Number: 2512
Proto-Semitic: *ṣ̂aʔn-
Meaning: small cattle
Akkadian: ṣēnu (ОАkk. ṣānu) 'sheep and goat' OAkk. on [CAD ṣ 128], [AHw. 1090]. The earliest attestation is MAD 5 241 (ṣa-nam ligzuzū 'let them shear the sheep', OAkk.). Of interest is the NA form ṣi-ʔa-ni in Practical Vocabulary Assur 319 (according to [CAD], ṣiʔanu). The forms [ṣa]-ʔ-nu and ṣú-ú-nu in Malku V 35 and EA 263 12 are WS (loan)words.
Ugaritic: ṣʔin 'oveja, res menor' [DLU 412]. With the exception of 1.4 VI 41 (ṭbḫ ʔalpm ʔap ṣʔin 'he slaughtered bulls and sheep'), mostly in economic and cultic texts. See further [Del Olmo Sheep 183].
Phoenician: Amarna ṣú-ú-nu 'small cattle, sheep' [HJ 954]. In EA 263:12 as a gloss to UDU.UDU.MES̆ (laḳi UDU.UDU.MES̆ // ṣú-ú-nu 'small cattle was taken away'). Pho. ṣʔn 'sheep' [T 274], [Krah. 411]. Hapax in KAI 26 A III:8-9: z ʔš yšb bn ykn bʕl ʔlpm wbʕl ṣʔn 'one who will live there will own large and small cattle'. Amn. ṣʔn 'small cattle, sheep' [HJ 954]. On the ostracon Heshbon 1:2,7,10 (v. [Jackson 51-2, 93]). Moab. ṣʔn 'small cattle, sheep' [HJ 954]. In KAI 181.31 (ṣʔn hʔrṣ 'small cattle of the country', context damaged).
Hebrew: ṣō(ʔ)n 'flocks (sheep and goats)' [KB 993] (ṣōnǟ in Ps. 8.8), pB. [Ja. 1257].
Aramaic: Off. ḳn 'small cattle, sheep' [HJ 954]. Dem. ɣn 'flocks' [HJ 1263]. Plm. ʕn 'small cattle, sheep' [HJ 954] (v. [PAT 398]).
Judaic Aramaic: ʕān (det. ʕānā) 'small cattle, sheep' [Ja. 1091], [Levy WTM III 666]; ʕān (pl. ʕānīn) 'sheep, flock of sheep' [Sok. 411].
Syrian Aramaic: ʕānā 'pecus; oves; grex (boum)' [Brock. 533], [PS 2931].
Mandaic Aramaic: aḳna 'sheep' [DM 34] (also ana [ibid. 24]).
Arabic: ḍāʔin- (pl. ḍaʔn-, ḍaʔan-, ḍaʔīn-) 'bête de l'espèce ovine, brebis ou mouton', ḍāʔinat- 'brebis' [BK 2 2], [Fr. III 1], [LA XIII 251-2], [Lane 1760] (see also [Hommel 232]).
Epigraphic South Arabian: Sab. ṣ̂ʔn 'sheep' [SD 40]. Min. ṣ̂ʔn 'moutons' [LM 30]. Sab. ṣ̂ʔn is found in a number of passages, sometimes clearly opposed to both camels (ʔbl) and large cattle (bḳr), but it is never specified whether goats or sheep are meant. Conversely, in the fragmentary Min. passage M 361/11 ṣ̂ʔn is opposed to mʕzy 'goats' so that a more concrete meaning 'sheep' is tenable at least for Min. For a careful analysis of the available ESA evi- dence see [Sima 52ff.].
Notes: The development *ṣ̂ > ḳ is unusual though not without precedent (cf., e.g., ḳamra, aḳamra 'wool' [DM 401] < *ṣ̂amr-). In the present case contamination with the verb ḳna 'to acquire, obtain' [DM 413] might have had some influence since derivates of PS *ḳny came to mean 'cattle' in a number of Sem. languages if not already in PS (Hbr. miḳnǟ 'livestock as property' [KB 628], Sab. ḳny 'cattle, livestock' [SD 106], Soq. ḳénhoh 'bétail' [LS 378]). Of interest may be Soq. ḍaʕ (ḍaḥ) 'mouton' [LS 363] (ʕ is difficult to explain) and Arb. ḍawnat- 'petite gazelle' [BK 1 46], [Fr. III 33] (note, however, that according to [Lane 1811] the correct meaning of the Arb. term is 'a young female child' whereas the rendering 'gazelle' is due to an incorrect reading of a native source). [Fron. 29]: *ḍaʔn- 'gregge (di ovini)' (ESA, Arb., Arm., Hbr., Ugr., Akk.); [DLU 412]: Ugr., Hbr., Pho., Akk., Arb.; [KB 993]: Hbr., Arm., Amarna, Pho., Moab., Ugr., Akk., Arb., ESA; [T 274]: Pho., Hbr., Akk., Amarna, Ugr., Arm., Moab., Arb., ESA; [Brock. 533]: Syr., Arm., Arb., Hbr., Akk.; [Firmage 1153]: Akk., Hbr., Ugr., Arm., Arb.; [Hommel 232]: *ṣ̂aʔnu (Arb., Arm., Akk., Hbr.); [Sima 53]: ESA, Akk., Arb., Ugr., Hbr., Arm.
