Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/-at-

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

*-t- (syncope)

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Afroasiatic *-t (feminine suffix). The semantic extension from feminine to abstract/collective is comparable (albeit in reverse) to the one of Proto-Indo-European *-h₂, *-eh₂.

Suffix

*-at- f

Feminine-forming suffix.
Synonym: *-ay- (on certain words)
1. Abstract/collective-forming suffix.

Inflection

Declension of *-at-
case	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*-atum	*-atāna	*-ātum
accusative	*-atam	*-atayna	*-ātim
genitive	*-atim	*-atayna	*-ātim

possessive forms
1^st person	-atī / -atVya	—	*-atVni
2^nd person m	*-atVka	-atVkumā / -atVkumay	*-atVkum(ū)
2^nd person f	*-atVki	-atVkumā / -atVkumay	*-atVkin(ā)
3^rd person m	*-atVšu	-atVšumā / -atVšumay	*-atVšum(ū)
3^rd person f	*-atVša	-atVšumā / -atVšumay	*-atVšin(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: *-atuya for nom. case, *-atiya for gen. case, *-ataya for acc. case, etc.

Notes

Syncopation of unstressed vowels caused the form *-t to appear in many nouns; in some descendants, this distinction became lexicalized.
Proto-Semitic numerals from three to ten were formed adding the abstract/collective suffix *-at- to the root. The bare root morpheme continued to be used with feminine nouns, which led to a phenomenon of gendered numerals in various Semitic languages.

Derived terms

*-atum (nominative absolutive forming-suffix) (+ *-um (singular nominative ending))
- *tišʕatum (“nine”)
- *šabʕatum (“seven”)
- *šidṯatum (“six”)
- *ʔarbaʕatum (“four”)
- *ʕaśaratum (“ten”)
- *ḫamšatum (“five”)
- *ṯalāṯatum (“three”)
- *ṯamāniyatum (“eight”)
*baʕlat- (“mistress, lady”)
*bint- (“daughter”)
*ʔaḫwat- (“sister”)
*ʔilāhat- (“goddess”)

Descendants

East Semitic:
- Akkadian: -𒌈 (-(a)tum, feminine suffix)
West Semitic:
- Central Semitic:
  - Arabic: ـَة (-a)
    - Gulf Arabic: ـة (-a)
    - Maltese: -a
    - → Classical Persian: ـَه (-a)
  - Northwest Semitic:
    - Aramaic:
      - Classical Syriac: ـܬܳܐ (-tā,-ṯā, feminine suffix), ـܻܝܬܳܐ (-īṯā, feminine suffix), ـܽܘܬܳܐ (-ūṯā, abstract suffix)
    - Canaanite:
      - Hebrew: ־ָה (-a, -â, feminine suffix)
        → Yiddish: ־ה (-e)
      - Hebrew: ־ִית (-ít, -îṯ, feminine suffix)
      - Hebrew: ־וּת (-út, -ûṯ, abstract/collective and feminine suffix)
        → Yiddish: ־ות (-es)
        → English: -oth, -os

References

Huehnergard, John (2019) “Proto-Semitic”, in Huehnergard, John and Na'ama Pat-El, editors, The Semitic Languages, 2nd edition, Routledge, →ISBN