Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/min

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

Preposition

*min(V)

1. from

Reconstruction notes

Based on the absence of this form in Akkadian, Weninger (2011) considers this term to be Proto-West Semitic. Otherwise, see Proto-Afroasiatic *-im- (“to come”) as the possible source.

Descendants

• East Semitic:
  • Eblaite: [script needed] (min, “in”), [script needed] (minu, “from”)
• West Semitic:
  • Central Semitic:
    • Arabic: مِن (min) (extended form مِنَ (mina))
    • Northwest Semitic:
      • Aramaic: מִן (min)
        • Classical Syriac: ܡܺܢ (min)
      • Canaanite:
        • Hebrew: מִן (min)
        • Phoenician: 𐤌𐤍 (mn), 𐤌- (m-)
          • Punic: 𐤌𐤍 (mn), 𐤌- (m-), my-
    • Old South Arabian:
      • Sabaean: 𐩣𐩬 (mn) (only in inscriptions ascribed to Haram)
    • Safaitic: 𐪃𐪌 (mn /⁠min⁠/), also 𐪃- (m- /⁠mi (with following assimilation?)⁠/)
  • Ethiopian Semitic:
    • Ge'ez: እም (ʾəm), እምነ (ʾəmmənä) (irregular development)
    • Tigre: ምን (mən)
    • Amharic: ምን (mən)

References

• Huehnergard, John (2019) “Proto-Semitic”, in Huehnergard, John and Na'ama Pat-El, editors, The Semitic Languages, 2nd edition, Routledge, →ISBN, page 67
• Weninger, Stefan (2011) “Reconstructive Morphology”, in Weninger, Stefan, editor, The Semitic Languages. An International Handbook (Handbücher zur Sprach- und Kommunikationswissenschaft – Handbooks of Linguistics and Communication Science; 36), Berlin: De Gruyter, →ISBN, page 169