Berber etymology : List with all references

Akkadian: napāšu (u/u) 'to breathe freely' OA, OB on [CAD n1 288], [AHw 736]; napištu (napuštu, napaštu, napšatu) 'life, vigor, vitality; breath; throat, neck' OAkk on [CAD n1 296], [AHw 738]

Eblaitic: na-pu-uš-tu-um [KB 711, apud Pettinato] ('soul' ?)

Ugaritic: npš 'Appetit, Begehren; Seele; Lebewesen, Mensch; 'Rachen, Kehle, Schlund' [Aist 211]

Phoenician: npš 'self, desire, person, gravestone' [T 218]

Hebrew: npš (nipʕ) 'to breathe freely, recover' [KB 711]; näpäš 'throat, neck; breath; soul; life; living being' [KB 711-2]

Aramaic: SAMAL OLD OFF NAB PLM HTR npš 'life, person, funerary monument' [HJ 744-9]

Judaic Aramaic: nǝpaš, napšā 'soul; will' [Ja 927] (cf. npš 'rest' [Sok 358])

Syrian Aramaic: npš (Etpe.) 'respiravit' [Brock 441]; napšā 'animus, persona; pyramis funeraria' [Brock 441]

Mandaic Aramaic: NPS̆ 'to breathe, refresh, give life' [DM 304]; napša 'soul, personality, self'; many [ibid. 285]

Arabic: nfs V 'respirer' [BK 2 1310]; nafs- 'âme, principe vital; sang; personne' [BK 2 1310]

Epigraphic South Arabian: SAB nfs₁ 'soul, life, person, self, etc.' [SD 93], QAT nfs₁ do. [Ricks 109], MIN nfs₁ 'âme, personne, soi-même' [LM 66] (cf. also SAB mnfs₁ 'water distributor or distribution system' [Biella 310] translated as 'sluice? settling basin' in [SD 93] and MIN mnfs₁ 'installation destinée à reporter et conduire l'eau provenant d'une grande citerne' [LM 66]; for the semantic shift cf. SAB mnfh_t 'water-distributor' in *nph_ 'to blow, breath, inflate', No. )

Geʕez (Ethiopian): nafsa (ǝ) 'to blow (wind, spirit)' [LGz 389]; nafs 'soul, spirit, breath, life, etc.' [LGz 389]

Tigre: näfsä 'to blow (wind)', tǝnäffäsä 'to breathe, to have a soul' [LH 346]; näfs 'soul, life' [LH 346]

Tigrai (Tigriñña): näfäsä 'soffiare vento; evaporare liquore ecc.' [Bass 468]; näfsi 'anima' [Bass 468]

Amharic: näffäsä 'to blow (wind)' [K 1082]; näfs 'soul, spirit, life' [K 1083]

East Ethiopic: SEL WOL ZWY näfäsä 'to blow (wind)' [LGur 452]; SEL WOL näfs, ZWY näfis 'soul' [LGur 452]

Gurage: CHA END ENN GYE näfäsä, EZHA MUH MAS GOG SOD näffäsä do. [ibid.]; CHA EZHA END ENN GYE MUH MAS GOG SOD näfs do. [ibid.]

Mehri: (?) šǝnfūs 'to welcome' (caus.) [JM 285]; cf. also nǝfh 'to recover from a faint' [JM 284] (< *npš?).

Both verbs are likely related with plausible meaning shifts; nǝfsēt 'individual, soul'

Jibbali: ǝnfés 'to sigh' [JJ 182]; nǝfsɛ́t 'soul' [JJ 182]

Harsusi: nefesét 'soul' [JH 94]

Soqotri: néfoš 'respirer, vivre, se ranimer' [LS 271]; nófoš, pl. of nafh- 'âme; pronom réfléchi de la 1re personne' [LS 271, 260], nefs 'âme' [ibid. 270] (looks very much like an Arabism; cf. also fonŝ 'souffle, âme, vent' [ibid. 338]: a variant root with metathesis?)

