A Complete Etymology-Based Hundred Wordlist of Semitic Updated: Items 1-34

Alexander Militarev (Russian State University for the Humanities, amilitarev@gmail.com)

Journal of Language Relationship, № 3, 2010 - p.43-78

Abstract: The paper presents a detailed etymological analysis of the first 34 lexical items on the Swadesh 100­wordlist as attested in most of the living and extinct Semitic languages, aiming at a maximally precise lexical reconstruction of these items for Proto-Semitic as well as intermediate stages (West Semitic, South Semitic, etc.). All the etymologies are meticulously accompanied with evaluations of alternative possibilities of reconstruction, potential external parallels in other Afroasiatic languages, and — occasionally — discussions of a more generally methodological character.

Keywords: Semitic languages, lexicostatistics, Swadesh wordlist, etymology, lexical reconstruction

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