Akkadian:peršaʔu (persʔau,perʔāšu,paršaʔu,paršuʔu,puršuʔu) 'Floh' OAkk. on [AHw. 855]. In OAkk. as a proper name only (perʔāšum) which is likely the most archaic variant of this word in Akkadian (note that in later periods only peršaʔum and puršuʔu are known from proper names). Outside onomastic evidence, p. is known from lexical lists (from OB) and a few literary texts.
Eblaitic:pur-ḫa-šúm [MEE 4 116 IV 9]. In a monolingual lexical list among other harmful insects (identified with the present root in [Sjöberg 18]).
Hebrew:parʕōš 'flea' [KB 971], pB. [Ja. 1236]. Known from two closely related passages 1S 24.15 and 26.20 as an expression for self-abasement ( ...ʔaḥărē mī ʔattā rōdēpʔaḥărē käläb mēt ʔaḥărē parʕōš ʔäḥād '...Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog, one single flea!'; ...yāṣā(ʔ) mäläk yiŝrāʔēl lǝbaḳ- ḳēš ʔät-parʕōš ʔäḥād... '...The king of Israel went to look for one single flea!').
Notes:Arb. burɣūt_- 'puce' [BK 1 113], [Fr. I 110], [Lane 189], [LA II 116] is often compared to the present root which could imply a reconstruction of *ṗ in this root (so already [Grimme 262]). In this connection, of interest is Jud. purṭaʕnā [Levy WTM IV 112] (for a similar variant form in Syr. see [PS 3315]) with an emphatic -ṭ- which may reflect a shift of emphasis from the first consonant. In Arabic cf. also barɣaš(at)- 'moucheron' [BK 1 113], [Fr. I 110], [TA XVII 74], a variant root with unexpected š? [Fron. 297]: *parɣūt_- 'pulce' (Arb., Syr., Hbr., Akk.); [Brock. 610], [KB 971]: Hbr., Akk., Arb., Syr.; [AHw. 855]: Hbr., Akk., Arb., Syr., Arm.; [Firmage 1155]: Akk., Hbr., Ugr. (prɣt, a proper name according to [DLU 354]; moreover, -t is hard to explain), Arm., Arb. (burɣūt_-).
Number:2503
Number:2504
Proto-Semitic:*pVšpVš-
Meaning:bug
Hebrew:pB. pišpāš 'bed-bug' [Ja. 1248], [Levy WTM IV 150].
Hebrew:rāḥām,rāḥāmā 'vulture' [KB 1217], pB. [Ja. 1467]. Only in the dietary prohibitions of Lv 11.18 (between ḳāʔāt and ḥăsīdā) and Dt 14.17 (between ḳāʔāt and šālāk).
Aramaic:D.-Alla rḥm 'vulture' [HJ 1070]. In I.8 wḳl rḥmn yʕnh 'and the voice of vultures sings out' (translation according to [Hackett 29]). Sam. rḥmh 'an animal' [Tal 829] (a Hebraism?).
Arabic:raḫam- 'espèce de vautour qui a le corps et le cou blancs et les extrémités des ailes noires' [BK 1 841], [LA XII 235].
Mehri:rǝḫǝmūt 'Egyptian vulture' [JM 334].
Jibbali:ɛrḫõt (pl. erḫúhm) id. [JJ 218].
Harsusi:reḫemōt id. [JH 107].
Notes:[KB 1217]: Hbr., D.-Alla, Arb.
Number:2506
Proto-Semitic:*raḫil-
Meaning:ewe
Akkadian:laḫru 'ewe, full-grown female sheep' OAkk. on [CAD l 42], [AHw. 528] (metathesis). The st. abs. laḫar (usually dlaḫar) is used as a literary designation of the deified small cattle, see [RLA 6 431] (W.G.Lambert).
Hebrew:rāḥēl 'ewe' [KB 1216]. A rare term found in a couple of poetic passages (Ct 6.6, Is 53.7) and in Jacob's story (Gn 32.15, 31.38). In Hbr. pB. r. seems to be more widely used ([Ja. 1466]).
Aramaic:D.-Alla rḥl 'ewe' [HJ 1068]. In a damaged context and not easy to understand (bʔšr rḥln yybl ḥṭr, I.9), possibly describing an unnatural phenomenon disturbing the common order of things ('instead of the ewes the stick is driven along' according to [Hackett 49], with a brief commentary). Sam. rḥl 'ewe' [Tal 827].
