Reconstruction:Proto-West Semitic/gabr-

This Proto-West 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-West Semitic

Etymology

Related to *gabbār-, from a root originally meaning "be strong".

Noun

*gabr- m

1. (strong) man

Reconstruction notes

The Ge'ez term may be an internal derivation, in which case the term would only be possible to reconstruct to Proto-Central Semitic.

Descendants

• Central Semitic:
  • Arabic: جَبْر (jabr, “man; slave, servant”)
  • Northwest Semitic:
    • Aramaic: 𐡂𐡁𐡓𐡀 (gbrʾ /⁠gaḇrā⁠/)
      • Eastern Aramaic:

        Palmyrene Aramaic: 𐡢𐡡𐡴𐡠 (gbrʾ)

        • Jewish Babylonian Aramaic: גַּבְרָא (gaḇrā)
        • Hatran Aramaic: 𐣢𐣡𐣣𐣠 (gbrʾ)
        • Mandaic: ࡂࡁࡓࡀ (gbrʾ)
        • Classical Syriac: ܓܒܪܐ (gbrʾ /⁠gaḇrā⁠/)
        • → Proto-Kurdish: (“big; chief; elder, senior; grown-up, adult; venerable”)

          Central Kurdish: گەورە (gewre)

          Southern Kurdish: گەورە (gewre), گەورا (gewra)

        • → Middle Persian:

          Book Pahlavi script: [Book Pahlavi needed] (GBRA /⁠*garbā; mard⁠/)

          • Persian: گبر (gabr) (see there for further descendants)
      • Western Aramaic:

        Biblical Aramaic: גברא (gbrʾ)

        • Jewish Palestinian Aramaic: גַּבְרָא (gaḇrā)
        • Samaritan Aramaic: ࠂࠁࠓࠀ (gbrʾ /⁠gaḇrā⁠/)
    • Canaanite:
      • Hebrew: גֶּבֶר (géver, geḇer, “man, strong man, warrior”)
• Ethiopian Semitic:
  • Ge'ez: ገብር (gäbr, “slave, servant, bondsman”) (or perhaps an internal derivation)

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 237
• “gbr”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–
• Leslau, Wolf (1991) Comparative Dictionary of Geʿez (Classical Ethiopic), 2nd edition, Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz, →ISBN, page 78