Group of South Semitic languages of Arabia and Socotra From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Modern South Arabian languages (MSALs),[1][2] also known as Eastern South Semitic languages, are a group of endangered languages spoken by small populations inhabiting the Arabian Peninsula, in Yemen and Oman, and Socotra Island. Together with the Ethiosemitic and Sayhadic languages, the Western branch, they form the South Semitic sub-branch of the Afroasiatic language family's Semitic branch.
| Modern South Arabian | |
|---|---|
| Eastern South Semitic, Southeastern Semitic | |
| Geographic distribution | Yemen and Oman |
| Linguistic classification | Afro-Asiatic
|
| Subdivisions | |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | – |
| Glottolog | mode1252 |
| |
Mehri and Hobyot are spoken in both Yemen and Oman. Soqotri is only spoken in the Yemeni archipelago of Socotra, and the Harsusi, Bathari, and Shehri languages are only spoken in Oman.[3]
In his glottochronology-based classification, Alexander Militarev presents the Modern South Arabian languages as a South Semitic branch opposed to a North Semitic branch that includes all the other Semitic languages.[4][5] They are no longer considered to be descendants of the Old South Arabian language, as was once thought, but instead "nephews". Despite the name, they are not closely related to the Arabic language.
Modern South Arabian languages are known for their apparent archaic Semitic features, especially in their system of phonology. For example, they preserve the lateral fricatives of Proto-Semitic.
Additionally, Militarev identified a Cushitic substratum in Modern South Arabian, which he proposes is evidence that Cushitic speakers originally inhabited the Arabian Peninsula alongside Semitic speakers (Militarev 1984, 18–19; cf. also Belova 2003). According to Václav Blažek, this suggests that Semitic peoples assimilated their original Cushitic neighbours to the south who did not later emigrate to the Horn of Africa. He argues that the Levant would thus have been the Proto-Afro-Asiatic Urheimat, from where the various branches of the Afro-Asiatic family subsequently dispersed. To further support this, Blažek cites analysis of rock art in Central Arabia by Anati (1968, 180–84), which notes a connection between the shield-carrying "oval-headed" people depicted on the cave paintings and the Arabian Cushites from the Old Testament, who were similarly described as carrying specific shields.[6]
Proto-Modern South Arabian reconstructions by Roger Blench (2019):[7]
| Gloss | singular | plural |
|---|---|---|
| one | *tʕaad, *tʕiit | |
| two | *ṯrooh, *ṯereṯ | |
| three | *ʃahṯayt | |
| four | *ʔorbac, *raboot | |
| five | *xəmmoh | |
| six | m. *ʃɛɛt, f. *ʃətəət | |
| seven | m. *ʃoobeet, f. *ʃəbət | |
| eight | m. θəmoonit, f. θəmoonit | |
| nine | m. *saʕeet, f. *saaʕet | |
| ten | m. *ʕɔ́ɬər, f. *ʕəɬiireet | |
| head | *ḥəəreeh | |
| eye | *ʔaayn | *ʔaayəəntən |
| ear | *ʔeyðeen | *ʔiðānten |
| nose | *nəxreer | *nəxroor |
| mouth | *xah | *xwuutən |
| hair | *ɬəfeet | *ɬéef |
| hand/arm | *ḥayd | *ḥaadootən |
| leg | *faaʕm | *fʕamtən |
| foot | *géedəl | *(ha-)gdool |
| blood | *ðoor | *ðiiriín |
| breast | *θɔɔdɛʔ | *θədií |
| belly | *hóofəl | *hefool |
| sea | *rɛ́mrəm | *roorəm |
| path, road | *ḥóorəm | *ḥiiraám |
| mountain | *kərmām | *kərəəmoom |
| rock, stone | *ṣar(fét) | *ṣeref |
| rock, stone | *ṣəwər(fet) | *ṣəfáyr |
| rock, stone | *ʔoobən | |
| rock, stone | *fúdún | |
| fish | *ṣódəh | *ṣyood |
| hyena | *θəbiiriin | |
| turtle | *ḥameseh | *ḥoms(tə) |
| louse | *kenemoot | *kenoom |
| man | *ɣayg | *ɣəyuug |
| woman | *teeθ | |
| male child | *ɣeg | |
| child | *mber | |
| water | *ḥəmooh | |
| fire | *ɬəweeṭ | *ɬewṭeen |
| milk | *ɬxoof | *ɬxefən |
| salt | *məɮḥɔ́t | |
| night | *ʔaṣeer | *leyli |
| day | *ḥəyoomet | PWMSA *yiim |
| net | PWMSA *liix | *leyuux |
| wind | *mədenut | *medáyten |
| I, we | *hoh | *nəhan |
| you, m. | *heet | *ʔəteem |
| you, f. | *hiit | *ʔeteen |
| he, they m. | *heh | *həəm |
| she, they f. | *seeh | *seen |
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