# \*ʾu/imm- 'mother'

A Proto-Semitic root the Linear A Lexicon's readings rest on.

- Author's gloss: mother; grandmother
- SED semet 1979
- Record: https://github.com/plasma-ai/kaphtor/blob/50525edd50131a50e59ec82bf5132da0fa89efc9/wiki/semitic-roots/%CA%BE/1839_mother.md

## In Linear A

- [U-\*49](<https://linear-a.ai/lexicon/U-*49/index.md>) (ʾummi): mother; rivals Akk. ummu 'capital', u- 'and' + PALM/TREE
- [U-MI-NA-SI](<https://linear-a.ai/lexicon/U-MI-NA-SI/index.md>) (Ummī-naśiʾ): My mother is chief/exalted (sentence name)

## Notes

Krebernik 1983, 41 and n. 147 reads VE 1160 MUNUS as ʾaₓ(NI)-ma-tum /ʾam(a)tum/ 'woman', Akk. amtu (2783), where Pettinato read ì-ma-tum.

## Reflexes: East Semitic

- Akkadian: umm- OB [AHw 1416] (gloss withheld)
- Eblaitic: /ʔummum/ [Fronz EL 151]; ù-mu-mu /ʔummum/ (VE 1044; Krebernik 1983, 37); i-ma-tum (OLA80 §30.2) (gloss withheld)

## Reflexes: Northwest Semitic

- Ugaritic: um, pl. umhthm [DULAT 67] (gloss withheld)
- Phoenician: ʾm (T 23) (gloss withheld)
- Hebrew: ʔēm (HALOT 61), pl. suff. ʔimmōhēnū, ʔimmōhām (gloss withheld)
- Judaic Aramaic: ʔīmmā 'mother' [Ja 50]
- Amorite: /ʔi/ummum/ (Gelb AS 21, 14); ʾimma (Buck 2019, 323) (gloss withheld)
- Syrian Aramaic: ʔem(m)-, pl. ʔemhāt-, ʔemh- 'mother; abbess'; ʔemhāy- 'maternal' (adj.) [Brock 23]
- Aramaic: ʾm (DNWSI 66) (gloss withheld) [Anderson–Moser 2024 root umm]
- Punic: ʾm 'mother' [Anderson–Moser 2024 root umm]
- Mandaic Aramaic: ʿma (LGz. 22; MD 352)
- Emar: im-mi /ʾimmu/ (Pentiuc 2001, 89) (gloss withheld)

## Reflexes: Arabic

- Arabic: ʔumm- 'mother', pl. ʔummāt-, ʔummahāt- ("some hold that the first form is used of animals, the second of people") [BK 1 50]; (dual) ʔummān- 'the father and mother' [BK 1 50]
- Pre-Islamic North Arabian: Safaitic ʾm (Al-Jallad–Jaworska 44); Dadanitic ʾm (Al-Jallad 2026, 6) (gloss withheld)

## Reflexes: Epigraphic South Arabian

- Epigraphic South Arabian: SAB ʔmm [SD 5; Sabaweb lemma 2986] (gloss withheld)

## Reflexes: Ethiopic and Modern South Arabian

- Mehri: ḥām, indef. (rare) ʔɛ̄m, hāmē, pl. ḥāmēt [JM 5] (gloss withheld)
- Soqotri: ʔaʔam; ɛ́ˀɛmhɛ-, ɛ́mhɛ- (LS 62; SLOnline 3104) (gloss withheld)
- Tigre: ʔǝm, pl. ʔǝmmat [LH 353] (gloss withheld)
- Geez: ʔǝmm [LGz 22] (gloss withheld)
- Gurage: MAS GOG ǝmm, ENN END äm, SOD ǝmmit, GYE ämiyät [LGur 42]; (all) ǝmmiyä (gloss withheld)
- Jibbali: ʔum; ʾɛ́m, pl. ɛ́míti (Rubin 2014 656) (gloss withheld)
- Harari: umma [LHar 25] (gloss withheld)
- Argobba: əm (LGz. 22)
- Gafat: əmʷit (LGz. 22)
- Tigrinya: ʾəm in ʾəmbet (LGz. 22) (gloss withheld)
- Amharic: əmmamma, əmməyye, əmmäbet (LGz. 22) (gloss withheld)

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Page: https://linear-a.ai/roots/1839/
Licence: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Cite as: di Mino, Tom. 2026. Linear A Lexicon. Plasma AI. https://linear-a.ai/. Data: kaphtor, commit 50525edd.