Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/baʕlat-

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

Etymology

From *baʕl- (“master”) +‎ *-at- (feminine suffix).

Noun

*baʕlat- f

mistress, lady
Coordinate term: *ṣ́arrat-

Inflection

Declension of *baʕlat-
case	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*baʕlatum	*baʕlatāna	*baʕlātum
accusative	*baʕlatam	*baʕlatayna	*baʕlātim
genitive	*baʕlatim	*baʕlatayna	*baʕlātim

possessive forms
1^st person	baʕlatī / baʕlatVya	—	*baʕlatVni
2^nd person m	*baʕlatVka	baʕlatVkumā / baʕlatVkumay	*baʕlatVkum(ū)
2^nd person f	*baʕlatVki	baʕlatVkumā / baʕlatVkumay	*baʕlatVkin(ā)
3^rd person m	*baʕlatVšu	baʕlatVšumā / baʕlatVšumay	*baʕlatVšum(ū)
3^rd person f	*baʕlatVša	baʕlatVšumā / baʕlatVšumay	*baʕlatVšin(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: *baʕlatuya for nom. case, *baʕlatiya for gen. case, *baʕlataya for acc. case, etc.

Descendants

East Semitic:
- Akkadian: 𒎏 (bēltum)
West Semitic:
- Central Semitic:
  - Arabic: بَعْلَة (baʕla)
  - Northwest Semitic:
    - Aramaic:
      Palmyrene Aramaic: 𐡡𐡰𐡫𐡶𐡪 (bʿltk, literally “your lady”)
      - Classical Syriac: ܒܱ݁ܥܠܬܴ݁ܐ (baʿltā)
    - Canaanite:
      - Biblical Hebrew: בַּעֲלָה (baʿălâ), בַּעֲלָת (baʿălāṯ)
      - Phoenician: 𐤁𐤏𐤋𐤕 (bʿlt)
    - Ugaritic: 𐎁𐎓𐎍𐎚 (bʿlt)
  - → Akkadian: 𒁀𒀪𒀠𒌅 (ba-ʾ-al-tu /⁠baʾaltu⁠/), 𒁀𒀪𒆷𒌅 (ba-ʾ-la-tu /⁠baʾlatu⁠/)
- Modern South Arabian:
  - Mehri: bālīt
  - Shehri: āʿlét, baʿalét
  - Soqotri: báləh

References

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