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Cited by 2Language, Linguistics, Cultural AnalysisLinguistics and language evolutionBiblical Studies and Interpretation

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(Northwest) Semitic sg. *CVCC-, pl. *CVCaC-ū-: Broken plural or regular reflex?

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Suchard, Benjamin D., Groen, Jorik (F.J.)·2021·Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies
DOI 10.1017/s0041977x2100001x
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Abstract

This paper provides a new explanation for the insertion of *a in plural forms of *CVCC-nouns also formed with an external plural suffix, e.g. *ʕabd-: *ʕabad-ū-‘servant(s)’, in various Semitic languages. This *CVCaC-ū-pattern is usually considered to be a remnant of the Proto-Semitic broken plural system in Northwest Semitic, but we show that it goes back to Proto-Semitic in this form. Internal evidence from Semitic as well as comparative evidence from Afroasiatic points towards a pre-Proto-Semitic plural suffix *-w-underlying the external plural suffixes. This suffix created a consonant cluster in the plural of *CVCC-nouns, triggering epenthesis of *a. As the prime example of broken plural formation in Northwest Semitic thus seems to be purely suffixal in origin, we conclude by briefly considering the implications for the history of nominal pluralization in Semitic.

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  • Long case vowels before suffixes in the feminine plural and masculine adjectival plural are most likely analogical with the substantival masculine plural ending ū/ī.

    “But these long vowels are most likely analogical with the substantival masculine plural ending ū/ī(von Soden 1995: §65k).”

    From The Reconstruction of the Proto-Semitic Genitive Ending and a Suggestion on its Origin (2021) · cites this paper as Suchard & Groen 2021

    Section 3 (page unavailable) reconstructs the feminine plural with short case vowels, *-āt-u/i-, rather than long vowels copied from masculine *-ū/ī-. Section 4 explicitly questions the proposal that the feminine endings were copied from the masculine plural. The paper does not establish the claimed analogy for the masculine adjectival plural either. (LLM, conf=0.87)

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  • Based on their similar inflection in various West Semitic languages and Akkadian, the kinship terms 'father', 'brother', and 'husband's father' can be reconstructed for Proto-Semitic with bound state case vowels *-ū, *-ī, *-ā.

    “Based on their similar inflection in various West Semitic languages and Akkadian, these words can be reconstructed for Proto-Semitic as in Table 8.”

    From The Reconstruction of the Proto-Semitic Genitive Ending and a Suggestion on its Origin (2021) · cites this paper as Suchard & Groen 2021

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Citations

Cites

  • Proto-Semitic

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    “7 Cf. Hasselbach 2007: 124; Weninger 2011: 165; Al-Jallad and Van Putten 2017; Huehnergard 2019: 60.”
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Metadata

Authors
Suchard, B. D., & Groen, J. (. J. ).
Affiliations
Leiden University (NL)
Corresponding author
  • Suchard, Benjamin D.
  • Groen, Jorik (F.J.)
ORCID
Venue
Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies
Publisher
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Published
2021-02
Volume
84
Issue
1
Pages
1-17
ISSN
  • 0041-977X (ISSN-L)
  • 1474-0699
DOI
10.1017/s0041977x2100001x
OpenAlex
W3159043135
Cited by
2
References
1
Citations by year
2025: 1 · 2023: 1
FWCI
0.87
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Lirias (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • Leiden Repository (Leiden University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • VU Research Portal (submittedVersion)
  • Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Language and Linguistics › Language, Linguistics, Cultural Analysis
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Language and Linguistics › Linguistics and language evolution
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Religious studies › Biblical Studies and Interpretation
Keywords
broken plural, Proto-Semitic, epenthesis

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