Number: 2418
Proto-Semitic: *t_̣aby(-at)-
Meaning: gazelle
Akkadian: ṣabītu 'gazelle' OB on [CAD ṣ 42], [AHw. 1071]. A common literary term, non-literary attestations are rather exceptional: note S̆À.GAL ṣa-bi-i-ti 'one (parīšu-measure of barley) for gazelle-fodder' in JCS 8 18 254:11 (OB Alalah; cf. [Firmage 1141ff.] against using this passage as evidence for the domestication of gazelles in Ancient Near East) and YOS 7 156:20 where ṣ. is mentioned as a field pest (kī maṣṣarti lapani sirri- mi u ṣabīti lā ittaṣar 'since he did not preserve what must have been preserved from wild asses and gazelles'). More details see in [Salonen Jagd 255ff.] and [Lansberger Fauna 100].
Eblaitic: za-ba-a-tum /ẓabaytum/ = DÀRA.MAS̆.DÀ [MEE 4 1191]. Identified with Akk. ṣabītu in [Kreb. 42], [Civil Ebla 90].
Ugaritic: t_̣by 'gaсela' [DLU 551]. Only as a social designation (1.15 IV 18): ʕlh t_rh tšʕrb // ʕlh tšʕrb t_̣byh 'Hizo venir a él sus "Toros" // a él trajo sus "Gacelas"' (transltion after [Del Olmo Mitos 306]).
Hebrew: ṣǝbī 'gazelle' [KB 998], ṣǝbiyyā 'female gazelle' [ibid.]; pB. ṣǝbī, ṣǝbiyyā 'deer, gazelle' [Ja. 1258]. The fem. form ṣǝbiyyā (pl. ṣǝbāʔōt) is found in Canticle only. On the use of ṣ. as a social designation (similar to Ugr. t_̣by) v. [Miller 185], [Sasson 419].
Aramaic: Anc. ṣby 'gazelle' [HJ 958]. In KAI 222A 33 among animals inhabiting the ruins. For more details v. [Fitzmyer 90]. Off. ṭby 'gazelle' [HJ 419]. In Aḥiq 120 (ky lʔ [yšʔ]l [nmrʔ] šlm ṭbyʔ lhn lmwnḳ dmh 'since the leopard does not ask about a gazelle's health but rather [wants] to suck her blood', v. [PY 47], [Kott. 205]) and Frah VII 16 (tybʔ, = āhūk, v. [Nyberg 71]).
Judaic Aramaic: ṭabyā 'deer, gazelle' [Ja. 516], [Levy WT I 293], [Levy WTM II 134], ṭby det. ṭbyyh 'deer, gazelle' [Sok. 220], ṭbyyh, det. ṭbyth 'deer' [ibid.]. Sam. ṭby 'deer' [Tal 302].
Syrian Aramaic: ṭabyā, ṭǝbītā 'gazella dorcas' [Brock. 266], [PS 1425].
Mandaic Aramaic: ṭabia 'gazelle, deer' [DM 173].
Arabic: d_̣aby- 'gazelle (mâle ou femelle)', d_̣abyat- 'gazelle femelle; vache, brebis' [BK 1 132], [Fr. III 86], [Lane 1908], [LA XV 23]. More details on the use of this term in Arab literature v. in [Hommel 270ff.].
Epigraphic South Arabian: Sab. ṣby 'gazelles' [SD 141]. Hdr. ṣby 'Gazellen' (Ja 949/2) [Sima 168]. Spelling with ṣ instead of the etymological t_̣ is not an obstacle for comparing both terms with the present root since this phenomenon is well known elsewhere in ESA (for its orthographic rather than phonological nature see [Kogan-Korotayev 223], [Sima 168]). More details on the relevant passages (both dealing with hunt) v. [Sima 168ff.]. Unfortunately, Sima's treatment of the ESA parallels to this PS root is uncomplete. First, the etymolo- gically correct form t_̣byt occurs in R 4142/2 as an attribute of ʔblt 'she-camel' (cf. [Biella 233] and [SD 171]). Biella expli- citly connects this term with Arb. d_̣aby- in the idiom sinnu d_̣-d_̣abyi 'gazelle's age', i.e. 'two years' (v. [Lane 1908]; a short remark in [Sima 15] is hardly sufficient to refute this identification). Second, the word ṣ̂byt attested in documents written on wood was convincingly identified in RMA 55 with Arb. d_̣abyat- 'un sac, surtout pour des provisions de voyage, et qui désignerait à l'origine une peau de gazelle (ẓaby)' (cf. [LA 1956 62 22]: ʔal-ǯirāb...waḳīla huwa min ǯildi d_̣-d_̣ibāʔi). Note that the shift *t_̣ > ṣ̂ is quite common (if not regular) in these inscriptions (v. [Kogan-Korotayev 223]).
Notes: [Fron. 294]: *t_̣aby-(at-) 'gazzella' (ESA, Arb., Syr., Hbr., Ugr., Akk.); [KB 998]: Hbr., Arm., Ugr., Akk., Arb.; [DLU 551]: Ugr., Hbr., Arm., Ebl., Akk., Arb.; [Hommel 270]: Arb., Hbr., Arm., Akk.; [Sima 168]: ESA, Hbr., Arm., Arb., Akk.; [Firmage 1153]: Akk., Hbr., Ugr., Arm., Arb.
semet-proto,semet-prnum,semet-meaning,semet-akk,semet-ebl,semet-uga,semet-hbr,semet-arm,semet-jud,semet-syr,semet-mnd,semet-ara,semet-sar,semet-notes,
