Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/malk-

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

*malk- m

1. king, prince

Declension

Declension of *malk-

Case	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	*malkum	*malkāna	plural stem + *-ūna
Genitive	*malkim	*malkayna	plural stem + *-īna
Accusative	*malkam
possessive forms
1st person	*malkī / *malkVya	—	*malkVni
2nd person m	*malkVka	*malkVkumā / *malkVkumay	*malkVkum(ū)
2nd person f	*malkVki		*malkVkin(ā)
3rd person m	*malkVšu	*malkVšumā / *malkVšumay	*malkVšum(ū)
3rd person f	*malkVša		*malkVšin(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: *malkuya for nom. case, *malkiya for gen. case, *malkaya for acc. case, etc. Declension of 2sg m. possessive form (your/thy m.) *malk- Singular Dual Plural Nominative *malkuka *malkāka plural stem + *-ūka Genitive *malkika *malkayka plural stem + *-īka Accusative *malkaka Declension of 2sg f. possessive form (your/thy f.) *malk- Singular Dual Plural Nominative *malkuki *malkāki plural stem + *-ūki Genitive *malkiki *malkayki plural stem + *-īki Accusative *malkaki

Reconstruction notes

Sometimes reconstructed as *malik- to account for the Arabic form, which is otherwise irregular and perhaps the lack of vowels in Semitic scripts accounts for such irregularities.

Descendants

• East Semitic:
  • Akkadian: 𒈠𒀠𒆪𒌝 (malkum)
• West Semitic:
  • Central Semitic:
    • (perhaps borrowed from Aramaic) Arabic: مَلِك (malik)
      • Gulf Arabic: مَلِك (malik)
      • → Armenian: մելիք (melikʻ)
      • → Maranao: malik
      • → Classical Persian: مَلِک (malik)
        • Iranian Persian: ملک (malek)
        • Tajik: малик (malik)
      • → Malay: malik
        • Indonesian: malik
      • → Sanskrit: मलिक (malika)
      • → Ottoman Turkish: ملك (melik)
        • Turkish: melik
        • → Serbo-Croatian: mèlik／мѐлик
    • Northwest Semitic:
      • Aramaic:

        Imperial Aramaic: 𐡌𐡋𐡊𐡀 (malkā)

        Jewish Babylonian Aramaic: מַלְכָּא (malkā)

        • Mandaic: ࡌࡀࡋࡊࡀ (malkā)
        • Classical Syriac: ܡܰܠܟܴ݁ܐ (malkā)
      • Canaanite:
        • Ammonite: 𐤌𐤋𐤊 (mlk)
        • Hebrew: מֶלֶךְ (mélekh, méleḵ)
        • Moabite: 𐤌𐤋𐤊 (mlk)
        • Phoenician: 𐤌𐤋𐤊 (mlk /⁠milk⁠/)
      • Ugaritic: 𐎎𐎍𐎋 (mlk /⁠malku⁠/)
    • Old South Arabian:
      • Minaean: 𐩣𐩡𐩫 (mlk)
      • Sabaean: 𐩣𐩡𐩫 (mlk)
      • Qatabanian: 𐩣𐩡𐩫 (mlk)
    • Safaitic: 𐪃𐪁𐪋 (mlk)
  • Ethiopian Semitic *ʔamlāk- (originally a broken plural)
    • Amharic: አምላክ (ʾämlak, “god”)
    • Ge'ez: አምላክ (ʾämlak, “god”)