# \*kwn- 'to be firm, to be established, to exist'

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

- Author's gloss: to be firm, established; to be; true, upright
- Record: https://github.com/plasma-ai/kaphtor/blob/50525edd50131a50e59ec82bf5132da0fa89efc9/wiki/semitic-roots/k/S35_to_be_firm_to_be_established_to_exist.md

## In Linear A

- [KI-NU](<https://linear-a.ai/lexicon/KI-NU/index.md>) (Kīnu): personal name, 'the True One' (kīnu 'true, reliable')
- [OLE+KI](<https://linear-a.ai/lexicon/OLE~2BKI/index.md>) (kīnu): genuine, standard-grade oil (kīnu)

## 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).

## Reflexes: East Semitic

- Akkadian: kânu(m) G D kunnû Š šukūnu Adj. kīnu (CAD K 159–171, 389; AHw 440–441) (gloss withheld)
- Eblaitic: du-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)

## Reflexes: Northwest Semitic

- Ugaritic: kwn (/k-n/) G L (DULAT 442). PN: yknʿil (gloss withheld)
- Phoenician: kn, niph'al (Krahmalkov 232–234); kwn (yiph.) (T 140) (gloss withheld)
- Hebrew: kūn (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 Aramaic: kūn Pa. "to direct, aim"; pass. part. "straight, firm, upright" (Ja. 622).
- Punic: Neo-Punic kn (Krahmalkov 235); Neo-Punic kt, in ktm (Krahmalkov 244) (gloss withheld)
- Amorite: Ia-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 Aramaic: kan (LGz. 300)
- Syrian Aramaic: kān 'be, exist; happen, occur' (Payne Smith 209); kīn 'upright, right, just'; kīnūtā 'justice, righteousness' (Payne Smith 202)
- Canaanite: kuna (HALOT 464)

## Reflexes: Arabic

- Arabic: kāna (كان) yakūnu "to be, to exist". kawwana (II) "to form, create." kawn "being, existence." (Lane 3004).
- Pre-Islamic North Arabian: Safaitic mykn (Al-Jallad–Jaworska 101); kyn; kʾn (Al-Jallad 2026, 84) (gloss withheld)

## Reflexes: Epigraphic South Arabian

- Epigraphic South Arabian: SAB kwn (SD 80; Sabaweb lemma 1431). (gloss withheld)

## Reflexes: Ethiopic and Modern South Arabian

- Geez: Geʿez kona (ኮነ) Causative ʾakvana (LGz. 288–289). (gloss withheld)
- Amharic: honä (LGz. 288–289) (gloss withheld)
- Argobba: hona (LGz. 300)
- Harari: xāna (LGz. 300)
- Jibbali: kun (Kogan 2015, ch. 2 §4.2 no. 30) (gloss withheld)
- Soqotri: kɔn (Kogan 2015, ch. 2 §4.2 no. 30) (gloss withheld)

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Page: https://linear-a.ai/roots/S35/
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.