Linguifex

Middle Semitic

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Middle Semitic
ܫܡܥ ܡܪܟܙ
Universal Language Map
Writingw:Syriac alphabet
Region:w:Arab world
Genders:2
Cases:0
AlignmentNominative-Accusative
Proto-language:w:Proto-Semitic language
Typology:Fusional
Word-OrderSVO
Languages:w:Maghrebi Arabic,

w:Egyptian Arabic, w:Modern Hebrew w:Neo-Aramaic languages

Population:290 million
Flag of Middle Semitic

Africa: SEDES • Middle Semitic • Kintu • Guosa Central Asia: Jalpi • Caucas • Zens • Dravindian • Neo-Sanskrit Europe: Intralingua • Folksprak • Interslavic • Balkan • Samboka Far East: Dan'a'yo • IM • MSEAL

Anthropology

Main article: Middle Semitic/Anthropology

Jews, Muslims, and Christians get an equal vote, though most aspects are created logically, and not derivationally. Whenever possible, the many dialects of Arabic are consulted, as well as modern Israeli.

Phonology

Main article: Middle Semitic/Phonology

22 consonant, 5 vowels. The sounds, n IPA, with spirantization listed as allophones: a, b~β, d~ð, e, g~ɣ, h, ħ, i, j, k~x, l, m, n, o, p~ɸ, q, r, s, s', ʃ, t, t', u, w, z, ʔ, ʕ

Orthography

Main article: Middle Semitic/Orthography

There is not an exact middle between all the languages. A compromise position is needed at every turn. Neo-Aramaic is the best "middle ground". (RTL) ʾalap, bet, gamal, dalat, he, wo, zen, ḥe, ṭet, yod, kap, lamad, mim, nun, samkat, ʿe, pe, ṣade, qop, reš, šin, to.

Morphophonology

Main article: Middle Semitic/Morphophonology

Pronouns comes in full and cliticized forms. Verbs conjugate for person, number, gender, mood, voice, and stem. The dual is only used in certain cases. Adjectives inflect for number, state, and gender.

Morphosyntax

Word-order is SVO and without case, this is rather strictly enforced. Pro-drop is common due to verbal inflection.

Copula

As in all Semitic languages, copulas very mixed. The shortest summary is this table:

Past Non-Past
Existence ܗܘ hô (copula) ܝܫ (particle)
Equality ܟܘܢ kôn (copula) ܗܘܐ or ܗܝܐ or ܗܘܡ (pronouns)

Prepositions

There are eight "small" prepositions which "conjugate". All other 'prepositions' are actually nouns in the construct state.

1cs 2ms 2fs 3ms 3fs 1cp 2cp 3cp
ܦ ܦܢܝ in me ܦܟܐ in you ܦܟܝ in you ܦܗܘ in him ܦܗܐ in her ܦܢܘ in us ܦܟܡ in y'all ܦܗܡ in them
ܒ ܒܢܝ on me ܒܟܐ on you ܒܟܝ on you ܒܗܘ on him ܒܗܐ on her ܒܢܘ on us ܒܟܡ on y'all ܒܗܡ on them
ܠ ܠܢܝ for me ܠܟܐ for you ܠܟܝ for you ܠܗܘ for him ܠܗܐ for her ܠܢܘ for us ܠܟܡ for y'all ܠܗܡ for them
ܖܠ ܖܠܢܝ upon me ܖܠܟܐ upon you ܖܠܟܝ upon you ܖܠܗܘ upon him ܖܠܗܐ upon her ܖܠܢܘ upon us ܖܠܟܡ upon y'all ܖܠܗܡ upon them
ܖܡ ܖܡܢܝ with me ܖܡܟܐ with you ܖܡܟܝ with you ܖܡܗܘ with him ܖܡܗܐ with her ܖܡܢܘ with us ܖܡܟܡ with y'all ܖܡܗܡ with them
ܡܢ ܡܢܢܝ from me ܡܢܟܐ from you ܡܢܟܝ from you ܡܢܗܘ from him ܡܢܗܐ from her ܡܢܢܘ from us ܡܢܟܡ from y'all ܡܢܗܡ from them
ܟ ܟܢܝ like me ܟܟܐ like you ܟܟܝ like you ܟܗܘ like him ܟܗܐ like her ܟܢܘ like us ܟܟܡ like y'all ܟܗܡ like them
ܒܝܢ ܒܝܢܢܝ between me ܒܝܢܟܐ between you ܒܝܢܟܝ between you ܒܝܢܗܘ between him ܒܝܢܗܐ between her ܒܝܢܢܘ between us ܒܝܢܟܡ between y'all ܒܝܢܗܡ between them

Lexicography

For a comparative Swadesh list see Middle Semitic/Swadesh



 
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