# \*ḥarām-: 'sacred ban, devoted (to deity)'

> Proto-Semitic *ḥarām-, 'sacred ban, devoted (to deity)': reflexes in 19 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>) › [ḥ](<https://linear-a.ai/wiki/semitic-roots/het/index.md>). Updated 2026-10-22.

## Root

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Reconstruction | \*ḥarām- |
| Meaning | 'sacred ban, devoted (to deity)' |
| Basis | project |

## Reflexes

| Language | Form | Sources | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arabic | ḥarām- 'sacred, forbidden' (BK 1, 415) | BK 1, 415 |  |
| Hebrew | ḥērem (HALOT 354) | HALOT 354 | gloss withheld |
| Epigraphic South Arabian | Sab ḥrm, hḥrm, tḥrm, ḥrm, ḥrmt, mḥrm (SD 70–71; Biella 189–190; Sabaweb lemmas 1817, 2118, 4365, 4367, 2284); ḥrm (Sabaweb lemma 4366) | SD 70–71; Biella 189–190; Sabaweb lemmas 1817, 2118, 4365, 4367, 2284; Sabaweb lemma 4366 | gloss withheld |
| Geez | ḥarama (HALOT 353) | HALOT 353 |  |
| Phoenician | ḥrm (HALOT 353) | HALOT 353 |  |
| Moabite | ḥrm (Mesha 17 apud HALOT 353) | HALOT 353 | gloss withheld |
| Judaic Aramaic | ḥirmā (HALOT 354) | HALOT 354 |  |
| Syrian Aramaic | ḥermā (HALOT 354) | HALOT 354 |  |
| Aramaic | ḥarem (LGz. 242) | LGz. 242 | gloss withheld |
| Mandaic Aramaic | hrm (LGz. 242) | LGz. 242 | gloss withheld |
| Tigre | ḥarräma (LGz. 242) | LGz. 242 | gloss withheld |
| Tigrinya | ḥarämä (LGz. 242) | LGz. 242 | gloss withheld |
| Amharic | harrämä, arrämä (LGz. 242) | LGz. 242 | gloss withheld |
| Amorite | ḥrm: ḫirman- (Huffmon APNM 204); ḥrm (Gelb AS 21, 20) | Huffmon APNM 204; Gelb AS 21 20 | gloss withheld |
| Jibbali | aḥrím (Kogan 2015, ch. 2 §4.2 no. 23) | Kogan 2015 ch. 2 §4.2 no. 23 | gloss withheld |
| Mehri | ḥōrəm, ḥrūm (Kogan 2015, ch. 2 §4.2 no. 23) | Kogan 2015 ch. 2 §4.2 no. 23 | gloss withheld |
| Soqotri | ḥórim (Kogan 2015, ch. 2 §4.2 no. 23) | Kogan 2015 ch. 2 §4.2 no. 23 | gloss withheld |
| Emar | ta-aḫ-ru-um /taḥrum/ (Pentiuc 2001, 176–177) | Pentiuc 2001 176–177 | gloss withheld |
| Ugaritic | /ḥarmānu/ (UVST 126) | UVST 126 | gloss withheld |

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

## Notes

DULAT 363 gives Ugaritic ḥrm only as a PN, syll. ḫa-ra-mì; ḫrm 'to pierce' in KTU 1.13:3 (1757) is read 'to destroy under the ban' by De Moor (apud DULAT 400). HALOT 353 compares Akk. ḫarāmu 'to separate', ḫarīmtu 'prostitute' (1757); Huffmon APNM 204 gives the root as Common Semitic except Akkadian and compares the deity Ḥaram at Elephantine. Arabian PNN ḥrm, ḥrmt, ḥrmʾl, yḥrm, mḥrm (Harding 185).

## Linked from

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

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Page: https://linear-a.ai/wiki/semitic-roots/het/2711_sacred_ban_devoted_to_deity/
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.