Reconstruction:Proto-Berber/iləs

This Proto-Berber 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-Berber

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Afroasiatic *lis-

Proto-Berber *lĭs

Proto-Berber *iləs

Metathesized from earlier *lĭs, from Proto-Afroasiatic *lis- (“tongue”). Cognate with Proto-Semitic *lišān- (“tongue”), Egyptian ns (“tongue”) and Proto-Chadic *lis- (“tongue”).

Noun

*iləs m (construct form *y-iləs, plural *il(ə)s-aw-ăn)

1. tongue
2. language

Descendants

• Northern Berber:
  • Kabyle: iles
  • Atlas:
    • Medieval Tashelhit: ايلس (iles)
      • Tashelhit: ils
    • Central Atlas Tamazight: ⵉⵍⵙ (ils), ⵉⵔⵙ (irs)
  • Zenati:
    • Tarifit: iřes, iles
    • Northern Saharan Berber: iles
• Tuareg:
  • Tamahaq: ilǝs
  • Tamasheq: ilǝs
• Eastern Berber:
  • Ghadames: éləs
  • Awjila: íləs

References

• Marijn van Putten (2019), “Introducción al estudio diacrónico del bereber”, in José Juan Batista Rodríguez, editor, Estudios sobre toponimia canaria prehispánica (in Spanish), Academia Canaria De La Lengua, →ISBN, page 291