Arabic:riḫl(at)- 'agneau femelle' [BK 1 841], [Fr. II 135], [Lane 1059], [LA XI 280] (in the last three sources also raḫil-). See further [Hommel 239].
Akkadian:raḳḳu 'turtle' OB on [CAD r 172], [AHw. 958], ruḳḳētu (pl.) 'female turtle' SB [CAD r 416]. Syllabic attestations are notoriously rare in all the pe- riods (for OB v. ra-ḳú-um in Iraq 55 100:12f.); logographic wri- tings as well as the Sum. equivalents are extensively discussed in [Farber .... ]. Meissner's identification of the animal name raḳḳu with the adjective raḳḳu 'thin' quoted favourably in [Lan- dsberger 119] is hardly tenable so that the definition of r. as '(kleine) Schildkröte' (so both Landsberger and von Soden) is a pure (folk-)etymological guess.
Judaic Aramaic:raḳḳītā 'chameleon' [Ja. 1497]. Not very reliable, attested only as a variant reading to the normal zāḳītā (cf. [Ja. 409]). ЭТО НАДО ЕЩЕ ПОСМОТРЕТЬ ПО ЛЕВИ
Akkadian:rīmu (rēmu, riʔmu) 'wild bull' OAkk. on [CAD r 359], [AHw. 986]. Mostly a literary term, often in contexts dealing with hunt (the eariest attestation is in the royal inscription RA 8 200 I 9, Naram-Sīn, logographic) and in comparisons (v. especially the adverb rīmāniš 'like a widl bull' OB, SB [CAD r 355]). R. is quite unfrequent in non-literary passages (the earliest attesta- tion is the Mari letter ARM 27 173:9ff.: 1 ri-mu-um ana sa-ḫatim im-ḳú-ut '1 r. fell into the pit'). Of interest is the equation ri-ʔ-mu = ri-i-mu in Malku V 49 where the first form either reflects a WS influence or is a WS word. The fem. formation rīmtu 'wild cow' OB on [CAD r 358], [AHw. 986] is known mostly from lexical lists and literary texts. A remarkable exception is the OB letter VAS 16 179:16 where SÚN.HÁ (= rīmātum) are listed, together with the ḳaḳû-birds, as a field pest (eḳlam ana šamê uštāliā), cf. [Wasserman ...]. According to CAD, the element rīm- widely attested in perso- nal names from the OAkk. period (Rīm-uš in particular) is to be identified with the present lexeme while in AHw. the first ele- ment of these names is thought to represent either rīmu 'Ges- chenk' or rîmu 'Geliebter'. Convincing arguments in favour of the former approach see now in [Sommerfeld]. Further textual references see in [Salonen Jagd 167ff., 247ff., 253ff.].
Ugaritic:rʔum 'toro salvaje, búfalo' [DLU 380]. A widely used literary term, paralled by ʔibr 'bull' in 1.10 III 36 (kʔibr lbʕl yld // wrʔum lrkb ʕrpt 'a bull is born for bʕl // and a r. for the Cloud-Rider').
Hebrew:rǝʔēm 'wild bull (bos primigenius boianus)' [KB 1163] (rēm /rym/ in Job 39.9,10, /rmym/ in Ps 22.22), pB. 'wild-ox' [Ja. 1437]. An exclusively poetic term found in both archaic (Nu 23.22, 24.8) and later texts. The specific association of r. with bovi- des (and not antelopes or other hoofed animals) is obvious in Jb 39.9-12 where this term is used in expressions normally reserved for šōr 'ox' (ʔim yālīn ʕal ʔăbūsǟkā 'will he spend the night in your stable?', hătiḳšōr-rēm bǝtäläm ʕăbōtō // ʔim yǝšaddēd ʕă- māḳīm ʔaḥărǟkā 'will you bind the r. to the furrow? will he till the valleys following you?').
Arabic:riʔm- 'gazelle, surtout celle dont le pelage est blanc' [BK 1 796], [Fr. II 104], [Lane 998], [LA XII 224]. The form raym- 'gazelle blanche' quoted in [BK 1 965] and [Fr. II 218] is phonologically difficult to explain (according to [Lane 1204], [LA XII 260], the correct reading is rīm-). Cf. raʔm- 'petit de chameau' [BK I 795], [Fr. II 104], [Lane 997], [LA XII 224].
