Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/bint-

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 *bin- (“son”) +‎ *-at- (“feminine suffix”), the unstressed vowel of which is lost through syncopation.

Noun

*bint- f (plural *banāt-)

daughter

Inflection

Declension of *bint-
case	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*bintum	*bintāna	*banātum
accusative	*bintam	*bintayna	*banātim
genitive	*bintim	*bintayna	*banātim

possessive forms
1^st person	bintī / bintVya	—	*bintVni
2^nd person m	*bintVka	bintVkumā / bintVkumay	*bintVkum(ū)
2^nd person f	*bintVki	bintVkumā / bintVkumay	*bintVkin(ā)
3^rd person m	*bintVšu	bintVšumā / bintVšumay	*bintVšum(ū)
3^rd person f	*bintVša	bintVšumā / bintVšumay	*bintVšin(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: *bintuya for nom. case, *bintiya for gen. case, *bintaya for acc. case, etc.

Coordinate terms

Descendants

East Semitic:
- Akkadian: 𒁉𒅔𒌈 (bintum)
West Semitic:
- Central Semitic:
  - Arabic: بِنْت (bint), اِبْنَة (ibna), اِبْنَت (ibnat) — obsolete, مِنْت (mint) — Mauritania
    - Maltese: bint
    - → English: bint
    - → Swahili: binti
  - Northwest Semitic:
    - Canaanite:
      - Hebrew: בַּת m (bat, baṯ), בִּתּ־ (bit, bitt-); בָּנוֹת f pl (banót, bānôṯ)
    - Ugaritic: 𐎁𐎚 (bt /⁠bittu⁠/)
- Old South Arabian:
  - Old South Arabian: 𐩨𐩬𐩩 (bnt)

References

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