Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/ʕapar-

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

*ʕapar- m

soil, dust

Inflection

Declension of *ʕapar-
case	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*ʕaparum	*ʕaparāna	plural stem + *-ūna
accusative	*ʕaparam	*ʕaparayna	plural stem + *-īna
genitive	*ʕaparim	*ʕaparayna	plural stem + *-īna

possessive forms
1^st person	ʕaparī / ʕaparVya	—	*ʕaparVni
2^nd person m	*ʕaparVka	ʕaparVkumā / ʕaparVkumay	*ʕaparVkum(ū)
2^nd person f	*ʕaparVki	ʕaparVkumā / ʕaparVkumay	*ʕaparVkin(ā)
3^rd person m	*ʕaparVšu	ʕaparVšumā / ʕaparVšumay	*ʕaparVšum(ū)
3^rd person f	*ʕaparVša	ʕaparVšumā / ʕaparVšumay	*ʕaparVšin(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: *ʕaparuya for nom. case, *ʕapariya for gen. case, *ʕaparaya for acc. case, etc.

Descendants

East Semitic:
- Akkadian: 𒅖 (eperum)
West Semitic:
- Central Semitic:
  - Arabic: عَفَر (ʕafar) (possibly borrowed from Ancient North Arabian)
  - Northwest Semitic:
    - Aramaic:
      Jewish Babylonian Aramaic: עַפְרָא (ʿap̄rā)
      
      Jewish Palestinian Aramaic: עַפְרָא (ʿap̄rā)
      - Classical Syriac: ܥܰܦܪܳܐ (ʿap̄rā)
    - Canaanite:
      - → Akkadian: [script needed] (ḫa-pa-ru), Akkadian: [script needed] (a-pa-ru) (Amarna letters)
      - Hebrew: עָפָר ('afár, ʿāp̄ār)
    - Ugaritic: 𐎓𐎔𐎗 (ʿpr /⁠ʿaparu⁠/)
- Ethiopian Semitic:
  - Amharic: አፈር (ʾäfär)
  - Argobba: አፈር
  - Ge'ez: አፈር (ʾäfär) (possibly borrowed from Amharic or Hebrew)
  - Harari: አፈር (ʾäfär)
  - Sebat Bet Gurage: አፈር (äfär)
  - Tigrinya: ዓፈር (ʿafär)
- Modern South Arabian:
  - Mehri: ʾōfər (“red”)
  - Hobyót: ʾóofər (“red”)
  - Shehri: ʿɔ́fər (“red”)
  - Soqotri: ʿáfer (“red”)
  - Harsusi: ʾáfer (“red”)

References

Kogan, Leonid (2011) “Proto-Semitic Lexicon”, 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 189