Proto-Semitic root

*bśm

‘balsam-oil’

di Mino’s gloss: balsam tree and its oil; perfume

In Linear A1 entry

*333-SA-MUbiśāmuBalsam, perfume—aromatic personal name (cf. Basemath) on a metal ornamentSpeculativeSemitic1

Notes

OLA80 16.3. Greek βάλσαμον borrowed from Semitic bśm. The -λσ- transcription of ś proves lateral character of this phoneme. May be Phoenician loanword.

Reflexes6 languages

Northwest Semitic5

Hebrewbośem, bẹśẹm (LGz. 110) (HALOT 163)gloss withheld
Aramaicbūsmā (LGz. 110)bšym (DNWSI 204)gloss withheld
Syrian Aramaicbesmā (LGz. 110) (Payne Smith 49)gloss withheld
Phoenicianbšm (LGz. 110)
Punicbšm (DNWSI 203–204)gloss withheld

Arabic1

Arabicbašām (LGz. 110) (Lane 209) (HALOT 163)gloss withheld

† Gloss withheld: the cited dictionary’s licence is closed, so its form and page stand without its gloss.