Semitic etymology : List with all references

Number: 2564

Proto-Semitic: *ŝaʕVr- 1; Eth. *ŝǝr(-n)ay- 2

Afroasiatic etymology: Afroasiatic etymology

Meaning: barley; grass, straw 1; wheat 2

Hebrew: ŝǝʕōrā 'the hairy, grainy kernel-fruit, barley' (HAL 1346)

Judaic Aramaic: sǝʕartā 'barley' (Ja. 1010)

Syrian Aramaic: sǝʕārǝtā 'hordeum' (Brock. 489)

Mandaic Aramaic: sara 'barley' (DM 315)

Arabic: cf. šuʕr- coll. 'plantes, arbres (tout ce qui constitue, pour ainsi dire, le poile du sol); safran', šaʕār- 'arbres touffus et entrelacés qui servent d'ombrage l'été et d'abri l'hiver; végétatoin' (BK I 1238)

Geʕez (Ethiopian): śāʕr 'herb, herbage, grass, vegetation, straw, meadow, grassland, pasture' (LGz. 525).

Tigre: saʕarsaʕaro 'green' (LH 194), säʕar 'grass, hay' (LH 194; šǝʕir 'barley' Ibid. 226 is likely an Arabism); šǝrnay, šǝnray 'wheat' (LGz., 534)

Amharic: sar 'grass (either green or dried)' (Kane 1990, 482) , sororro 'white ṭef' (Ibid. 486); sǝnde 'wheat' (LGz., 534)

Argobba: sǝrray 'wheat' (LGz., 534)

Gafat: sǝndä 'wheat' (LGz., 534)

Gurage: *saʔar 'grass' (LGur 530); *sǝre; Cha särimäsǝr 'green' ("like grass" LGur)

Mehri: ŝɛ̄r 'straw' (JM 370); cf. šǝʕīr (JM 391) 'barley', very likely an Arabism.

Jibbali: ŝáʕǝr 'dry grass, straw' (JJ 244); cf. šiʕír (JJ 259) 'barley', very likely an Arabism.

Soqotri: cf. šáʕir 'orge' (LS 420), very likely an Arabism.

Notes: Dolgopolsky explains -ʕ- as the result of contamination, after popular etymology, with Sem. *ŝaʕr- 'hair', which is quite plausible; an alternative explanation is the influence of *ŝi/uʕ(V̄ʕ)- 'barley'

Proto-Afro-Asiatic: *ĉarVy-

Meaning: barley

Semitic: *ŝaʕVr- 'barley; grass, straw'ꜣ *ŝǝr(-n)ay- 'wheat'

Egyptian: šVr-Vt 'barley'

Western Chadic: *sir- 'yam'

Central Chadic: *ĉVr-t- 'okra'

Beḍauye (Beja): ešerri 'Mais'

Central Cushitic (Agaw): *šinray 'wheat' (<*Eth.?)

Saho-Afar: *sinr- 'wheat' (̥<Eth?)

Low East Cushitic: *SVr(Vn)- 'corn' - cf.

High East Cushitic: *(H)ašar- 'barley'

Warazi (Dullay): *sVr- 'wheat' - cf.

Omotic: *(H)ašar- 'barley' '(roasted) barley'

Old Egyptian: šr.t

Afroasiatic etymology: Afroasiatic etymology

Meaning: 'Gerste' MK (EG IV, 524)

Proto-WChadic: *sir-

Afroasiatic etymology: Afroasiatic etymology

Meaning: 'yam'

Tangale: sîr- 'yam' (Kraft)

Notes: (s- in Tng continues several Afrasian sibilants, incl. *ĉ)

Proto-CChadic: *ĉVr-t-

Afroasiatic etymology: Afroasiatic etymology

Meaning: 'okra'

Banana: ŝordà 'okra' (Kraft) <*ĉVr-d- <*ĉVr-t- (cf. kowànà 'son, daughter' ~ kòwàyendà 'sister', or čindà 'mahogany' <*tiʔn-t-, cf. No. 14 below, and Stolbova 1996, 136)

Bedauye: ešerri

Afroasiatic etymology: Afroasiatic etymology

Meaning: 'Mais' (Reinisch 1895, 33; cf. also ašratta 'eine lange Grasart' Ibid.)

Notes: cf. Beja serā́m 'Weizen' (Reinisch 1895, 205); šinrā́y 'Weizen' (Reinisch 1895, 217) probably borrowed from or to Eth.

Proto-Agaw: *šinray (?)

Afroasiatic etymology: Afroasiatic etymology

Meaning: 'wheat'

Bilin: cf. šinrā́y 'Weizen' (Reinisch 1886, 904), likely borrowed from or Eth

Proto-Saho-Afar: *sinr- (?)

Afroasiatic etymology: Afroasiatic etymology

Meaning: 'wheat'

Saho: cf. sinrā́ 'Weizen' (Reinisch 1886, 904), probably borrowed from or to Eth

Afar (Danakil): cf. sirrā́y 'Weizen' (Reinisch 1886, 904), probably borrowed from or to Eth

Proto-Low East Cushitic: *SVr(Vn)-

Afroasiatic etymology: Afroasiatic etymology

Meaning: 'corn'

Somali: cf. saren 'wheat' (Abraham 1962, 218)

Oromo (Galla): cf. šuroo, široo 'k. of pap made out of well-ground peas' (Gragg 1982, 370)

Proto-High East Cushitic: *Hašar-

Afroasiatic etymology: Afroasiatic etymology

Meaning: 'barley'

Hadiya (Gudella): cf. sara-ta 'sorghum' (Huds., 139)

Qabenna: ašārú-ta 'barley' (Leslau 1959, 18)

Tembaro: ašaru 'barley' (Leslau 1959, 18)

Proto-Warazi: *sVr-

Afroasiatic etymology: Afroasiatic etymology

Meaning: 'wheat'

Harso (Werize): soro 'Weizen' (Dull., 279)

Proto-Omotic: *(H)ašar- 'barley'

Afroasiatic etymology: Afroasiatic etymology

Meaning: (roasted) barley

Mocha: ašāro '(roasted) barley' (Leslau 1959, 18; one wonders whether this is a loan from E. Cu.)

Semitic etymology :

Afroasiatic etymology :

Egyptian etymology :

West Chadic etymology :

Central Chadic etymology :

Bedauye (Beja) etymology :

Central Cushitic (Agaw) etymology :

Saho-Afar etymology :

Low East Cushitic etymology :

High East Cushitic etymology :

Warazi etymology :

Omotic etymology :