Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/ʕaṯ̣m-

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

*ʕaṯ̣m- m or f

bone

Inflection

Masculine:

Declension of *ʕaṯ̣m-
case	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*ʕaṯ̣mum	*ʕaṯ̣māna	plural stem + *-ūna
accusative	*ʕaṯ̣mam	*ʕaṯ̣mayna	plural stem + *-īna
genitive	*ʕaṯ̣mim	*ʕaṯ̣mayna	plural stem + *-īna

possessive forms
1^st person	ʕaṯ̣mī / ʕaṯ̣mVya	—	*ʕaṯ̣mVni
2^nd person m	*ʕaṯ̣mVka	ʕaṯ̣mVkumā / ʕaṯ̣mVkumay	*ʕaṯ̣mVkum(ū)
2^nd person f	*ʕaṯ̣mVki	ʕaṯ̣mVkumā / ʕaṯ̣mVkumay	*ʕaṯ̣mVkin(ā)
3^rd person m	*ʕaṯ̣mVšu	ʕaṯ̣mVšumā / ʕaṯ̣mVšumay	*ʕaṯ̣mVšum(ū)
3^rd person f	*ʕaṯ̣mVša	ʕaṯ̣mVšumā / ʕaṯ̣mVšumay	*ʕaṯ̣mVšin(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: *ʕaṯ̣muya for nom. case, *ʕaṯ̣miya for gen. case, *ʕaṯ̣maya for acc. case, etc.

Feminine:

Declension of *ʕaṯ̣m-
case	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*ʕaṯ̣mum	*ʕaṯ̣māna	*ʕaṯ̣mātum
accusative	*ʕaṯ̣mam	*ʕaṯ̣mayna	*ʕaṯ̣mātim
genitive	*ʕaṯ̣mim	*ʕaṯ̣mayna	*ʕaṯ̣mātim

possessive forms
1^st person	ʕaṯ̣mī / ʕaṯ̣mVya	—	*ʕaṯ̣mVni
2^nd person m	*ʕaṯ̣mVka	ʕaṯ̣mVkumā / ʕaṯ̣mVkumay	*ʕaṯ̣mVkum(ū)
2^nd person f	*ʕaṯ̣mVki	ʕaṯ̣mVkumā / ʕaṯ̣mVkumay	*ʕaṯ̣mVkin(ā)
3^rd person m	*ʕaṯ̣mVšu	ʕaṯ̣mVšumā / ʕaṯ̣mVšumay	*ʕaṯ̣mVšum(ū)
3^rd person f	*ʕaṯ̣mVša	ʕaṯ̣mVšumā / ʕaṯ̣mVšumay	*ʕaṯ̣mVšin(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: *ʕaṯ̣muya for nom. case, *ʕaṯ̣miya for gen. case, *ʕaṯ̣maya for acc. case, etc.

Descendants

East Semitic:
- Akkadian: 𒄊𒉻𒁺 (eṣemtum)
West Semitic:
- Central Semitic:
  - Arabic: عَظْم (ʕaẓm) (see there for further descendants)
  - Northwest Semitic:
    - Aramaic: עַטְמָא (ʿaṭmā)
      - Classical Syriac: ܥܰܛܡܳܐ (ʿaṭmā)
    - Canaanite:
      - Hebrew: עֶצֶם ('étsem, ʿéṣem)
      - Phoenician: 𐤏𐤑𐤌 (ʿṣm)
    - Ugaritic: 𐎓𐎑𐎎 (ʿẓm /⁠ʿaẓmu⁠/)
- Ethiopian Semitic:
  - Amharic: አጥንት (ʾäṭnət)
  - Ge'ez: ዐፅም (ʕäṣ́m), ዐጽም (ʕäṣm), አጽም (ʔäṣm)
    - →? Amharic: አጽም (ʾäṣm, “skeleton”)
  - Tigrinya: ዓጽሚ (ʕaṣmi)

References

Alexander Militarev: Semitic etymology; entry *ʕat_̣m-(at-).
Leslau, Wolf (1991) Comparative Dictionary of Geʿez (Classical Ethiopic), 2nd edition, Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz, →ISBN, page 58