Proto-Semitic root
*kwn-
‘to be firm, to be established, to exist’
di Mino’s gloss: to be firm, established; to be; true, upright
Record S35 ↗ · Basis: kaphtor
In Linear A2 entries
Notes
Pan-Semitic II-w/y (hollow) root. Medial /w/ contracts: *kwn > kūn (Hebrew), kāna (Arabic), kânu (Akkadian). Semantic split: (1) stative "to be firm, true" (Akk. kīnu, Heb. nākôn); (2) existential "to be, exist" (Arabic kāna, Geʿez kona). Both from "standing firm" > "being established" > "being." The noun *makān- "place" is 3558. Theophoric: yakīn "he establishes" → Yakhin (1 Kgs 7:21), Yekoniah, Amorite Yakun-Dagan (Mari), Phoenician YKNMLK. | Biconsonantal CūC paradigm (Lipiński OLA80 §44.5-8). OB: ikūn/ikūnū (pret), ikân/ikuanū (imperf), iktūn (perf), kūn/kūnā (imp), kīn/kīnū (stat). Heb: yākūn. Phonemic vowel length: ikūnū (pret 3mp) vs ikunnū (pres-fut 3mp). Copula use: Arabic kāna/yakūnu past/future copula; Heb wayəhī narrative formula (§§50.6-8, 61.10).
Reflexes20 languages
East Semitic2
- Akkadiankânu(m) G D kunnû Š šukūnu Adj. kīnu (CAD K 159–171, 389; AHw 440–441)gloss withheld
- Eblaiticdu-gi₄, ti-gi, da-ga-ma /k-w-n//kunn/: name gú-núm (Sanmartín GlOS 1, 331–332)i-ku-wa-an /yikuwwan/ (G present), or i-ku-pi-AN /yikūn-pī-ʾil(im)/ (Krebernik 1988, 59)gloss withheld
Northwest Semitic9
- Ugaritickwn (/k-n/) G L (DULAT 442). PN: yknʿilgloss withheld
- Phoeniciankn, niph’al (Krahmalkov 232–234)kwn (yiph.) (T 140)gloss withheld
- Hebrewkūn (כּוּן). Niphal nākôn (Gen 41:32 כִּי נָכוֹן הַדָּבָר; Ps 93:2). Hiphil hēkîn (Ps 24:2). Polel kônēn (Ps 87:5). Noun: tᵉkûnā PNs: Yakhin (יָכִין, 1 Kgs 7:21), Yᵉkonyāhū (יְכָנְיָהוּ). (HALOT 464–467)kēn (HALOT 482)gloss withheld
- Judaic Aramaickūn Pa. "to direct, aim"pass. part. "straight, firm, upright" (Ja. 622).
- PunicNeo-Punic kn (Krahmalkov 235)Neo-Punic kt, in ktm (Krahmalkov 244)gloss withheld
- AmoriteIa-ki-in- (OLA80 §44.13)kīn, mêkīnum, kāna, kūn, yakūn, yikūn, takūn (Buck 2019, 328)k-w-n: ia-ku-un=, ta-ku-un=, ia₈-gu-na-an (Ur III)mekīn: me-ki-nu-um (Sanmartín GlOS 1, 331, 333)gloss withheld
- Mandaic Aramaickan (LGz. 300)
- Syrian Aramaickān 'be, existhappen, occur' (Payne Smith 209)kīn ‘upright, right, just’kīnūtā ‘justice, righteousness’ (Payne Smith 202)
- Canaanitekuna (HALOT 464)
Arabic2
- Arabickāna (كان) yakūnu "to be, to exist". kawwana (II) "to form, create." kawn "being, existence." (Lane 3004).
- Pre-Islamic North ArabianSafaitic mykn (Al-Jallad–Jaworska 101)kynkʾn (Al-Jallad 2026, 84)gloss withheld
Epigraphic South Arabian1
- Epigraphic South ArabianSAB kwn (SD 80; Sabaweb lemma 1431).gloss withheld
Ethiopic and Modern South Arabian6
- GeezGeʿez kona (ኮነ) Causative ʾakvana (LGz. 288–289).gloss withheld
- Amharichonä (LGz. 288–289)gloss withheld
- Argobbahona (LGz. 300)
- Hararixāna (LGz. 300)
- Jibbalikun (Kogan 2015, ch. 2 §4.2 no. 30)gloss withheld
- Soqotrikɔn (Kogan 2015, ch. 2 §4.2 no. 30)gloss withheld
† Gloss withheld: the cited dictionary’s licence is closed, so its form and page stand without its gloss.