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 دنب (donb), albeit identical in form and meaning to Aramaic words for tail, are unrelated.

Noun

*ḏanab- m

1. tail

Inflection

Declension of *ḏanab-

Case	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	*ḏanabum	*ḏanabāna	plural stem + *-ūna
Genitive	*ḏanabim	*ḏanabayna	plural stem + *-īna
Accusative	*ḏanabam
possessive forms
1st person	*ḏanabī / *ḏanabVya	—	*ḏanabVni
2nd person m	*ḏanabVka	*ḏanabVkumā / *ḏanabVkumay	*ḏanabVkum(ū)
2nd person f	*ḏanabVki		*ḏanabVkin(ā)
3rd person m	*ḏanabVšu	*ḏanabVšumā / *ḏanabVšumay	*ḏanabVšum(ū)
3rd person f	*ḏanabVša		*ḏanabVšin(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: *ḏanabuya for nom. case, *ḏanabiya for gen. case, *ḏanabaya for acc. case, etc. Declension of 2sg m. possessive form (your/thy m.) *ḏanab- Singular Dual Plural Nominative *ḏanabuka *ḏanabāka plural stem + *-ūka Genitive *ḏanabika *ḏanabayka plural stem + *-īka Accusative *ḏanabaka Declension of 2sg f. possessive form (your/thy f.) *ḏanab- Singular Dual Plural Nominative *ḏanabuki *ḏanabāki plural stem + *-ūki Genitive *ḏanabiki *ḏanabayki plural stem + *-īki Accusative *ḏanabaki

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