Hijazi Arabic: بيت (bēt)
    - Maltese: bejt
    - Moroccan Arabic: بيت (bīt), بيت (bayt)
    - → Azerbaijani: beyt
    - → Malay: bait
    - → Persian: بیت (beyt)
      - → Urdu: بیت (bait)
  - Northwest Semitic:
    - Aramaic:
      Biblical Aramaic: בַּיְתָא (bayṯā)
      
      Jewish Babylonian Aramaic: בֵּיתָא (bēṯā)
      - Classical Syriac: ܒܱ݁ܝܬܴ݁ܐ (baytā)
      - Lishana Deni: ביתא (bēṯa)
      - Mandaic: ࡁࡉࡕ (bīt)
      - Central Neo-Aramaic:
        Turoyo: ܒܰܝܬܳܐ (bayto)
    - Old South Arabian: 𐩨𐩺𐩩 (byt)
      - Sabaean: 𐩨𐩺𐩩 (byt)
    - Canaanite:
      - Hebrew: בַּיִת (báyit, báyiṯ)
      - Phoenician: 𐤁𐤕 (bt), 𐤁𐤉𐤕 (byt)
        Punic: 𐤁𐤕 (bt /⁠bēth⁠/)
        → Ancient Greek: βῆτᾰ (bêtă)
    - Ugaritic: 𐎁𐎚 (bt /⁠bêtu⁠/)
- Ethiopian Semitic:
  - Amharic: ቤት (bet)
  - Ge'ez: ቤት (bet)
  - Tigrinya: ቤት (bet)

References

Huehnergard, John (2019) “Proto-Semitic”, in Huehnergard, John and Na'ama Pat-El, editors, The Semitic Languages, 2nd edition, Routledge, →ISBN