# \*raʾ(i)š- 'head'

A Proto-Semitic root the Linear A Lexicon's readings rest on, also written \*raʾ(i)s-.

- Author's gloss: head; chief, top, beginning
- SED semet 2185
- Record: https://github.com/plasma-ai/kaphtor/blob/add28e9473c07931be80fd0b364181739fc5519a/wiki/semitic-roots/r/2000_head.md

## In Linear A

- [RI-SU-MA](<https://linear-a.ai/lexicon/RI-SU-MA/index.md>) (rīšum(a)): head, chief quality; first quality
- [RO](<https://linear-a.ai/lexicon/RO/index.md>) (rōš): principal, primary, capital (quality/grade marker on sealed goods and commodity allocations)

## Reflexes: East Semitic

- Akkadian: rāšu OAkk, rēšu OB on [AHw 973] (gloss withheld)
- Eblaitic: rí-še6 /riʔši/ [Kr 46; Bl E No. 79]; rí-še₆ /rīS, riʾs₁/ (Sanmartín GlOS 2, 149) (gloss withheld)

## Reflexes: Northwest Semitic

- Canaanite: MOAB rš [Segert 267], AMARNA ru-šu-nu (with 1 pl. pron suff.) [HJ 1042]
- Mandaic Aramaic: riš, riša [DM 434]
- Ugaritic: rʔiš, pl. rʔašm [Aist 285]
- Biblical Aramaic: rē(ʔ)š 'head, beginning' (BDB 1112)
- Phoenician: rʔš [T 297]
- Modern Aramaic: MAʕLULA rayša [Bergsträsser Maʕl 77] MAL raiša [Berg 77] BAH *rayša [Cor 183] TUR rīs,ō [R Ṭūrōyo 118] MLH rišo [J Mlah 188] HRT reša [J Hert 197] NASS rīšä [Tser 0191] URM risǝ [R Urmi 102] MMND rīš, emph. rīša [M MND 505] GZR réša [Nak 84] IRAN *rīša rīšihʸ (suff.) [Pen 120] (gloss withheld)
- Hebrew: rō(ʔ)š (HALOT 1164)
- Judaic Aramaic: rēšā [Ja 1477]; ryš [DJPA 510a apud CAL]
- Syrian Aramaic: rēšā [Brock 728]
- Aramaic: DALLA OLD OFF NAB rʔš, PLM OFF rš, OFF NAB ryš [HJ 1042]
- Punic: rʾš; Neo-Punic ršʾ (Krahmalkov 437) (gloss withheld) [Anderson–Moser 2024 root rʾš]
- Amorite: raʾśum? (Gelb AS 21, 29); rāS, raʾs₁: cf. ma-a-ra-su-um (Sanmartín GlOS 2, 149) (gloss withheld)

## Reflexes: Arabic

- Arabic: raʔs- [BK 1 793]

## Reflexes: Epigraphic South Arabian

- Epigraphic South Arabian: SAB rʔs1 [SD 112; Sabaweb lemma 4845] (gloss withheld)

## Reflexes: Ethiopic and Modern South Arabian

- Mehri: ḥǝ-rōh [JM 310]
- Soqotri: réy, reʔ, réh, pl. ʔírʔeš [LS 390] (cf. also [SSL LS 1468; SSL 4 96]); ri (SLOnline 700) (gloss withheld)
- Harsusi: ḥé-rīh, ḥerīh [JH 101]
- Tigre: räʔas [LH 155]
- Geez: rǝʔ(ǝ)s [LGz 458]
- Jibbali: rɛ́š [JJ 201]
- Amharic: ras, ǝras [K 381] (gloss withheld)
- Harari: urūs [LHar 32]
- Tigrinya: rǝʔ(ǝ)si [Bass 151]
- Gurage: rās (LGz. 458)

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Page: https://linear-a.ai/roots/2000/
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 add28e94.