Afroasiatic etymology : List with all references

Proto-Afro-Asiatic: *rimm-

Meaning: insect

Semitic: *rimm-at- 'kind of insect/worm'

Western Chadic: *ma-ryam- 'young or small scorpion'

East Chadic: *ʔi-ririm- 'insect'

Saho-Afar: *rimm- 'worm'

Low East Cushitic: *rimm- 'ant, termite'

High East Cushitic: *ram- 'worm'

Notes: Cf. HSED 2119.

Number: 187

Proto-Semitic: *rimm-at-

Afroasiatic etymology: Afroasiatic etymology

Meaning: kind of insect/worm

Akkadian: rimmatum 'Made (?)' OB [AHw. 986]. The interpretation of r. is ambiguous. Only one possible at- testation was known to von Soden (the omen YOS 10 24.37: šumma elēnu bāb ekallim šīrum kīma ri-im-ma-tim šakin 'if the flesh above the "palace gate" is like r.') which obviously does not allow any definite interpretation. Now, further evidence for r. as an insect name comes from Mari documents, first of all the famous letter A.3080:14 (ri-im-ma-tim ša ki-ša-di-im ša iš-te-et péṣé-et ù iš-te-et ṣa-ar-ma-at 'r. on a river-bank, one of which is white and another is red'). According to J.-M.Durand, r. de- notes here a kind of insect, probably the termites ([Durand 1990 106-7]; cf. also [Heimpel], [Streck 51-2], [Durand 1998 490], [Lion-Michel 722-3]). Note that Durand's interpretation is not accepted in [CAD r 358] where r. is rendered as 'an ornament or bead' and identified with erimmatu 'egg-shaped bead; necklace (of such beads)' [CAD e 294] (according to Durand, when r. is used to denote a kind of jewel in Mari texts, it must be a kind of insect-shapet bead, cf. remarks on Akk. zubbu 'fly' in No. ...). Sceptical comments on Durand's identification see also in Stol 2000 626.

Hebrew: rimmā 'maggot' [KB 1241], pB. 'worm, esp. the worm in man's grave' [Ja. 1481]. Attested almost exclusively in poetry (especially Job), al- ways with the meaning 'grave worm(s)' (so also Sir 7.17 and 10.11). The only non-poetic attestation is different since r. is used to denote worms in food (Ex 16.24: wǝlō(ʔ) hibʔīš wǝ- rimmā lō(ʔ) hāyǝtā bō 'and it did not rot and there was no worm in it'). None of the passages allows to establish whether r. was an animal name denoting the worm itself or a more general term meaning 'something rotten, putrid, worm-eaten' (cf. Arb. below). Parallelism with tōlēʕā 'worm' (in Sir 10.11 also kinnīm 'gnats' and rämäš 'creeping creatures') seems to favour the first sug- gestion, however.

Aramaic: D.-Alla rmh 'vermin' [HJ 1077]. In II.8 (wrmh mn gdš 'and worms from a grave'), difficult contextg (cf. [Hackett 62]). Sam. rmh 'worm' [Tal 838].

Judaic Aramaic: rymh 'type of worm' [Ja. 523].

Syrian Aramaic: remtā 'situs et vermes in rebus putridis' [Brock. 732]

Mandaic Aramaic: rima 'vermin, worms' [DM 433].

Arabic: rimmat- 'fourmi ailée' [BK 1 920], [Fr. II 189], [Lane 1151], [LA XII 255]. The same term is also translated as 'teredo' in [Fr.], 'word-fretter' in [Lane] and ʔal-ʔaraḍatu in [LA] (where this usage is regarded as dialectal). At the same time, cf. the meaning 'morceau de corde vielle et usée; os carié; pourriture, vermoulure' in [BK 1 920], 'cadavre, charogne' in [Dozy I 557].

Notes: It is not impossible that this root is represented in Ugari- tic: - in 1.12 I 11 where mrm may be understood as a collective formation with the mV-prefix meaning 'worms, maggot': kbdn kʔiš tʔikln // t_dn km mrm tḳrṣn 'they are eating our inside like fire // our breast like worms they are gnawing' (cf. [Caquot-Sznycer 335]). This interpretation is not accepted in [DLU 288] and [Del Olmo Mitos 583] where the form in question is understood as a pl. from *mr 'сría de animal, cachorro' (supposed to be borrowed from Assyrian mūru) which is not very convincing (cf. No. ... ); - in 1.2 IV 3-4 where ʔirtm may be understood as a Gt per- fect form with the meaning 'became infested with maggot' whereas tlʕm in the next line is understood as a pl. of tlʕ 'worm' (so [de Moor ...]). This understanding becomes more attractive in view of mnm which ʔirtm according to the current edition of KTU and can be plausibly identified with Akk. mūnu 'сaterpillar' SB, NA [CAD m2 207] well known as a destructive being in Akk. lite- rature. This interpretation is not accepted in [Del Olmo Mitos 174-5] where ʔirt-m and tlʕ-m are understood as anatomic terms meaning 'breast' ('a Yammu el pecho [se le fortaleció] // [al] Juez Naharu la cerviz/el tórax'). On the other hand, KTU's rea- ding of mnm is regarded as highly unreliable in [Tropper UG 244]. ЭТО НАДО ДОДЕЛАТЬ В ГЕРМАНИИ Likely derived from the present term is the common Semitic verbal root *rmm 'to be putrid, worn out etc.': Hbr. rmm 'to de- cay' [KB 1244], Arb. rmm 'dévorer, avaler; être pourri, pourrir' [BK 1 919], [Fr. II 189], [Lane 1150], Mhr. rǝm (yǝrmūm) 'to be ancient, brittle, worn-out' [JM 326], Hrs. rém (yermōm) 'to be worn, frayed' [JH 105], Jib. rimm 'to be brittle, worn, ancient' [JJ 213]. Amh. ram(m)o 'worm' [K 372], rima 'worm' [ibid.] come very close to the Cush. forms listed in [SIFKYa 172] (PCush. *rAmm-) and may be borrowed from a Cushitic lanugage like Oromo. [KB 1241]: Hbr., Ugr. (mrm), Arm., Akk., Arb. (rimmat- 'so- mething old and rotten'); [AHw. 986]: Akk., Hbr., Arb. ('geflügelte Ameise', the form is not quoted); [Brock. 732]: Syr., Hbr., Arb. (without translation).

Proto-WChadic: *may-ram-

Afroasiatic etymology: Afroasiatic etymology

Meaning: 'young or small scorpion'

Hausa: màryamù , mài-ramù, màirō

Proto-EChadic: *ʔi-rim-

Afroasiatic etymology: Afroasiatic etymology

Meaning: 'insect'

Bidiya: ʔìrī́rimo [JBid]

Notes: partial redupl.

Proto-Saho-Afar: *rimm-

Afroasiatic etymology: Afroasiatic etymology

Meaning: 'worm'

Saho: rimme

Proto-Low East Cushitic: *rimm-

Afroasiatic etymology: Afroasiatic etymology

Meaning: 'ant, termite' 1, 'worm, parasite' 2

Oromo (Galla): rimma 1, raammoo 2

Proto-High East Cushitic: *ram-

Afroasiatic etymology: Afroasiatic etymology

Meaning: 'worm'

Sidamo: ram-iččo

Afroasiatic etymology :

Semitic etymology :

West Chadic etymology :

East Chadic etymology :

Saho-Afar etymology :

Low East Cushitic etymology :

High East Cushitic etymology :