Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/biʔr-

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

*biʔr- m

a well

Inflection

Declension of *biʔr-
case	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*biʔrum	*biʔrāna	plural stem + *-ūna
accusative	*biʔram	*biʔrayna	plural stem + *-īna
genitive	*biʔrim	*biʔrayna	plural stem + *-īna

possessive forms
1^st person	biʔrī / biʔrVya	—	*biʔrVni
2^nd person m	*biʔrVka	biʔrVkumā / biʔrVkumay	*biʔrVkum(ū)
2^nd person f	*biʔrVki	biʔrVkumā / biʔrVkumay	*biʔrVkin(ā)
3^rd person m	*biʔrVšu	biʔrVšumā / biʔrVšumay	*biʔrVšum(ū)
3^rd person f	*biʔrVša	biʔrVšumā / biʔrVšumay	*biʔrVšin(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: *biʔruya for nom. case, *biʔriya for gen. case, *biʔraya for acc. case, etc.

Descendants

East Semitic:
- Akkadian: 𒁍𒌨𒋾 (bīrtum)
West Semitic:
- Central Semitic:
  - Arabic: بِئْر (biʔr)
  - Northwest Semitic:
    - Aramaic:
      Jewish Palestinian Aramaic: בְּאֵרָא (bəʾērā)
      
      Jewish Babylonian Aramaic: בֵּירָא (bērā)
      - Classical Syriac: ܒ݁ܐܶܪܰܐ (bəʾerā)
    - Canaanite:
      - Hebrew: בְּאֵר (b'ér, bəʾēr)
    - Ugaritic: 𐎁𐎛𐎗 (bỉr /⁠biʾru⁠/)

References

Kogan, Leonid (2011) “Proto-Semitic Lexicon”, in Weninger, Stefan, editor, The Semitic Languages. An International Handbook (Handbücher zur Sprach- und Kommunikationswissenschaft – Handbooks of Linguistics and Communication Science; 36), Berlin: De Gruyter, →ISBN, page 192