Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/-at-

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

*-t- (syncope)

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Afroasiatic *-t (feminine suffix). The semantic extension from feminine to abstract/collective is comparable (albeit in reverse) to the one of Proto-Indo-European *-h₂, *-eh₂.

Suffix

*-at- f

Feminine-forming suffix.
1. Abstract/collective-forming suffix.
Synonym: *-ay- (on certain words)

Inflection

Declension of *-at-

Case

Singular

Dual

Plural

Nominative

*-atum

*-atāna

*-ātum

Genitive

*-atim

*-atayna

*-ātim

Accusative

*-atam

possessive forms

1st person

*-atī / *-atVya

—

*-atVni

2nd person m

*-atVka

*-atVkumā / *-atVkumay

*-atVkum(ū)

2nd person f

*-atVki

*-atVkin(ā)

3rd person m

*-atVšu

*-atVšumā / *-atVšumay

*-atVšum(ū)

3rd person f

*-atVša

*-atVšin(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: *-atuya for nom. case, *-atiya for gen. case, *-ataya for acc. case, etc.

Declension of 2sg m. possessive form (your/thy m.) *-at-

	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	*-atuka	*-atāka	*-ātuka
Genitive	*-atika	*-atayka	*-ātika
Accusative	*-ataka	*-atayka	*-ātika

Declension of 2sg f. possessive form (your/thy f.) *-at-

	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	*-atuki	*-atāki	*-ātuki
Genitive	*-atiki	*-atayki	*-ātiki
Accusative	*-ataki	*-atayki	*-ātiki

Notes

Syncopation of unstressed vowels caused the form *-t to appear in many nouns; in some descendants, this distinction became lexicalized.
Proto-Semitic numerals from three to ten were formed adding the abstract/collective suffix *-at- to the root. The bare root morpheme continued to be used with feminine nouns, which led to a phenomenon of gendered numerals in various Semitic languages.

Derived terms

*ʔaḫwat- (“sister”)
*bint- (“daughter”)
*baʕlat- (“mistress, lady”)
*ʔilāhat- (“goddess”)
*-atum (nominative absolutive forming-suffix) (+ *-um (singular nominative ending))
- *ṯalāṯatum (“three”)
- *ʔarbaʕatum (“four”)
- *ḫamšatum (“five”)
- *šidṯatum (“six”)
- *šabʕatum (“seven”)
- *ṯamāniyatum (“eight”)
- *tišʕatum (“nine”)
- *ʕaśaratum (“ten”)

Descendants

East Semitic:
- Akkadian: -𒌈 (-(a)tum, feminine suffix)
West Semitic:
- Central Semitic:
  - Arabic: ة (-ah, -at-)
    - Gulf Arabic: ـة (-a)
    - Maltese: -a
  - Northwest Semitic:
    - Aramaic:
      - Classical Syriac: ـܬܳܐ (-tā,-ṯā, feminine suffix), ـܻܝܬܳܐ (-īṯā, feminine suffix), ـܽܘܬܳܐ (-ūṯā, abstract suffix)
    - Canaanite:
      - Hebrew: ־ָה (-a, -â, feminine suffix)
        → Yiddish: ־ה (-e)
      - Hebrew: ־ִית (-ít, -îṯ, feminine suffix)
      - Hebrew: ־וּת (-út, -ûṯ, abstract/collective and feminine suffix)
        → Yiddish: ־ות (-es)
        → English: -oth, -os

References

Huehnergard, John (2019) “Proto-Semitic”, in Huehnergard, John and Na'ama Pat-El, editors, The Semitic Languages, 2nd edition, Routledge, →ISBN

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