Notes: For *-i- see AKK and ZWY. Unseparated from a common SEM noun *nap(i)š- 'soul; vitality, life; person, personality; self' (for *-i- see AKK and ZWY): AKK napištu (napuštu, napaštu, napšatu) 'life, vigor, vitality; breath; throat, neck' OAkk on [CAD n1 296], [AHw 738]; EBLA na-pu-uš-tu-um [KB 711, apud Pettinato] ('soul' ?); UGR npš 'Appetit, Begehren; Seele; Lebewesen, Mensch; 'Rachen, Kehle, Schlund' [Aist 211]; CAN: PHO npš 'self, desire, person, gravestone' [T 218], HBR näpäš 'throat, neck; breath; soul; life; living being' [KB 711-2]; ARM: SAMAL OLD OFF NAB PLM HTR npš 'life, person, funerary monument' [HJ 744-9], JUD nǝpaš, napšā 'soul; will' [Ja 927] (cf. npš 'rest' [Sok 358]), SYR napšā 'animus, persona; pyramis funeraria' [Brock 441], MND napša 'soul, personality, self' [ibid. 285]; ARB nafs- 'âme, principe vital; sang; personne' [BK 2 1310]; ESA: SAB nfs₁ 'soul, life, person, self, etc.' [SD 93], QAT nfs₁ do. [Ricks 109], MIN nfs₁ 'âme, personne, soi-même' [LM 66] (cf. also SAB mnfs₁ 'water distributor or distribution system' [Biella 310] translated as 'sluice? settling basin' in [SD 93] and MIN mnfs₁ 'installation destinée à reporter et conduire l'eau provenant d'une grande citerne' [LM 66]; for the semantic shift cf. SAB mnfh_t 'water-distributor' in *nph_ 'to blow, breath, inflate', No. ); ETH: GEZ nafs 'soul, spirit, breath, life, etc.' [LGz 389], TGR näfs 'soul, life' [LH 346], TNA näfsi 'anima' [Bass 468], AMH näfs 'soul, spirit, life' [K 1083], EAST: SEL WOL näfs, ZWY näfis 'soul' [LGur 452], GUR: CHA EZHA END ENN GYE MUH MAS GOG SOD näfs do. [ibid.]; MSA (possibly Arabisms): MHR nǝfsēt 'individual, soul', HRS nefesét 'soul' [JH 94], JIB nǝfsɛ́t 'soul' [JJ 182], SOQ nófoš, pl. of nafh- 'âme; pronom réfléchi de la 1re personne' [LS 271, 260], nefs 'âme' [ibid. 270] (looks very much like an Arabism; cf. also fonŝ 'souffle, âme, vent' [ibid. 338]: a variant root with metathesis?).

Cf. forms with -b- in various SEM, probably making a variant nominal root *nabš- {} *nabs- (see also *nšb {} *nsb 'to breathe', with metathesis): CAN: PHO nbš 'self, desire, person, gravestone' [T 218]; ARM: SAMAL OLD nbš 'life, person, funerary monument' [HJ 744-9]; ETH GUR: MAS GOG SOD näbs 'soul' [LGur 452].

Cf. *nšp (No. ). Cf. *pšw (1) 'to break wind silently' (No. ) and *pšw (2) 'to breathe, blow' (No. ).

[Maizel 176]; [Fr 38]: *napiš- 'energia vitale' (GEZ, ARB, SYR, HBR, UGR, AKK); [KB 711] verb: HBR, ARM, ARB, AKK, SAB, GEZ, TGR; noun: HBR, EBLA, UGR, ARM, ARB, SAB, GEZ, TGR, AKK; [LGz 389]: GEZ, ARB, HBR, SAB, ARM, UGR, AKK (metathetic nšp in HBR, ARM, AKK and SOQ is also considered)

Proto-WChadic: *n/lu(m)fas-

Afroasiatic etymology: Afroasiatic etymology

Meaning: 'breathe'1, 'rest' 2

Hausa: númfā̀sā, lúmfā̀sā 1, 2

Sha: lufwos 1 [JgR]

Daffo-Butura: nafos 1 [JgR]

Notes: Note *n- > l- due to a labial in inlaut.

