# \*baḥr-: 'sea, lake'

> Proto-Semitic *baḥr-, 'sea, lake': reflexes in 10 language(s).

A page of the Linear A Lexicon's research wiki, in [Wiki](<https://linear-a.ai/wiki/index.md>) › [Kaphtor Semitic Roots](<https://linear-a.ai/wiki/semitic-roots/index.md>) › [B](<https://linear-a.ai/wiki/semitic-roots/b/index.md>). Updated 2026-10-22.

## Root

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Reconstruction | \*baḥr- |
| Meaning | 'sea, lake' |
| Basis | SED |
| SED | SEDonline semet 668 |

## Reflexes

| Language | Form | Sources | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arabic | baḥr- (Lane 156) | Lane 156 |  |
| Tigre | bähar |  |  |
| Geez | bāḥr |  |  |
| Amharic | bahǝr |  |  |
| Epigraphic South Arabian | bḥr (Sabaweb lemma 1509) | Sabaweb lemma 1509 | gloss withheld |
| Syrian Aramaic | baḥr- (LS2 136\[66\] apud CAL) | CAL |  |
| Tigrinya | baḥri |  |  |
| Harari | bäḥar (LGz. 91) | LGz. 91 |  |
| Argobba | bähar (LGz. 91) | LGz. 91 |  |
| Pre-Islamic North Arabian | Safaitic bḥrt (Al-Jallad 2026, 27) | Al-Jallad 2026 27 | gloss withheld |

A form keeps its source's gloss only when the source is public domain or openly licensed.

## Notes

Sel. bahər 'sea', Cha. Ezha Muh. bäxar, bar, End. Enn. Gye. bäxar, bār, Msq. bahər 'abroad', Sod. bahər, bar 'sea' (EDG 135), apud SEDonline 532, an areal \*baḥr- 'sea'; there the relation of Akk. berâtu 'swamps, lagoons' (CAD B 206) and Ebl. bù-la-tum 'sea' (VE 1343’) to \*baḥr- is uncertain. Krebernik 1983, 43 normalizes bù-la-tum /buʾratum/ and compares Akk. būrtum 'well' (1786). Geez bəḥer 'region, province, country, land' (LGz. 91), which Nöldeke takes for a diminutive of bāḥr (apud LGz. 91), and Arabic baḥrat 'a wide tract of land; a land, country, or territory belonging to a people' (Lane 157) are other formations.

## Linked from

- [B](<https://linear-a.ai/wiki/semitic-roots/b/index.md>)

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Page: https://linear-a.ai/wiki/semitic-roots/b/681_sea_lake/
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 add28e94.