Afroasiatic etymology : List with all references

Proto-Afro-Asiatic: *n/lVm(lVm)-

Meaning: ant

Semitic: *nimm- 'ant; louse' ~ *n/lamal- 'ant'

Central Chadic: *lim- 'termite' 1, 'k of insect' 2

East Chadic: *lulm- 'ant' ~ *num- 'termite'

Low East Cushitic: *lulum- 'larvae of mosquitoes'

Notes: Cf. HSED 1693: Arb. nimm-at-; C.Ch. Cf. Dolg AAN 22: Sem; WCh. ŋgum (hardly related), ECh.: Jegu.

Number: 2481

Proto-Semitic: *namal-

Afroasiatic etymology: Afroasiatic etymology

Meaning: ant

Akkadian: namalu (namlu) 'ant' OB, EA [CAD n1 208], [AHw. 725]. Regarded as a WS loan in [CAD] which is probably correct since the OB attestations are limited to personal names whereas the relevant Amarna passage is well known to be written almost entirely in Canaanite (EA 252:16: kī namlu tumḫaṣu lā tikabbilu u tanšuku ḳāti amēli ša yimaḫḫašši 'if one strikes an ant, does not it fight and sting the hand of the man who struck it?', on this passage cf. [Albright 31], [Hueh.], [Hess ...]). In [AHw.], on the contrary, n. is not explicitly defined as a WS loan, pos- sibly because of its supposed attestation in the SB physiognomic omen Kraus Texte 22 IV 1 (šumma ṣuprāšu na-ma-li malâ 'if his nails are full of n.' (according to [CAD], a different lexeme is used here which 'probably refers to cracks or spots on the nails').

Hebrew: nǝmālā 'ant' [KB 701], pB. [Ja. 913]. Attested twice in Proverbs: 6.6 (lēk ʔälnǝmālā ʕāṣēl // rǝʔē dǝrākǟhā waḥăkām 'go to the ant, oh lazy, // look at its behaviour and learn') and 30.25 (hannǝmālīm ʕam lō(ʔ)-ʕāz // wayyākīnū baḳḳayiṣ laḥmām 'ants are not a strong people // but [are able to] prepare their food during the summer').

Syrian Aramaic: nǝmālā 'nidus formicarum' [Brock. 431], [PS 2385].

Arabic: nimm-at- 'une fourmi; un pou' [BK 2 1346], naml- 'fourmi' [BK 2 1349], [Fr. IV 339], [LA XI 678-9].

Mehri: nōmīl 'ant (smaller than a ǝwftáyn)' [JM 299].

Jibbali: nīźín 'ant (smaller than a lǝftín)' [JJ 192].

Harsusi: lōmēl 'ant' [JH 84] (with assimilation of resonants).

Soqotri: nímhil 'ant' [Nakano 118].

Notes: Cf. Akk. lamattu 'ant' [CAD l 67], [AHw. 533], known only from Malku V 61 (equated to the normal Akk. term for ant kulbābu, v. [Landsberger Fauna 136]). Both dictionaries regard it as a WS loan which is likely in view of its attestation in Malku; note, however, that no similar term is known from any WS language. Cf. Hbr. pB. ḥănāmal 'beetle, prob. a species of locusts' [Ja 484], with unexplainable ḥă-. Akk. nimmullu 'a fly' SB [CAD n2 234], [AHw. 790] shows a superficial similarity to the present root but is hardly related in view of a transparent Sumerian etymology (NIM 'Fliege' [IK 759], ^mu-ulMÙL 'Raupe' [IK 691]). [Fron. 297]: *naml-(at-) 'formica' (Mhr., Arb., Syr., Akk.); [KB 701]: Hbr., Arb., Syr., Akk. (namalu, lamattu); [Brock. 431]: Syr., Hbr., Arb.; [Firmage 1155]: Akk., Hbr., Arm., Arb.

Proto-CChadic: *lim-

Afroasiatic etymology: Afroasiatic etymology

Meaning: 'termite' 1, 'k. of insect' 2

Bura: luma 1 [Ann]

Chibak: limà 1

Kapsiki=Higi Kamale: lumà 1

Malgwa: lima1 [Lr]

Munjuk: lumiy 1 [TMnj]

Gude: má-lǝ̀mǝ 2 [Hs]

Proto-EChadic: *lulm- ~ *num-

Afroasiatic etymology: Afroasiatic etymology

Meaning: 'ant' 1, 'termite' 2

Jegu: lólmó 1

Sokoro: num-da 2

Proto-Low East Cushitic: *lu-lum-

Afroasiatic etymology: Afroasiatic etymology

Meaning: 'larvae of mosquitoes'

Somali: lulumo (pl.)

Afroasiatic etymology :

Semitic etymology :

Central Chadic etymology :

East Chadic etymology :

Low East Cushitic etymology :