Number: 1959
Proto-Semitic: *waʕil-
Meaning: ibex
Eblaitic: wa-ʔa5(NI)-lum = Sum. IGI.DÀRA [MEE IV 1452']. Identified with the present root in [Bonechi-Conti 10]. One wonders why a reading wa-ì-lum (exactly corresponding to the PS reconstruction) was not preferred (for NI = /ʕi/ see [Conti Ebla 56]).
Ugaritic: yʕl 'cabra montés' [DLU 516]. In 1.6 I 26 ([tṭbḫ š]bʕm yʕlm 'she slaughtered seventy moun- tain goats'), 1.17 VI 22 (ʔadr gdm brʔumm // ʔadr ḳrnt byʕlm // mtnm bʕḳbt t_r 'the strongest sinews from the wild bulls // the strongest horns from the mountain goats // tendons from the heels of a bull') and 1.169.4 (kyʕlm t_̣rh 'like the wild goats to the mountains').
Hebrew: yāʕēl 'ibex, mountain goat' [KB 420], *yaʕălā (or *yǝʕēlā) 'female mountain goat' [ibid.] (only the st. constr. yaʕălat is attested); pB. yāʕēl 'mountain goat, wild goat', yǝʕēlā (or yaʕălā) 'gazelle' [Ja. 584]. Rare poetic term: Ps 104.18 (hārīm haggǝbōhīm layyǝʕēlīm // sǝlāʕīm maḥsǟ lašpannīm 'high mountains - for the mountain goats // rocks - refuge for the hyraxes') and Job 39.1 (hăyādaʕtā ʕēt lädät yaʕălē sālaʕ // ḥōlēl ʔayyālōt tišmōr 'do you know the time the mountain goats give birth // do you watch the labour pains of the hinds?'); ṣūrē hayyǝʕēlīm in 1S 24.3 is regarded as a toponym (presumably, 'rocks of the mountain goats'). The fem. formation is known from Pr 5.19 (ʔayyälät ʔa- hăbīm wǝyaʕălat ḥēn 'a hind of love, a mountain goat of plea- sure').
Judaic Aramaic: yaʕălā, yāʕēlā 'mountain goat, wild goat' [Ja. 584].
Syrian Aramaic: yaʕlā 'ibex (?)' [Brock. 305], [PS 1612].
Arabic: waʕl-, waʕil-, wuʕil- 'argali, bouc de montagnes; bouc domestique', waʕlat- 'femelle de l'argali ou du chamois' [BK 2 1569], [Fr. IV 484], [Lane 3056], [LA XI 731] (cf. [Hommel 280- 1]).
Epigraphic South Arabian: Sab. wʕl 'mountain goat, ibex' [SD 155]. Qat. wʕl 'ibex, mountain goat' [Ricks 52]. Hdr. ʔ-wʕl (pl.) 'ibex' [Pirenne 93]. All ESA textual attestations are treated in detail in [Sima 159ff.] (remarkably, wʕl seems to be the only wild animal whose votive statuettes are mentioned in the inscriptions).
Geʕez (Ethiopian): wǝʕǝlā, waʕālā, wāʔǝlā 'kind of antelope, mountain goat' [LGz. 603].
Tigrai (Tigriñña): wǝʕǝla 'elk/élan' [DRS 578] (not in [Bass.]).
Amharic: waliya 'Walia ibex' [K 1489], wala id. [ibid. 1478]. These Amh. forms are not quoted in [LGz. 603] where only wǝʔǝla is mentioned (likely borrowed from Geez).
Mehri: wɛ̄l (pl. wǝʕōl, wǝyʕōl) 'mountain goat (Hemitragus Jay- kari)' [JM 420].
Jibbali: ɛbʕɔ́ẑ_ 'Hemitragus Jaikari' [JJ 286].
Harsusi: wāl 'male tahr, Hemitragus Jaykari' [JH 134].
Notes: [Fron. 294]: *waʕl- 'stambecco' (Gez., ESA, Mhr., Arb., Syr., Hbr., Ugr.); [DRS 577]: *waʕil- 'bouquetin, chèvre de mon- tagne' (Ugr., Hbr., Arm., Arb., ESA, MSA, Eth.); [DLU 516]: Ugr., Hbr., Syr., ESA, Arb., Gez.; [KB 420]: Hbr., Ugr., Arm., Arb., ESA, Gez.; [Hommel 280]: Arb., Hbr., Arm., Gez., Akk. (yaʔelu); [LGz. 603]: Gez., Amh. (cf. above), Arb., ESA, Mhr., Hbr., Arm., Ugr.; [Firmage 1153]: Hbr., Ugr., Arm., Gez., Arb.
