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Semitic etymology :

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\data\semham\semet
Number: 2533
Proto-Semitic: *šVpVr-
Meaning: kind of large hoofed animal
Akkadian: sappāru (šappāru, sabbāru) 'a bovid' OB on [CAD s 166], 'etwa Wildbock' [AHw. 1027]. The earliest attestation is in the OB Etana (rīma šà-appa-ra ṣēru ibarramma 'the serpent hunts an aurochs [and] a š.' Bab. 12 pl. 13.8). In lexical lists and bilingual texts corresponds to Sum. S̆EG9.BAR and, according to both dictionaries, is a borro- wing therefrom. The Sum. origin of š. was questioned in [Salonen Jagd 260-]. According to Salonen, both Akk. and Sum. terms are borrowed from a "Late Neolitic" *säppar (Sum. S̆EG9.BAR is thought to be a result of a folk-etymological re-analysis of the latter). Since the very existence of a pre-Sumerian substratum in Mesopotamia is at best doubtful (v. [Rubio]) whereas some promising Sem. parallels are known (v. below), one should pro- bably postulate a Semitism in Sum. rather than an independent borrowing from an unknown source. Note that according to Salonen Akk. šappāru and Sum. S̆EG9.BAR mean 'wild boar' rather than 'wild sheep' (the same is true about S̆EG9 and its Akk. correspondence atūdu/etūdu, cf. No. ...). As far as Akk. texts are concerned, the only argument in favour of this opinion seems to come from Malku V 45ff. where sappāru (as well as atūdu) are equated to šaḫû 'pig'. However, identification value of this late lexical list (and especially of its left column) is obviously very restricted. On the other hand, the meaning 'deer' (Dama mesopotamica) for the Sum. term was convincingly defended in [Steinkeller 50] while there is no proof for Salonen's view on Sum. S̆EG9 and S̆AH as variant roots of common origin (v. critical remarks in [Cooper ...]).
Eblaitic: šè-bar-ru12 [MEE 4 004]. In a monolingual list of animals, identified with š/sappāru in [Sjöberg Ebla 10].
Epigraphic South Arabian: Sab. s1frt 'small cattle' [SD 125], 'goats' [Biella 342]. Hapax in R 3945/3 (wbḍʕ bʕlhmw bʕm s3lʔhmw bḳrm ws1frtm), traditionally rendered as 'imposed on them, in addi- tion to their tribute, cattle and goats' (so, e.g., [Biella]). This interpretation was sharply criticized in [Sima 142] (accor- ding to Sima, "das Nomen sfrt 'Kleinvieh; Ziegen' ist ... aus dem sabäischen Lexicon zu streichen"). However, most of Sima's arguments are not compelling or even wrong (v. below) so that one hesitates to share his conclusion.
Geʕez (Ethiopian): sappirā 'rhinoceros' [LGz. 509]. Not fully reliable, attested in a native lexicographic source only.
Notes: Cf. NWS terms with the consonantal root špr meaning 'horn' as a musical instrument: Ugr. špr 'cuerno (?)' [DLU 449], Hbr. šōpār 'horn (used as a wind instrument)' [KB 1447], Jud. šīpōrā 'horn, trumpet' [Ja. 1566], šōpārā, šōpǝrā id. [ibid. 1540], Syr. šīpōrā 'tuba' [Brock. 798], [PS 4141], Mnd. šipura (šupra) 'trumpet' [DM 462] (contra [Sima 142], there is no rea- son to believe that Arm. forms are borrowed from Hbr.). Accor- ding to the common opinion, Hbr. šōpār is borrowed from Akk. šappāru (so, e.g., [Landsberger Fauna 97] where quite an impro- bable phonetic development *šanpar > *šāpar is postulated). Since the Sum. origin of the Akk. term is far from obvious, there is no obstacle for regarding the two terms as cognates with a plausible meaning shift 'horned animal' > 'horn' > 'musi- cal instrument' (for an exact parallel cf. Pho. ybl vs. Hbr. yōbēl in No. ...). Arb. šafar- 'petit de gazelle' ([BK 1 1247], [Fr. II 424]) is to be read as šaṣar- according to [Hommel 276] and cannot be therefore compared to the present root (moreover, Arb. š- cannot correspond to Sab. s1). As rightly pointed out in [Sima 141], comparison of the present root with Arb. sfr 'vendre les meilleures pièces d'un troupeau' is semantically doubtful and should be abandoned. [Biella 342]: Sab., Akk.
semet-proto,semet-meaning,semet-akk,semet-ebl,semet-sar,semet-gzz,semet-notes,

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