Afroasiatic etymology : List with all references

Proto-Afro-Asiatic: *č̣aw-

Meaning: mouse, rat

Semitic: *ʔanyaṣ- ~ *ʔanṣaw/y- 'weasel'

Berber: *ḍaw- 'jerboa'

Western Chadic: *č̣iy- 'field rat'

Central Cushitic (Agaw): *ʔi(n)č̣aw- 'mouse'

Low East Cushitic: *wawač̣- 'mongoose'

Omotic: *ʔi(n)c̣̣aw- 'rat'

Number: 2319

Proto-Semitic: *ʔanyaṣ- ~ *ʔanṣaw/y-

Afroasiatic etymology: Afroasiatic etymology

Meaning: weasel

Akkadian: ayāṣu 'weasel; a bag to carry oil, made of the skin of the weasel' OB on [CAD a1 231], ayyaṣu [AHw. 25]. // In OB as a proper name only. In later periods, in lexical lists (= Sum. DINGIR.NIN.KILIM.EDIN.NA), divinatory and medical texts. Well attested is mašak ayāṣi 'the skind of a.' as a kind of receptacle. Cf. further [Salonen Jagd 163], [Landsberger Fauna 113].

Geʕez (Ethiopian): ʔanṣawā, ʔanṣewā, ʔanṣowā 'mouse, weasel' [LGz. 32] (также ḥanṣawā 'mouse', ḥanṣe id. [ibid. 238]).

Tigre: ʕanṣay, ʔanṣay 'mouse' [LH 476].

Tigrai (Tigriñña): ʔanč̣ǝwa 'topo, sorico' [Bass. 539].

Amharic: ay(ǝ)ṭ 'mouse' [K 1296].

Notes: All Eth. forms are thought to be Cushitisms in [LGz.], though Amh. ayṭ is also compared to Akk. (with an extremely strange observation: "in case it [ayṭ - A.M., L.K.] does not go back to *anṣay, cp. Akk. ayaṣu 'weasel'). Forms very close to the Eth. examples above are indeed quite widespread in Cushitic (v. [SIFKYa 142], *ʕAnC̣Aw- 'mouse, rat'), so that the loan hypothesis is not unlikely and presupposes an Akkadian-Cushitic isogloss (the Eth. forms being of no relevance for the PS reconstruction). However, a contamination of an inherited Sem. word with (ultimately related) Cush. terms cannot be excluded. It is important to observe that only Geez shares with Akk. the meaning 'weasel' while all Neo-Ethiopian (as well as Cushitic) terms // mean only 'mouse'. // As for the Eth. forms in ḥ-, cf. Akk. h̊umṣ/sīr-, h̊umuṣṣīr-, h̊umunṣ/sīr-, h̊a/um(a)sīrum, h̊ab/maṣīr- '`(grosse) Maus' ([big] mouse) ' OAk, Bab.; LL; used as a PN in OAk, OB, and LB; Fauna 105f.; AHw.., p.355; h̊umṣirt-, h̊ab(a)ṣirt- `weiblische Maus' (female mouse) S/LB; PN in LB (Hab/Ha-ba-ṣir-tum/ti); AHw.., p.355 + ЭБЛА.

Proto-Berber: *ḍaw-

Afroasiatic etymology: Afroasiatic etymology

Meaning: 'jerboa'

Ayr: e-ḍǝwi

Tawllemmet: e-ḍǝwi

Proto-WChadic: *č̣iy-

Afroasiatic etymology: Afroasiatic etymology

Meaning: 'field rat'

Hausa: c̣íyō

Proto-Agaw: *ʔinč̣aw-

Afroasiatic etymology: Afroasiatic etymology

Meaning: 'mouse'

Bilin: inšuwaa

Khamir: iečuwaa

Khamta: ač̣uwaa

Qemant: yešwaa

Awiya (Aungi): enc̣aa

Damot: inc̣ii

Proto-Low East Cushitic: *wawač̣-

Afroasiatic etymology: Afroasiatic etymology

Meaning: 'mongoose'

Oromo (Galla): wawwač̣oo

Proto-Omotic: *ʔi(n)č̣aw-

Afroasiatic etymology: Afroasiatic etymology

Meaning: 'rat'

Ometo: uc̣aa

Kafa (Kaficho): ič̣oo

Bworo (Shinasha): inč̣oo (Lamb Wol: iinc̣a)

Gimirra (Benesho, She): uč̣/c̣

Sheko: iič̣č̣o

Notes: Cf. LambWol 276-7). Note fluctuations of vowels in the prefix

Afroasiatic etymology :

Semitic etymology :

Berber etymology :

West Chadic etymology :

Central Cushitic (Agaw) etymology :

Low East Cushitic etymology :

Omotic etymology :