Notes:Gez. rǝʔim,rǝʔem 'wild bull, rhinoceros, unicorn' [LGz.458] is an obvious Hebraism. In Syro-Mesopotamian area, the specifically poetic and me- taphoric usage of the reflexes of *riʔm- likely suggests that the respective terms denoted a semi-mythical rather than a real animal (cf. [Feliks 127] about Hbr. rǝʔēm). [Fron. 293]: *riʔm- 'uro' (Arb., Syr., Hbr., Akk.); [KB 1163]: Hbr., Arm., Ugr., Akk., Arb.; [DLU 380]: Ugr., Hbr., Arm., Akk., Arb.; [Hommel 258]: Arb., Hbr., Akk., Gez. (< Hbr.); [LGz. 458]: Gez. (< Hbr.), Arb., Arm., Ugr., Akk. (ESA bḳr rymn, quoted by Leslau apud W.W.Müller must be a mistake for rynm, re- garded as a toponym in [Sima 49]); [Firmage 1152]: Akk., Hbr., Ugr., Arm., Gez., Arb.
Akkadian:sāsu (sassu) 'moth' OAkk. on [CAD s 196], [AHw. 1032]. In OAkk. as a personal name only. Later attestations are mostly in omina and lexical lists. The only non-literary passage is OA: ṣubātū warkiūtum sāsam laptū 'the garments which arrived later are touched with moth' TTC 14:39.
Hebrew:sās 'clothes moth' [KB 761], pB. 'moth, worm' [Ja. 1009]. Hapax in Is 51.8: kī kabbägäd yō(ʔ)kǝlēm ʕāš // wǝkaṣṣämär yō(ʔ)kǝlēm sās 'since moth will eat them like a gar- ment // and like wool moth will eat them'.
Aramaic:Anc. ss 'moth' [HJ 795]. Hapax in KAI 222A 31, together with ḳml as a punishment for breaking a treaty (context fragmentary, see [Fitzmyer 88]). Off. ss 'moth' [HJ 795]. In Ahiq 184, 186 (context heavily damaged, see [PY 3 41], [Kott. 221]).
Judaic Aramaic:sāsā 'moth, worm' [Ja. 1009], [Levy WT II 176], 'Klei- dermotte, Holzwurm' [Levy WTM III 559], ss 'moth, worm' [Sok. 384].
Arabic:sūs- 'teigne (de laine), gerce, calandre', sūs-at- (n. d'unite) 'teigne, ver, gerce, calandre qui ronge le blé, etc.' [BK 1 1164], [Fr. II 375], [Lane 1466], [LA VI 108] (also sās-).
Amharic:šuš(š) 'threadworm, intestinal worm' [K 627] (apparently regarded as an Arabism).
Harari:sūs 'moth that eats wood; kind of black ant' [LHar. 143] (considered an Arabism).
Notes:Most of the above forms are unconvincingly regarded as Akka- disms in [Zimmern 52]. Cf. Tna. šišo 'specie di formica grossa e nera, il cui piz- zico è doloroso' [Bass. 226] (for this meaning cf. Har. above), less likely also Tgr. šašǝnte 'ants' [LH 214]. Cf. further Tgr. sosänab 'a kind of ants whose bite is very painful' [LH 180] (a variant of the latter form augmented with -b or a compound word going back to *sos + *nab, for which see No. ...). Сf. Tgr. sǝs (säs) belä 'to scare away (flies)' [LH 180], Tna. sǝss bälä 'scacciar le mosche' [Bass. 180], šuš bälä id. [ibid. 226]. Gr. sḗs 'moth' was often regarded as a Semitic loanword (see [Masson 93-4], [Frisk 698], both sceptical). Gez. ṣ̂āṣ̂e 'moth' is very often compared to the present root ([KB 761], [AHw. 1032], [Brock. 486], among others), which is most unlikely phonologically (rightly rejected in [LGz. 148]). [Brock. 486], [KB 761], [Firmage 1155]: Hbr., Arm., Akk., Arb.