Proto-CChadic: *naPus- ~ *su/inP-

Afroasiatic etymology: Afroasiatic etymology

Meaning: 'soul' 1, 'breathe' 2

Mofu-Gudur: -sǝfn- [BMof]

Mafa=Matakam: -sáfn- 2

Munjuk: siŋfi [TMnj]

Logone: náwùsǝ̀ [By]

Musgu: súmfa [LMsg]

Notes: Met. in Mofu and Mnj and assimilation of *-n- > -m- before -f in Msg. Acc. to Stolbova 1996, 99, Ch *-p- > Msg -f-, while Ch *-f- > Msg -v-; Log -w- must reflect *-b- (!).

Proto-Agaw: *nVfVs-

Afroasiatic etymology: Afroasiatic etymology

Meaning: 'blow'

Awiya (Aungi): nefes-ǝn

Proto-Saho-Afar: *nafVs-

Afroasiatic etymology: Afroasiatic etymology

Meaning: 'breathing'

Saho: nafse

Proto-Low East Cushitic: *nefs-

Afroasiatic etymology: Afroasiatic etymology

Meaning: 'breath' 1, 'breathe' 2

Boni: neefso 2

Rendille: nefs'í 1, nefsó, nefs'-áḍa 2

Notes: Heine SAM 1978, 70 compares the Boni and Rend forms to Som neef and Boni nêf (<*na/if- 284), which is less convincing.

Borean (approx.) : NVPV

Meaning : smoke, cloud

Eurasiatic : *nVbV

Afroasiatic : *naPVs- < *na/if- 162 'breath, blow'

Sino-Caucasian : ? ST *ŋŭp 'inhale'

Austric : ? *ŋap yawn

Reference : ND 1556, 1557.

Eurasiatic: *nVbV

Meaning: smoke, cloud

Borean: Borean

Indo-European: *nĕbhV

Altaic: *ni̯òbi

Eskimo-Aleut: *Nuvǝja

Comments: Cf. also PE *ńǝpǝ-Ju-'rain, drizzle' - which, however, can also be compared with PA *ni̯abo 'storm, natural disaster' or *ŋi̯ŏbu 'to pour'.

References: ND 1556 *nop[E] 'breathe, blow', 1557 *n̄[o]pi 'fog, cloud' - with unclear reasons for distinction.

Proto-IE: *nebh-

Nostratic etymology: Nostratic etymology

Meaning: mist, cloud; sky

Hittite: nepis- n. 'Himmel' (Friedrich 150)

Old Indian: nábhas- n. `mist, clouds, vapour', nábha- m. `sky, atmosphere'

Avestan: nabah- n.: pl. 'Luftraum, Himmel'

Old Greek: néphos n.; nephélǟ `Wolke, Gewölk'

Slavic: *nebo, gen. -ese

Baltic: *deb-es-i- (*-es-es), *deb-es-ia- c.

Germanic: *nib-ul-ō f., -a- m.

Latin: nebula f. `Dunst, Nebel; Dampf, Rauch; Wolke'

Celtic: OIr nem n. (es-St.) `Himmel', nēl, gen. niuil m. `Wolke, Nebel', Ir neamh `Himmel'; Cymr nef `Himmel', niwl, nifwl `Wolke, Nebel', NCorn nef `Himmel', niul `Wolke, Nebel', Bret nef `Himmel'

Russ. meaning: туман, облако; (облачное) небо

References: WP I 131 f

Word: не́бо,

Near etymology: мн. небеса́, небе́сный. Заимств. из цслав.; ср. народн. нёбо, укр. не́бо, блр. нёбо, др.-русск. небо, ст.-слав. небо, род. п. небесе οὑρανός (Супр.), болг. небе́, сербохорв. не̏бо, мн. небѐса, словен. nеbо̑, чеш. nеbе, слвц. nеbо, польск. niebo, мн. niebiosa, в.-луж., н.-луж. njebjo.

