Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/bin-

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 Proto-Afroasiatic *bîn-/*bân- (“to beget”).

Noun

*bin- m (plural *ban-)

1. son

Reconstruction notes

Testen reconstructs *bn-, with an initial consonant cluster, which accounts for the r forms in Aramaic and Modern South Arabian.

Inflection

Declension of *bin-

Case	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	*binum	*bināna	*banūna
Genitive	*binim	*binayna	*banīna
Accusative	*binam
possessive forms
1st person	*binī / *binVya	—	*binVni
2nd person m	*binVka	*binVkumā / *binVkumay	*binVkum(ū)
2nd person f	*binVki		*binVkin(ā)
3rd person m	*binVšu	*binVšumā / *binVšumay	*binVšum(ū)
3rd person f	*binVša		*binVšin(ā)
Note: 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: *binuya for nom. case, *biniya for gen. case, *binaya for acc. case, etc. Declension of 2sg m. possessive form (your/thy m.) *bin- Singular Dual Plural Nominative *binuka *bināka *banūka Genitive *binika *binayka *banīka Accusative *binaka Declension of 2sg f. possessive form (your/thy f.) *bin- Singular Dual Plural Nominative *binuki *bināki *banūki Genitive *biniki *binayki *banīki Accusative *binaki

Derived terms

• *bint- (“daughter”)

Descendants

• East Semitic:
  • Akkadian: 𒁉𒉏 (bīnum)
• West Semitic:
  • Central Semitic:
    • Arabic: اِبْن (ibn), بْن (bn)
      • Hijazi Arabic: ابن (ibin)
      • Maltese: iben
      • Moroccan Arabic: بن (bin)
    • Northwest Semitic:
      • Aramaic: בְּרָא (bərā)
        • Classical Syriac: ܒ݁ܪܳܐ (bərā)
      • Canaanite:
        • Ammonite: 𐤁𐤍 (bn)
        • Edomite: 𐤁𐤍 (bn)
        • Hebrew: בֵּן (ben, bēn)

          Samaritan Hebrew: ࠁࠠ‎ࠍ (ban)

        • Moabite: 𐤁𐤍 (bn)
        • Phoenician: 𐤁𐤍 (bn /⁠bin⁠/)
          • Punic: 𐤁𐤍 (bn)
      • Ugaritic: 𐎁𐎐 (bn /⁠binu⁠/)

References

• Huehnergard, John (2019) “Proto-Semitic”, in Huehnergard, John and Na'ama Pat-El, editors, The Semitic Languages, 2nd edition, Routledge, →ISBN
• Testen, David (1985) "The Significance of Aramaic r < *n" Journal of Near Eastern Studies, Vol. 44, No. 2, pp. 143-146.