Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/ganb-

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

*ganb- m

side, flank and back taken together
Antonym: *piʔat-

Inflection

Declension of *ganb-

Case

Singular

Dual

Plural

Nominative

*ganbum

*ganbāna

plural stem + *-ūna

Genitive

*ganbim

*ganbayna

plural stem + *-īna

Accusative

*ganbam

possessive forms

1st person

*ganbī / *ganbVya

—

*ganbVni

2nd person m

*ganbVka

*ganbVkumā / *ganbVkumay

*ganbVkum(ū)

2nd person f

*ganbVki

*ganbVkin(ā)

3rd person m

*ganbVšu

*ganbVšumā / *ganbVšumay

*ganbVšum(ū)

3rd person f

*ganbVša

*ganbVšin(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: *ganbuya for nom. case, *ganbiya for gen. case, *ganbaya for acc. case, etc.

Declension of 2sg m. possessive form (your/thy m.) *ganb-

	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	*ganbuka	*ganbāka	plural stem + *-ūka
Genitive	*ganbika	*ganbayka	plural stem + *-īka
Accusative	*ganbaka	*ganbayka	plural stem + *-īka

Declension of 2sg f. possessive form (your/thy f.) *ganb-

	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	*ganbuki	*ganbāki	plural stem + *-ūki
Genitive	*ganbiki	*ganbayki	plural stem + *-īki
Accusative	*ganbaki	*ganbayki	plural stem + *-īki

Descendants

East Semitic:
- Akkadian: gabbum (“a certain part of the body of an animal or beast; whole, entirety, all”)
West Semitic:
- Central Semitic:
  - Arabic: جَنْب (janb)
    - Hijazi Arabic: جَنْب (janb)
  - Northwest Semitic:
    - Aramaic: גַּבָּא (gabbā, “side, flank”)
      - Classical Syriac: ܓܰܒܴ݁ܐ (gabbā)
    - Canaanite:
      - Hebrew: גַּב (gáv, gaḇ, “back, later also body”)
    - Ugaritic: 𐎂𐎁 (gb /⁠gabbu⁠/, “dorsum”)
- Ethiopian Semitic:
  - Ge'ez: ገቦ (gäbo)
  - Tigre: ገቦ (gäbo), note also the /n/ in አንገብ (ʾängäb, “fundament, tewel”)
  - Tigrinya: ጎቦ (gobo)
  - Inor: ጉፐ (gupa, “height of body”)
  - Gyeto: ጕፐ (gʷəpa, “height”)
- Modern South Arabian:
  - Mehri: ganb
  - Harsusi: yanb
  - Shehri: ganb

References

Leslau, Wolf (1991) Comparative Dictionary of Geʿez (Classical Ethiopic), 2nd edition, Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz, →ISBN, page 176a
Militarev, Alexander, Kogan, Leonid (2000) Semitic Etymological Dictionary, volumes I: Anatomy of Man and Animals, Münster: Ugarit-Verlag, →ISBN, pages 79–80 Nr. 85