Further etymology: Балто-слав. основа на -еs, родственно лит. debesìs "облако", др.-лит. род. мн. debesų̃, лтш. debesis -- то же, debess "небо" (d-, вероятно, под влиянием лит. dangùs "небо" или др. слова, ср. греч. δνόφος, γνόφος "тьма"; см. Мейе, Geiger-Festschrift 235), др.-инд. nábhas ср. р. "туман, пар, небо", авест. nabah- ср. р. "воздушное пространство, небо", греч. νέφος ср. р. "облако", хетт. nерiš, род. п. nерišаš "небо", с расширением на -l-: греч. νεφέλη "облако", лат. nebula, др.-исл. nifl- "темнота", njól "ночь", д.-в.-н. nebul "туман"; см. И. Шмидт, Pluralb. 252; Мейе, там же; Dial. ideur. 128; Траутман, ВSW 195; М.--Э. 1, 449 и сл.; Педерсен, Kelt. Gr. 1, 255; Торп 293; Вальде--Гофм. 2, 151 и сл.

Pages: 3,53

Proto-Baltic: *deb-es-i- (*-es-es), *deb-es-ia- c.

Meaning: sky, cloud

Indo-European etymology: Indo-European etymology

Lithuanian: debesì-s, gen. -iẽs, pl. gen. debesų̃; debesī̃-s, gen. dẽbesiō `Wolke'

Lettish: debess (gen. -s, pl. debesis, gen. dębęsu/debešu) f. `Himmel; Wolke', debesis `Wolke'

Proto-Germanic: *nibulō, *nibula-z

Meaning: fog

IE etymology: IE etymology

Old Norse: nifl-hel `Unterwelt', nifl-heimr `Welt', nifl-vegr `dunkle Strasse'; njōl, njōla f. `Nebel, Nacht'

Old English: neowol (nifol, nihol, nihold, nēol, niwol) `pronr, prostrate; deep down, low, profound'

Old Frisian: neval m. `nevel'

Old Saxon: neval `Nebel, Dunkel'

Middle Dutch: nēvel m., f.

Dutch: nevel m.

Middle Low German: nēvel

Old High German: nebul `Nebel' (8.Jh.)

Middle High German: nëbel st. m. 'nebel, dunkel; staubwolke'

German: Nebel m.

Number: 481

Root: (enebh-2): nebh-, embh-, m̥bh-

English meaning: wet, damp; water; clouds

German meaning: `feucht, Wasser', daraus `Dampf, Dunst, Nebel, Wolke'

General comments: (Kontaminationsform nembh-); z. T. emb-, omb- aus embh-, ombh-

Material: nebhos-: ai. nábhas- n. `Nebel, Dunst, Gewölk, Luftraum, Himmel', daneben Wurzelflexion im dehnstuf. f. Plur. nā́bhaḥ (?); av. nabah- n. Pl. `Luftraum, Himmel';

gr. νέφος, -ους n. `Wolke, Nebel' (Denom. primärer Form ξυννέφει `es umzieht sich', ξυννένοφε `es ist wolkig');

auch (s. u. nem- `biegen') air. nem (n. es-St.), nir. neamh, cymr. corn. nef `Himmel';

abg. nebo, -ese n. `Himmel', zum i-St. umgebildet in lit. debesìs f. und m. `Wolke' (aber alter konson. Pl., z. B. Gen. Pl. debesų̃! d für n durch Einfluß von dangùs `Himmel');

hitt. ne-pi-iš (nebis) n. `Himmel' Gen. nebisas;

mit l-Formans (nebhelā):

gr. νεφέλη `Wolke, Nebel' = lat. nebula `Dunst, Nebel, Wolke';

