Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/ʔirbay-

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

Alternative reconstructions

*ʔarbay-

Etymology

From *ʔirb- +‎ *-ay- (“feminine suffix”).

Noun

*ʔirbay- f

locust

Inflection

Declension of *ʔirbay-
case	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*ʔirbayum	*ʔirbayāna	plural stem + *-ūna
accusative	*ʔirbayam	*ʔirbayayna	plural stem + *-īna
genitive	*ʔirbayim	*ʔirbayayna	plural stem + *-īna

possessive forms
1^st person	ʔirbayī / ʔirbayVya	—	*ʔirbayVni
2^nd person m	*ʔirbayVka	ʔirbayVkumā / ʔirbayVkumay	*ʔirbayVkum(ū)
2^nd person f	*ʔirbayVki	ʔirbayVkumā / ʔirbayVkumay	*ʔirbayVkin(ā)
3^rd person m	*ʔirbayVšu	ʔirbayVšumā / ʔirbayVšumay	*ʔirbayVšum(ū)
3^rd person f	*ʔirbayVša	ʔirbayVšumā / ʔirbayVšumay	*ʔirbayVšin(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: *ʔirbayuya for nom. case, *ʔirbayiya for gen. case, *ʔirbayaya for acc. case, etc.

Descendants

East Semitic:
- Akkadian: 𒉅𒄭𒀀 (erbum) (without feminine suffix)
- Eblaite: 𒅕𒉈𒈝 (ir-bi₂-num₂ /⁠ʾerbênum⁠/), 𒉆𒆳 (BURU₅.KUR)
West Semitic:
- Central Semitic:
  - Arabic: إِرْبِيَان (ʔirbiyān, “shrimp”), رُوبِيَان (rūbiyān), رُوبْيَان (rūbyān), رُبْيَان (rubyān) (the former is exclusive in the first centuries of Classical Arabic)
  - Northwest Semitic:
    - Aramaic:
      Old Aramaic: 𐤀𐤓𐤁𐤄 (ʾrbh)
      - Classical Syriac: ܐܰܪܒܻ݁ܝܬܳܐ (ʾarbīṯā, “shrimp”)
    - Canaanite:
      - Biblical Hebrew: אַרְבֶּה (ʾarbɛ̂)
        Israeli Hebrew: אַרְבֶּה (arbé)
    - Ugaritic: 𐎛𐎗𐎁𐎊 (ỉrby /⁠ʾirbayu⁠/)
  - Old South Arabian:
    - Sabaean: 𐩱𐩧𐩨𐩺 (ʾrby)
- Ethiopian Semitic:
  - South Ethiopian:
    - ^? Gurage:
      - Chaha: ወረባ (wäräba, “kind of cockroach”)
      - Sebat Bet Gurage: ወረባ (wäräba, “kind of cockroach”)
      - Inor: ወረቫ (wäräḇa, “kind of cockroach”)
      - Kistane: ዎራባ (woraba, “kind of cockroach”)
      - Muher: ወረባ (wäräba, “kind of cockroach”)
- Modern South Arabian:
  - Mehri: ḥarbyēt
  - Harsusi: harbēt
  - Shehri: ʾírbɔ́t
  - Soqotri: ʾerbhíyoh

References

Militarev, Alexander, Kogan, Leonid (2000) Semitic Etymological Dictionary, volumes I: Anatomy of Man and Animals, Münster: Ugarit-Verlag, →ISBN, pages 15–16, Nr. 11