Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/bin-

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 *bîn-/*bân- (“to beget”).

Noun

*bin- m (plural *ban-)

son

Reconstruction notes

Testen reconstructs *bn-, with an initial consonant cluster, which accounts for the r forms in Aramaic and Modern South Arabian.

Inflection

Declension of *bin-
case	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*binum	*bināna	*banūna
accusative	*binam	*binayna	*banīna
genitive	*binim	*binayna	*banīna

possessive forms
1^st person	binī / binVya	—	*binVni
2^nd person m	*binVka	binVkumā / binVkumay	*binVkum(ū)
2^nd person f	*binVki	binVkumā / binVkumay	*binVkin(ā)
3^rd person m	*binVšu	binVšumā / binVšumay	*binVšum(ū)
3^rd person f	*binVša	binVšumā / binVšumay	*binVšin(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: *binuya for nom. case, *biniya for gen. case, *binaya for acc. case, etc.

Derived terms

*bint- (“daughter”)

Descendants

East Semitic:
- Akkadian: 𒁉𒉏 (bīnum)
West Semitic:
- Central Semitic:
  - Arabic: اِبْن (ibn), بْن (bn)
    - Hijazi Arabic: ابن (ibin)
    - Maltese: iben
    - Moroccan Arabic: بن (bin)
    - → Swahili: bin
  - Northwest Semitic:
    - Aramaic: בְּרָא (bərā)
      - Classical Syriac: ܒ݁ܪܳܐ (bərā)
    - Canaanite:
      - Ammonite: 𐤁𐤍 (bn)
      - Edomite: 𐤁𐤍 (bn)
      - Hebrew: בֵּן (ben, bēn)
        Samaritan Hebrew: ࠁࠠ‎ࠍ (ban)
      - Moabite: 𐤁𐤍 (bn)
      - Phoenician: 𐤁𐤍 (bn /⁠bin⁠/)
        Punic: 𐤁𐤍 (bn)
    - Ugaritic: 𐎁𐎐 (bn /⁠binu⁠/)

References

Huehnergard, John (2019) “Proto-Semitic”, in Huehnergard, John and Na'ama Pat-El, editors, The Semitic Languages, 2nd edition, Routledge, →ISBN
Testen, David (1985) "The Significance of Aramaic r < *n" Journal of Near Eastern Studies, Vol. 44, No. 2, pp. 143-146.