# \*bky- 'to weep, cry, lament' 1, 'weeping, lamentation' 2

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

- Author's gloss: to weep, lament; weeping
- Record: https://github.com/plasma-ai/kaphtor/blob/50525edd50131a50e59ec82bf5132da0fa89efc9/wiki/semitic-roots/b/S44_to_weep_cry_lament_1_weeping_lamentation_2.md

## In Linear A

- [A-PA-KI](<https://linear-a.ai/lexicon/A-PA-KI/index.md>) (ʾabkī): I weep (G prefix form, 1cs); rival ʾabakki (G present)

## Notes

The agent noun 'professional mourner' is 3618.

## Reflexes: East Semitic

- Akkadian: bakû (CAD B 35); bikītu (gloss withheld)
- Eblaitic: ba-ga-um /bakāHum/ (= Sum. ér) (VE 717; Krebernik 1983, 27; Bonechi 2008, 12); ba-ga-um, da-ba-ga /b-k-y/: names ba-ga, ba-ga-da-mu (Sanmartín GlOS 1, 115) (gloss withheld)

## Reflexes: Northwest Semitic

- Ugaritic: bky (DULAT 217); tbky (KTU 1.6 i 9, Anat weeping for Baal); ybky (gloss withheld)
- Syrian Aramaic: bəḵā (LGz. 94)
- Aramaic: DA bky (DNWSI 163) (gloss withheld)
- Amorite: bakūt 2 (Sanmartín GlOS 1, 115) (gloss withheld)

## Reflexes: Arabic

- Arabic: bakā; bukāʾ (Leslau CDG 94) (gloss withheld)
- Pre-Islamic North Arabian: Safaitic bky (Al-Jallad–Jaworska 60); Dhofari bky 1 (Al-Jallad 2026, 28) (gloss withheld)

## Reflexes: Ethiopic and Modern South Arabian

- Geez: bakaya (HALOT 129)
- Mehri: bekū (LGz. 94)
- Tigre: bäka (LGz. 94)
- Harari: bäka (LGz. 94)
- Tigrinya: bäḵäyä (LGz. 94)
- Gurage: bäk'ä (LGz. 94)
- Gafat: bäššä (LGz. 94)
- East Ethiopic: Sel. Wol. bäčä, Zwy. bäčī (EDG 136 apud SEDonline 1654) (gloss withheld)
- Jibbali: béké (JL 25 apud SEDonline 1654) (gloss withheld)

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Page: https://linear-a.ai/roots/S44/
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.