# \*kVlVʔ- 'to hinder, restrain'

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

- Author's gloss: to hold back, restrain, withhold; prison
- Record: https://github.com/plasma-ai/kaphtor/blob/50525edd50131a50e59ec82bf5132da0fa89efc9/wiki/semitic-roots/k/2998_to_hinder_restrain.md

## In Linear A

- [KI-RO](<https://linear-a.ai/lexicon/KI-RO/index.md>) (kilʾu): owed, outstanding balance (deficit)—transaction term heading deficit sections

## Notes

Cf. 2555 *kilʔ- 'both', another root. Soqotri kole 'turn away' (LGz. 282). MSA *klʔ 'to turn back' (Mehri kəlū, Jibbali kélé) is of uncertain origin, probably connected with this root (SEDonline 1454). Arabic kallāʾ is a loan from Akkadian makallû (HALOT 475). 3742 *kly 'to come to an end, be finished' is another root (DULAT 479); CAD K 95 files both under one kalû.

## Reflexes: East Semitic

- Akkadian: kalū (HALOT 475); kīlu (killu) (CAD K 359); bīt kīli (CAD K 360); rab bīt kīli (CAD K 361) (gloss withheld)

## Reflexes: Northwest Semitic

- Syrian Aramaic: kᵉlā (Klein s.v. כלא ᴵ) (gloss withheld)
- Hebrew: kālāʔ (HALOT 475); keleʾ; bêt keleʾ (HALOT 475) (gloss withheld)
- Ugaritic: klʾ (HALOT 475)
- Mandaic Aramaic: kla (LGz. 282) (gloss withheld)
- Canaanite: EG SYLL ka=ru₂=ʾu={t} /*kalʾu/ (Hoch 328) (gloss withheld)

## Reflexes: Arabic

- Arabic: kalaʾa (HALOT 475)
- Pre-Islamic North Arabian: Safaitic klʾ (Al-Jallad–Jaworska 89) (gloss withheld)

## Reflexes: Ethiopic and Modern South Arabian

- Geez: kalʾa (LGz. 281); kalkala (LGz. 283) (gloss withheld)
- Tigre: kälʾa (LGz. 282); kälkäla (LGz. 283) (gloss withheld)
- Tigrinya: kälʾe (LGz. 282); kälkälä (LGz. 283) (gloss withheld)
- Amharic: käläkkälä (AED 372 apud SEDonline 2088) (gloss withheld)
- Argobba: käläkkäla (LGz. 283) (gloss withheld)
- Gafat: käläkkälä; (tä)klakkälä (LGz. 283) (gloss withheld)

---

Page: https://linear-a.ai/roots/2998/
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.