Number:2511
Proto-Semitic:*ṣarṣar-
Meaning:grasshopper, locust
Akkadian:ṣarṣaru (ṣāṣiru) 'cricket' SB, NB [CAD ṣ 115], OB on [AHw. 1086]. The OB attestation (YOS 2 115:10) omitted from CAD implies a tenable reconstruction of the first sign (mê idinma eḳlam ša PN lišḳû [ṣa]-ṣi-ru-um lā ilaḳḳassu 'give water, let them water the field of PN, the ṣ.-locust must not pick up it[s seed]'), cf. [CAD l 100] (laḳātu). The term is now abundantly attested in Mari (v. the evidence collected in [Lion-Michel]). Curiously, ṣ. always appears without case-endings here (ṣa-ar-ṣa-ar, sometimes also ṣanṣar). In later periods ṣ. is known mostly from lexical lists, omina and proper names ([Landsberger Fauna 124]).
Hebrew:pB. ṣarṣūr 'cricket' [Ja. 1305], [Levy WTM IV 223].
Judaic Aramaic:ṣarṣǝrā 'cricket' [Ja. 1305], [Levy WTM IV 223], ṣrṣr 'type of locust' [Sok. 471].
Arabic:ṣarṣar-,ṣurṣur-,ṣurṣūr- 'grillon' [BK 1 1330], [Fr. III 493], [Lane 1673], [LA IV 455], ṣarrār- 'gryllus noctu stridens' [Fr. III 490], [Lane 1673], [LA IV 455].
Notes:Syr. ṣēṣǝrā is considered an Akkadism in [CAD ṣ 115] (cf. also [Landsberger Fauna 124], with reservations), which is not convincing. A non-reduplicated prototype *ṣVr- may be reflected in Gog. č̣ǝrät 'cricket' [LGur. 190]. [Fron. 296]: *ṣarṣar- 'grillo' (Tgr. /ṣǝlṣǝl/, Hbr. /ṣǝlāṣal/, Arb., Syr., Akk.); [Nöldeke Beiträge 120-1]: Arb., Jud., Syr. (detailed philological discussion for all the languages); [AHw. 1086]: Akk., Arm., Arb.; [Brock. 636, 639]: Syr., Jud., Arb., Akk.; [Zimmern 53]: Akk., Arb., Arm. ("wohl urverwandt").
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].
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.
Number:2513
Number:2514
Proto-Semitic:*ŝarap-
Meaning:kind of snake, worm
Hebrew:ŝārāp 'Saraph serpent' [KB 1360]. A relatively rare term, attested both in prose (in Nu 21.6 and Dt 8.15 as an oppositon to nāḥāš 'snake') and poetry (in Is 14.29 and 30.6 as ŝārāp mǝʕōpēp 'flying ŝ.'). In Is 6.2,6 the pl. form ŝǝrāpīm denotes a kind of flying divine beings.
Mehri:ŝrēf 'Tausendfüssler' [Müller 276] (not in [JM], [Jahn]).
Notes:Since the Mhr. form is not fully reliable, the PS reconstruction is uncertain. On the other hand, the traditional derivation of the Hbr. term from the verbal root ŝrp 'to burn' does not seem to have any textual support. Arb. surfat- 'termès, insecte blanc semblable à la fourmi, qui ronge le bois et se construit des cellules arrangées avec beaucoup d'art' [BK 1 1083] is hardly comparable both phonetically and semantically.
Akkadian:šuʔu (šû) 'sheep' OB on [CAD š3 417], [AHw. 1255], šuātu 'ewe' OB [CAD š3 168], [AHw. 1256]. Exlusively literary terms, always in sacrificial contexs. The earliest attestation is in RA 38 87 2 (našiākkunūšim ša-a-am māri ša-a-ti ellam 'I bring you a pure lamb, son of a ewe'). In Malku šu-ʔ-ú = immeru (V 32), šu-a-tu = laḫru (ibid. 34).
Ugaritic:š 'carnero, res ovina' [DLU 424]. Only in cultic texts, mostly in lists of sacrifices.
