Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/bayt-

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

Possibly a deverbal. Compare Arabic: بَتَّ (batta).

Noun

*bayt- m

1. house

Inflection

Declension of *bayt-

case	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*baytum	*baytāna	plural stem + *-ūna
accusative	*baytam	*baytayna	plural stem + *-īna
genitive	*baytim
possessive forms
1st person	*baytī / *baytVya	—	*baytVni
2nd person m	*baytVka	*baytVkumā / *baytVkumay	*baytVkum(ū)
2nd person f	*baytVki		*baytVkin(ā)
3rd person m	*baytVšu	*baytVšumā / *baytVšumay	*baytVšum(ū)
3rd person f	*baytVša		*baytVšin(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: *baytuya for nom. case, *baytiya for gen. case, *baytaya for acc. case, etc.

Descendants

• East Semitic:
  • Akkadian: 𒂍 (bītum)
• West Semitic:
  • Central Semitic:
    • Arabic: بَيْت (bayt)
      • Egyptian Arabic: بيت (bēt)
      • Gulf Arabic: بيت (bēt)
      • Hijazi Arabic: بيت (bēt)
      • Maltese: bejt
      • Moroccan Arabic: بيت (bīt), بيت (bayt)
      • → Azerbaijani: beyt
      • → Malay: bait
      • → Persian: بیت (beyt)
        • → Urdu: بیت (bait)
    • Northwest Semitic:
      • Aramaic:

        Biblical Aramaic: בַּיְתָא (bayṯā)

        Jewish Babylonian Aramaic: בֵּיתָא (bēṯā)

        • Classical Syriac: ܒܱ݁ܝܬܴ݁ܐ (baytā)
        • Lishana Deni: ביתא (bēṯa)
        • Mandaic: ࡁࡉࡕ (bīt)
        • Central Neo-Aramaic:

          Turoyo: ܒܰܝܬܳܐ (bayto)

      • Old South Arabian: 𐩨𐩺𐩩 (byt)
        • Sabaean: 𐩨𐩺𐩩 (byt)
      • Canaanite:
        • Hebrew: בַּיִת (báyit, báyiṯ)
        • Phoenician: 𐤁𐤕 (bt), 𐤁𐤉𐤕 (byt)
          • Punic: 𐤁𐤕 (bt /⁠bēth⁠/)
      • Ugaritic: 𐎁𐎚 (bt /⁠bêtu⁠/)
  • Ethiopian Semitic:
    • Amharic: ቤት (bet)
    • Ge'ez: ቤት (bet)
    • Tigrinya: ቤት (bet)

References

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