Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/piʔat-

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

*piʔat- f

side, edge, front

Inflection

Declension of *piʔat-
case	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*piʔatum	*piʔatāna	*piʔātum
accusative	*piʔatam	*piʔatayna	*piʔātim
genitive	*piʔatim	*piʔatayna	*piʔātim

possessive forms
1^st person	piʔatī / piʔatVya	—	*piʔatVni
2^nd person m	*piʔatVka	piʔatVkumā / piʔatVkumay	*piʔatVkum(ū)
2^nd person f	*piʔatVki	piʔatVkumā / piʔatVkumay	*piʔatVkin(ā)
3^rd person m	*piʔatVšu	piʔatVšumā / piʔatVšumay	*piʔatVšum(ū)
3^rd person f	*piʔatVša	piʔatVšumā / piʔatVšumay	*piʔatVšin(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: *piʔatuya for nom. case, *piʔatiya for gen. case, *piʔataya for acc. case, etc.

Descendants

East Semitic:
- Akkadian: 𒊕𒆠 (pūtum) (vowel shift perhaps under the influence of the labial /p/)
  - → Aramaic: (if not instead from *ʔanp- (“nose”) blended with this or suffixed -ūṯā)
    Jewish Literary Aramaic, Jewish Babylonian Aramaic אַפּוּתָא (ʾappūṯā)
    
    Classical Mandaic: ࡐࡅࡕࡀ (pūṯā)
    
    Classical Syriac: ܐܰܦܾ݁ܘܬܳܐ (ʾappūṯā)
  - → Hebrew: פֹּת (pot, pōṯ)
- Eblaite: 𒉈𒀀𒌈 (bí-a-tum /⁠piʾatum⁠/)
West Semitic:
- Central Semitic:
  - Arabic: فِئَة (fiʔa)
  - Northwest Semitic:
    - Aramaic:
      Jewish Literary Aramaic: פָּאתָא (pāṯā), פָּתָא (pāṯā)
      
      Samaritan Aramaic: ࠐࠀࠕࠄ (fʾth)
      - Classical Syriac: ܦܱ݁ܐܬܳܐ (paʾṯā), ܦܱ݁ܬܳܐ (paṯā)
    - Canaanite:
      - → Akkadian: 𒁉𒀀𒌈 (piātum)
      - Hebrew: פֵּאָה (pe'á, pēʾâ), construct פְּאַת (pe'át, pəʾaṯ)
    - Ugaritic: 𐎔𐎀𐎚 (pảt)
- Ethiopian:
  - North Ethiopian Semitic:
    - Ge'ez: ⇒ univerbized with *la- (“for”) to ለፌ (läfe, “in the direction of or from, thence or thither”)
  - South Ethiopian Semitic:
    - Amharic: ፊት (fit)
      - → Tigrinya: ፊት (fit)
    - Argobba: ፊድ (fid)
    - Harari: ፊት (fit)
    - Gurage:
      - Northern Gurage:
        Aymälläl: ኢፍት (ift)
        
        Goggot: ኢፍት (ift)
      - East Gurage:
        Silt'e: ኡፍት (uft)
        
        Wolane: ኡፍት (uft)
        
        Zay: እፊት (əfit)
      - West Gurage:
        Mesqan: ኢፍት (ift)
        
        Sebat Bet Gurage:
        Čaha, Eža, Gyeto: ዪፍት (yift)
        
        Ennemor, Endegeñ, Muher: ኢፍት (ift)
- Modern South Arabian:
  - Soqotri: fī́ʾɔh

References

Kaufman, Stephen A. (1974) The Akkadian Influences on Aramaic (The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago Assyriological Studies; 19)‎^[1], Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, →ISBN, page 85
Kogan, Leonid, Krebernik, Manfred, editors (2020), Etymological Dictionary of Akkadian. Volume 1 Roots beginning with p and b, Leiden: Brill
Militarev, Alexander, Kogan, Leonid (2000) Semitic Etymological Dictionary, volumes I: Anatomy of Man and Animals, Münster: Ugarit-Verlag, →ISBN, pages 180–182, Nr. 204
Nöldeke, Theodor (1910) Neue Beiträge zur semitischen Sprachwissenschaft‎^[2] (in German), Straßburg: Karl J. Trübner, →DOI, pages 151–152
Nöldeke, Theodor (1875) Mandäische Grammatik‎^[3] (in German), Halle: Verlag der Buchhandlung des Waisenhauses, →DOI, page 485, to Nöldeke, Theodor (1875) Mandäische Grammatik‎^[4] (in German), Halle: Verlag der Buchhandlung des Waisenhauses, →DOI, page 97 footnote 1