aber air. nēl m., Gen. nīuil `Wolke, Nebel' nicht aus *nebhlo-, sondern Lehnwort aus cymr. niwl, nifwl, ncorn. niul ds. (die wiederum nach Loth RC 20, 346 f. Lw. aus spätlat. *nibulus für nūbilus);

ahd. nebul m. `Nebel', as. neƀal `Nebel, Dunkel', ags. nifol ds., aisl. nifl-heimr u. dgl., njōl `Dunkelheit, Nacht' (germ. *neƀla- und *niƀula- aus -_elo-; aisl. nifl- aus *niƀila-);

unsicher ai. nabhanú- m., nabhanū́- f., wahrscheinlich `Quelle'; av. aiwi-naptīm asti `er (befeuchtet =) besudelt mit Blut', napta- `feucht' (*nab-ta-), npers. neft `Naphtha';

vielleicht hierher lat. Neptūnus `Gott der Quellen und Flüsse, dann des Meeres' aus *nebh-tu-s; des -p- im skyth. FlN Naparis, apers. Quell N Νάπας stammt aus iran. apa- `Wasser, Quelle' (Brandenstein, OLZ 1940, 435 ff.).

m̥bh-(ro-):

ai. abhrá- m. `trübes Wetter, Gewölk', n. `Wolke, Luftraum' (*m̥bhros), av. awra- n. `Wolke'; fern bleibt wegen der Bedeutung gr. ἀφρός `Schaum' (Meillet BSL 31, 51);

in die i-Dekl. übergetreten lat. imber, imbris `Regenguß' = osk. Anafríss, wohl `imbribus'.

Hierher auch die Flußnamen gall. *Ambrā, mcymr. Amir, Amyr sowie nhd. Amper und Ammer (kelt. *Ambrā), Emmer (kelt. *Ambriā); dazu auch engl. Amber; frz. Ambre, Ambrole; span. Ambron, Ambror; ital. Ambra, Ambria, Ambro, Ambrio usw., letztere sind bestimmt ven.-illyrisch; vgl. ohne formantisches r gall. inter ambes `inter rivos', ambe `rivo', abrit. Amboglanna `Ufer des Stromes', sowie arm. amb und (mit idg. b) amp `Wolke'.

emb(h)- : omb(h)- :

ai. ámbhas- n. `Regenwasser'; ambu n. `Wasser', gr. ὄμβρος m. `Regen' (zum b vgl. oben arm. amp und Schwyzer Gr. Gr. I 333); hierher auch lak. ὀμφά `Geruch, Hauch', arkad. εὔομφος `wohlriechend', usw.

nembh-:

pehl. namb, nam, npers. nem `feucht, Feuchtigkeit', pehl. nambītan `befeuchten';

lat. nimbus `Sturzregen, Platzregen; Sturmwolke, Regenwolke'.

References: WP. I 131, WH. I 681, II 151 f., Specht Dekl. 16 f.

Pages: 315-316

PIE database: PIE database

Proto-Altaic: *nìbi ( ~ -e)

Nostratic: Nostratic

Meaning: to smoke, to smell

Russian meaning: дымиться, пахнуть

Mongolian: *neɣü-

Tungus-Manchu: *nibu(p)-

Korean: *nắi

Japanese: *nìpǝ̀-p-

Comments: EAS 77, SKE 158 (Tung.-Kor.), АПиПЯЯ 297. Kor. -ă- is most probably a result of vowel contraction after the loss of *-b-.

Proto-Mongolian: *neɣü-

Altaic etymology: Altaic etymology

Meaning: 1 to curl (of smoke) 2 charcoal

Russian meaning: 1 виться (о дыме) 2 уголь

Written Mongolian: negür-sü 2 (L 569: neɣüresü(n))

Middle Mongolian: ne'uresun 2 (HY 22), nūrson (IM)

Khalkha: nǖ-gelte- 1, nǖrs 2

Buriat: nǖrhe(n) 2

Kalmuck: nǖrsen 2 (КРС)

Ordos: nǖresü, nǖres 2

Dagur: neurese 2 (MD 198)

Comments: The Mong. word for 'coal' (MMong. ne'üre-sün) is compared by Poppe 38 with Man. nemu 'ore', nemuri 'coal mine' (ТМС 1, 621) < *nebu- (?).

