Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/ḏanab-

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 forms

*ḏinab-

Etymology

Most likely from Proto-Afroasiatic *danb- (“hindquarters”). The Iranian terms belonging to Persian (donb), albeit identical in form and meaning to Aramaic words for tail, are unrelated.

Noun

*ḏanab- m

tail

Inflection

Declension of *ḏanab-
case	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*ḏanabum	*ḏanabāna	plural stem + *-ūna
accusative	*ḏanabam	*ḏanabayna	plural stem + *-īna
genitive	*ḏanabim	*ḏanabayna	plural stem + *-īna

possessive forms
1^st person	ḏanabī / ḏanabVya	—	*ḏanabVni
2^nd person m	*ḏanabVka	ḏanabVkumā / ḏanabVkumay	*ḏanabVkum(ū)
2^nd person f	*ḏanabVki	ḏanabVkumā / ḏanabVkumay	*ḏanabVkin(ā)
3^rd person m	*ḏanabVšu	ḏanabVšumā / ḏanabVšumay	*ḏanabVšum(ū)
3^rd person f	*ḏanabVša	ḏanabVšumā / ḏanabVšumay	*ḏanabVšin(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: *ḏanabuya for nom. case, *ḏanabiya for gen. case, *ḏanabaya for acc. case, etc.

Descendants

East Semitic:
- Akkadian: 𒆲 (zibbatum)
- Eblaite: 𒂠𒈾𒅤 (še₃-na-bu₃), 𒊺𒉈𒅗 (še-ne-buₓ /⁠ḏanabum⁠/)
West Semitic:
- Central Semitic:
  - Arabic: ذَنَب (ḏanab)
    - Maltese: denb
  - Northwest Semitic:
    - Aramaic:
      Jewish Literary Aramaic: דַּנְבָא (danḇā), דּוּנּבָא (dunḇā)
      
      Jewish Babylonian Aramaic: דַּנְבָא (danḇā)
      
      Christian Palestinian Aramaic: ܕܢܘܒܐ (or this is a manuscript error and it is like in Syriac)
      - Classical Syriac: ܕܾ݁ܘܢܒ݁ܐ (dunḇā)
      - Classical Mandaic: ࡃࡍࡀࡁ (dnab), ࡃࡉࡍࡁࡀ (dinba), ࡃࡉࡍࡀࡁࡕࡀ (dinabta), ࡃࡉࡍࡉࡐࡕࡀ (dinipta), ࡃࡀࡍࡉࡐࡕࡀ (danipta)
    - Canaanite:
      - Hebrew: זָנָב (zanáv, zānāḇ)
    - Ugaritic: 𐎏𐎐𐎁 (ḏnb /⁠ḏanabu⁠/), 𐎏𐎐𐎁𐎚 (ḏnbt /⁠ḏanabatu⁠/)
- Ethiopian Semitic:
  - Ge'ez: ዘነብ (zänäb)
    - → Amharic: ዘነብ (zänäb), ዘለብ (zäläb) (learned)
    - → Tigrinya: ዘነብ (zänäb) (learned)
  - Tigre: ዘነብ (zänäb)
- Modern South Arabian:
  - Mehri: ḏənūb
  - Harsusi: ḏenēb
  - Shehri: ḏúnúb
  - Soqotri: dínob

References

Militarev, Alexander, Kogan, Leonid (2000) Semitic Etymological Dictionary, volumes I: Anatomy of Man and Animals, Münster: Ugarit-Verlag, →ISBN, pages 60–61 Nr. 64