Afroasiatic etymology : List with all references

Proto-Afro-Asiatic: *samsam- (?)

Meaning: insect

Semitic: *šumšum- 'red ant'

East Chadic: *samsam- 'flea'

Notes: Scarce data.

Number: 2529

Proto-Semitic: *šumšum-

Afroasiatic etymology: Afroasiatic etymology

Meaning: ant

Judaic Aramaic: šumšǝmānā 'ant' [Ja. 1537] (in [Levy WT II 466] and [Levy WTM IV 527] also šūšǝmānā, šūmǝšānā).

Syrian Aramaic: šawšǝmānā 'formica; myrmecoleo' [Brock. 767], [PS 4343].

Mandaic Aramaic: šušmana 'ant' [DM 458].

Arabic: sumsum- 'fourmie rouge' [BK 1 1138], [Fr. II 353], [Lane 1420], [LA XII 305] (in the last two sources also simsimat- and sam(m)āmat-).

Notes: Cf. Sod. mašo 'kind of ant' [LGur. 433] (metathesis of an original non-reduplicated base?). Cf. Tgr. šašǝnte 'ants' [LH 214] with -n- instead of -m- (note the similarity in morphological structure with the Arm. forms), but see Tna. šišo 'specie di formica grossa e nera, il cui pizzico e doloroso' [Bass. 226] (compared to *sV̄s- 'moth', No. ...).

Proto-EChadic: *sam-sam-

Afroasiatic etymology: Afroasiatic etymology

Meaning: 'flea'

Lele: sàmàsàmà [Grg]

Afroasiatic etymology :

Semitic etymology :

East Chadic etymology :