Semitic Names of Reptilia in Their Afro-Asiatic Setting : New Etyma for ‘Snake’ and ‘Lizard’

Authors

BLAŽEK Václav TAKÁCS Gábor

Year of publication 2024
Type Article in Periodical
Magazine / Source Acta Orientalia Hungaricae
MU Faculty or unit

Faculty of Arts

Citation
web Domovská stránka
Doi https://doi.org/10.1556/062.2024.00488
Keywords zoonym; Semitic; Afroasiatic; etymology; snake; lizard
Description The present etymological study brings arguments for additionally reconstructing two new zoonyms in Proto-Semitic, (1) *s?ar?- ‘a kind of (poisonous?) snake’, which is attested in two of the most archaic Semitic languages, Akkadian and Eblaite, and perhaps in one representative of the Modern South Arabian lan­guages, Soqotri, and one of Ethio-Semitic, Endegeň, plus indirect traces in Hebrew and Geez; (2) *s?awr-or *s?ur-/*s?ar- ‘lizard’, attested only in Akkadian and Eblaite, but with promising external cognates within Afroasiatic, namely East Cushitic, Chadic, and maybe Egyptian.
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