Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/kalb-

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Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/kalb-

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

Diakonoff argues that the *-b of the root is likely a fossilized nominal class suffix pertaining to “harmful animals”, comparing Proto-Semitic *ḏiʔb- (“wolf”) as well as *ʕaḳrab- (“scorpion”), *ṯaʕlab- (“fox”), *dubb- (“bear”) and *ʔarnab- (“hare”).[1]

Noun

*kalb- m

1. dog

Inflection

Declension of *kalb-

Case	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	*kalbum	*kalbāna	plural stem + *-ūna
Genitive	*kalbim	*kalbayna	plural stem + *-īna
Accusative	*kalbam
possessive forms
1st person	*kalbī / *kalbVya	—	*kalbVni
2nd person m	*kalbVka	*kalbVkumā / *kalbVkumay	*kalbVkum(ū)
2nd person f	*kalbVki		*kalbVkin(ā)
3rd person m	*kalbVšu	*kalbVšumā / *kalbVšumay	*kalbVšum(ū)
3rd person f	*kalbVša		*kalbVšin(ā)
Note: 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: *kalbuya for nom. case, *kalbiya for gen. case, *kalbaya for acc. case, etc. Declension of 2sg m. possessive form (your/thy m.) *kalb- Singular Dual Plural Nominative *kalbuka *kalbāka plural stem + *-ūka Genitive *kalbika *kalbayka plural stem + *-īka Accusative *kalbaka Declension of 2sg f. possessive form (your/thy f.) *kalb- Singular Dual Plural Nominative *kalbuki *kalbāki plural stem + *-ūki Genitive *kalbiki *kalbayki plural stem + *-īki Accusative *kalbaki

Descendants

• East Semitic:
  • Akkadian: 𒌨 (kalbum)
• West Semitic:
  • Central Semitic:
    • Arabic: كَلْب‎ (kalb)
      • Gulf Arabic: چَلْب‎ (/t͡ʃəlb/), جَلْب‎ (čalb)
      • Maltese: kelb
      • Moroccan Arabic: كلب‎ (kalb)
      • → Ottoman Turkish: كلب‎ (kelp)
    • Northwest Semitic:
      • Aramaic: כַּלְבָּא‎ (kalbā)
        • Classical Syriac: ܟܱ݁ܠܒܴ݁ܐ‎ (kalbā)
      • Canaanite:
        • Hebrew: כֶּלֶב‎ (kélev, kéleḇ)
        • Phoenician: 𐤊𐤋𐤁‎ (klb)
      • Ugaritic: 𐎋𐎍𐎁 (klb /kalbu/)
    • Old South Arabian:
      • Sabaean: 𐩫𐩡𐩨‎ (klb)
      • Hadramautic: 𐩫𐩡𐩨‎ (klb)
  • Ethiopian Semitic:
    • Amharic: ከልብ (kälb)
    • Ge'ez: ከልብ (kälb)
    • Tigre: ከልብ (kälb)
    • Tigrinya: ከልቢ (kälbi)
  • Modern South Arabian:
    • Mehri: كَوب‎ (kawb)

References

• Militarev, Alexander; Kogan, Leonid (2000–2005) Semitic Etymological Dictionary, Münster: Ugarit-Verlag
• Huehnergard, John (2019), “Proto-Semitic”, in Huehnergard, John and Na'ama Pat-El, editors, The Semitic Languages, 2nd edition, Routledge, →ISBN

1. Diakonoff, Igor M. (1988) Afrasian Languages (Languages of Asia and Africa), Moscow: Nauka, page 57.