Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/yad-

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

*yad- f

hand

Inflection

Declension of *yad-
case	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*yadum	*yadāna	plural stem + *-ūna
accusative	*yadam	*yadayna	plural stem + *-īna
genitive	*yadim	*yadayna	plural stem + *-īna

possessive forms
1^st person	yadī / yadVya	—	*yadVni
2^nd person m	*yadVka	yadVkumā / yadVkumay	*yadVkum(ū)
2^nd person f	*yadVki	yadVkumā / yadVkumay	*yadVkin(ā)
3^rd person m	*yadVšu	yadVšumā / yadVšumay	*yadVšum(ū)
3^rd person f	*yadVša	yadVšumā / yadVšumay	*yadVšin(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: *yaduya for nom. case, *yadiya for gen. case, *yadaya for acc. case, etc.

Declension of *yad-
case	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*yadum	*yadāna	*yadātum
accusative	*yadam	*yadayna	*yadātim
genitive	*yadim	*yadayna	*yadātim

possessive forms
1^st person	yadī / yadVya	—	*yadVni
2^nd person m	*yadVka	yadVkumā / yadVkumay	*yadVkum(ū)
2^nd person f	*yadVki	yadVkumā / yadVkumay	*yadVkin(ā)
3^rd person m	*yadVšu	yadVšumā / yadVšumay	*yadVšum(ū)
3^rd person f	*yadVša	yadVšumā / yadVšumay	*yadVšin(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: *yaduya for nom. case, *yadiya for gen. case, *yadaya for acc. case, etc.

Reconstruction notes

The stem *ʔid- appears in multiple branches, raising the question of whether the usual reconstruction is maximally parsimonious.

Descendants

East Semitic:
- Akkadian: 𒀉 (idum, “arm”)
West Semitic:
- Central Semitic:
  - Arabic: يَد (yad)
    - Egyptian Arabic: ايد (īd)
    - Gulf Arabic: ايد (īd)
    - Maltese: id, jedd
    - Moroccan Arabic: يد (yadd, yidd), ايد (ʔīd)
  - Northwest Semitic:
    - Aramaic: יְדָא (yəḏā), יַד (yaḏ)
      - Classical Syriac: ܐܺܝܕܳܐ (ʾīḏā)
    - Canaanite:
      - Hebrew: יָד (yad, yāḏ)
      - Phoenician: 𐤉𐤃 (yd)
    - Ugaritic: 𐎊𐎄 (yd /⁠yadu⁠/)
  - Old South Arabian:
    - Minaean: 𐩺𐩵 (yd)
    - Old South Arabian: 𐩺𐩵 (yd)
    - Qatabanian: 𐩺𐩵 (yd)
    - Sabaean: 𐩺𐩵 (yd)
- Ethiopian Semitic:
  - Amharic: እጅ (ʾəǧǧ)
  - Ge'ez: እድ (ʾəd)
  - Tigre: እዴ (ʾəde)
  - Tigrinya: ኢድ (ʾid)
- Modern South Arabian:
  - Soqotri: أأد (ə́ʔəd)

References

Kogan, Leonid (2015) Genealogical Classification of Semitic. The Lexical Isoglosses, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, →ISBN
Huehnergard, John (2019) “Proto-Semitic”, in Huehnergard, John and Na'ama Pat-El, editors, The Semitic Languages, 2nd edition, Routledge, →ISBN