Proto-Tungus-Manchu: *nibu(p)-

Altaic etymology: Altaic etymology

Meaning: to smoke

Russian meaning: дымить(ся), коптить(ся)

Evenki: nuw-

Negidal: nūp-

Ulcha: ńiup-ti-

Orok: nū-či-

Nanai: ńup-či-

Oroch: ńu-či-

Udighe: ńusesi-

Comments: ТМС 1, 607-608.

Proto-Korean: *nắi

Altaic etymology: Altaic etymology

Meaning: smoke

Russian meaning: дым

Modern Korean: nä

Middle Korean: nắi

Comments: Nam 102, KED 315.

Proto-Japanese: *nìpǝ̀-p-

Altaic etymology: Altaic etymology

Meaning: to smell

Russian meaning: пахнуть

Old Japanese: nipop-

Middle Japanese: nìfòf-

Tokyo: nió-

Kyoto: níó-

Kagoshima: nìò-

Comments: JLTT 736.

Proto-Eskimo: *Nuvǝja

Nostratic etymology: Nostratic etymology

Meaning: cloud

Russian meaning: облако

Proto-Inupik: *nuvǝja

Proto-Inupik: *nụvǝ̣ja

Meaning: cloud 1, to be cloudy 2

Russian meaning: облако 1, облачный, пасмурный 2

SPI Dialects: W nuija* 1

North Alaskan Inupik: nuvija, nuvuja 1

NAI Dialects: B nuvija* 1

Western Canadian Inupik: nuvuja 1, nuvuja- 2

WCI Dialects: Cor nuvuja* 1

Eastern Canadian Inupik: nuvuja(q) 1, nuvija 1 [Ras.], nuvuja- 2

Greenlandic Inupik: nuia (nuia*) 1, nuia- 2

GRI Dialects: NG nuiɣaq 1, WG nuiššat pl. 1 (with secondary -šš-)

Comparative Eskimo Dictionary: 243

Proto-Austric: *ŋap (? / *Hap)

Meaning: yawn

Borean etymology: Borean etymology

Proto-Austroasiatic: *sǝNʔa:p + MU (also *ŋap / *ŋa:p 'molar, cheek')

Austroasiatic meaning: yawn

Proto-Austronesian: *qaŋab (also *Suab 'yawn'); *ceŋap, -ŋap '(open) mouth

Austronesian meaning: gape, open mouth wide

Austronesian code: 18:65

Proto-Thai: hŋap

Thai meaning: opening mouth widely

Proto-Austro-Asiatic: *ŋap / *ŋa:p

Meaning: molar, cheek

Austric etymology: Austric etymology

Proto-Monic: M lŋap, daŋa:p molar

Proto-Palaungic: *ŋap

Khasi: ŋa:b cheek

References: Kh 727

Proto-Palaung-Wa: *ŋap

Meaning: gills

Austro-Asiatic etymology: Austro-Asiatic etymology

Riang: ŋap.2

Riang meaning: gills

Berber etymology :

Afroasiatic etymology :

Semitic etymology :

West Chadic etymology :

Central Chadic etymology :

Central Cushitic (Agaw) etymology :

Saho-Afar etymology :

Low East Cushitic etymology :

Long-range etymologies :

Nostratic etymology :

Indo-European etymology :

Vasmer's dictionary :

Baltic etymology :

Germanic etymology :

Pokorny's dictionary :

Altaic etymology :

Mongolian etymology :

Tungus etymology :

Korean etymology :

Japanese etymology :

Eskimo etymology :

Inupik etymology :

Austric etymology :

Austro-Asiatic etymology :

Palaung-Wa etymology :