Phoenician:š 'sheep, one of a flock' [T 309], [Krah. 452]. In KAI 24:8,11 (ʕlmt ytn bš 'a girl used to be given for a sheep', wmy bl ḥz pn š 'and one who did not see the face of a sheep', v. further [Tropper Zincirli 37-8, 42] and [Gibson 37- 8]) and KAI 26 A III 2 (wb[ʕt ḥ]rš š 1 wbʕt ḳṣr š 1 'for the ploughing-time, [a sacrifice of] one sheep, and for the harvest, [a sacrifice of] one sheep').
Hebrew:ŝǟ 'small livestock beast' [KB 1310], pB. [Ja. 1526]. Used both of sheep and goats (cf. Nu 15.11: ŝǟ bakkǝbāŝīmʔō bāʕizzīm'ŝ. from sheep or from goats'). More details on the use of this term see in [TWAT VII 718ff.].
Arabic:šāʔ- 'brebis' [BK 1 1178], šāt- 'brebis, mouton, espèce ovine; buffle (mâle)', šiyat- (pl.) 'brebis, moutons', šawan (coll.) 'brebis, moutons, espèce ovine' [ibid. 1292], šiyāt- 'brebis, moutons' [ibid. 1301] (cf. also [Fr. II 468], [Lane 1623-4], [LA XIII 509] for these and other variant forms). See also [Hommel 223].
Epigraphic South Arabian:Sab. s2h 'sheep' [SD 132]. In C 694/1-2 (md_bḥt s2hw 'an altar for sheep') and J 720/16-7 (lms2w mʕrbtm ... wzʔk s2hn 'let him approach the altar ... and sacrifice a sheep'). Both passages are critically analy- zed in [Sima 142-3]. According to Sima, s2hw in the first pas- sage is a proper name whereas s2hn is a result of an incorrect reading by the publisher.
Notes:Since this term is not reflected in later Arm. dialects (Jud. ŝētā 'ewe' [Ja. 1570], ŝē 'lamb' [ibid. 1556] and Sam. šh 'sheep' [Tal 875] are almost certainly Hebraisms), there are good reasons to relate Sam. šʔh and Anc. šʔt 'sheep, ewe' [HJ 1094] to No. ... rather than to the present root. The same may be true about Akk. šuʔu,šuʔātu. Special relationship with sacrificial cult attested in most of the ancient textual traditions is hardly accidental (cf. [Sasson 446] and [Del Olmo Sheep 188]: "Are we in the presence of a technical cultic term?"). [KB 1310]: Hbr., Pho., Ugr., Akk., Arb., Sab. (also the Arm. forms quoted above as well as Off. tʔtʔ which obviously does not belong here); [T 309]: Pho., Hbr., Ugr., Akk., Arb., Sab.; [Fir- mage 1153]: Akk., Hbr., Ugr., Arb.; [DLU 424]: Ugr., Hbr., Pho., Akk., Sab., Arb.
Akkadian:šikkû 'mongoose' OB on [CAD š2 433], [AHw. 1234]. Widely used in literary texts and lexical lists, see further [Landsberger Fauna 110ff.], [Salonen Jagd 228, 263].
Arabic:ṣulṣul- 'ramier, pigeon sauvage' [BK 1 171], [LA XI 384].
Notes:Central Semitic only unless Akk. ṣililītu 'a bird' [CAD l 188], [AHw. 1100] is compared (in lexical lists only, according to [Salonen Vögel 262], possibly to be identified with passer domesticus). [Brock. 636], [Nöldeke Beiträge 113]: Syr., Arm., Hbr., Arb.
Akkadian:ṣallalu 'a nocturnal bird' SB [CAD ṣ 73], [AHw. 1077]. Known from lexical lists (= Sum. NÁ.A MUS̆EN, Akk. iṣṣūr mūši 'a night-bird') and bird-omina of šummā ālu, identified with long-eared owl in [Salonen Vögel 168, 232, 262]. Both dictionaries derive it from the verb ṣalālu 'to sleep' (according to Salonen, '(während des Tages) schlafender Vogel') which might be rather a popular etymology in view of possible Sem. cognates quoted below. One has to admit, however, that Sum. NÁ.(A.)MUS̆EN (NÁ = eršu 'bed', nâlu 'to sleep') was known already in Presargonic.
Syrian Aramaic:ṣalṣūlā 'avis quae pisces venatur' [Brock. 631], [PS 3413].
Geʕez (Ethiopian):ṣilat (in ʕofa ṣilat) 'kite (bird)' [LGz. 556].
