*nVpVš 1, *nap(i)š- 2: 'to breathe' 1, 'throat, neck; soul; vitality, life; person, personality; self' 2, 'funerary monument' 3

Root

FieldValue
Reconstruction*nVpVš 1, *nap(i)š- 2
Meaning'to breathe' 1, 'throat, neck; soul; vitality, life; person, personality; self' 2, 'funerary monument' 3
Basisreconstruction SED; meaning SED, corrected
SEDSEDonline semet 73

Reflexes

LanguageFormSourcesNote
Arabicnfs V 'to breathe' 1 [BK 2 1310]; nafs- 'soul, vital principle; blood; person' 2 [BK 2 1310]; nafas- 'a draught, a gulp' 2 [BK 2 1310]BK 2 1310
Mehrinōf- 2; ḥǝnōf- 2 (Rubin 2018 75, 98)Rubin 2018 75, 98gloss withheld
Soqotrinéfoš 1 [LS 271]; nófoš, pl. of nafh- 2 [LS 271, 260]LS 271; LS 271, 260gloss withheld
Akkadiannapāšu (u/u) 1 OA, OB on [CAD n1 288], [AHw 736]; napištu (napuštu, napaštu, napšatu) 2 OAkk on [CAD n1 296], [AHw 738]CAD n1 288; AHw 736; CAD n1 296; AHw 738gloss withheld
Harsusinefesét 2 [JH 94]JH 94gloss withheld
Tigrenäfsä, tǝnäffäsä 1 [LH 346]; näfs 2 [LH 346]LH 346gloss withheld
Eblaiticnu-bù-uš-tum, nu-bù-uš-du-um /nupuštum/ 2 (VE 1050, 1315; Krebernik 1983, 37); na-pu-uš-tu-um 2 (HALOT 711, apud Pettinato); /n-p-S/ 1: name en-bù-uš-li-im; /nap(a)S, nap(i)S/ 2: names nab-sa-su, na-bí-iš; /napiSat/ 2: name na-bí-sa-dum; nu-bù-uš-tum/du-um /nupuSt/ 2 (Sanmartín GlOS 2, 98–99)VE 1050, 1315; Krebernik 1983, 37; HALOT 711; Sanmartín GlOS 2, 98–99gloss withheld
Mandaic AramaicNPS̆ 1 [DM 304]; napša 2 [ibid. 285]DM 304; DM 285gloss withheld
Ugariticnpš; 2 [Aist 211] (DULAT 627)Aist 211; DULAT 627gloss withheld
East EthiopicSEL WOL ZWY näfäsä 1 [LGur 452]; SEL WOL näfs, ZWY näfis 2 [LGur 452]LGur 452gloss withheld
Geeznafsa (ǝ) 1 [LGz 389]; nafs 2 [LGz 389]LGz 389gloss withheld
GurageCHA END ENN GYE näfäsä, EZHA MUH MAS GOG SOD näffäsä 1 [LGur 452]; CHA EZHA END ENN GYE MUH MAS GOG SOD näfs 2 [LGur 452]LGur 452
Phoeniciannpš 2, 3 (T 218; Krahmalkov 333)T 218; Krahmalkov 333gloss withheld
Jibbaliǝnfés 1 [JJ 182]; nǝfsɛ́t 2 [JJ 182]JJ 182gloss withheld
Hebrewnpš (nipʕ) 1 (HALOT 711); näpäš 2 (HALOT 711, 712, 713)HALOT 711; HALOT 711, 712, 713gloss withheld
Amharicnäffäsä 1 [K 1082]; näfs 2 [K 1083]K 1082; K 1083gloss withheld
Epigraphic South ArabianSAB nfs1 2 [SD 93; Sabaweb lemma 2005], QAT nfs1 2 [Ricks 109], MIN nfs1 2 [LM 66]SD 93; Sabaweb lemma 2005; Ricks 109; LM 66gloss withheld
Judaic Aramaicnǝpaš, napšā 2 [Ja 927] (cf. npš [Sok 358])Ja 927; Sok 358gloss withheld
Syrian Aramaicnpš (Etpe.) 'breathed' 1 [Brock 441]; napšā 'spirit, person' 2; 'funerary pyramid' 3 [Brock 441]Brock 441
AramaicSAMAL OLD OFF NAB PLM HTR npš 2, 3 [HJ 744-9]HJ 744-9gloss withheld
Tigrinyanäfäsä 'to blow wind; evaporate liquor etc.' 1 [Bass 468]; näfsi 'soul' 2 [Bass 468]Bass 468
Argobbatänäffäsa 1 (LGz. 577)LGz. 577gloss withheld
Amoritenapśum 2 (Gelb AS 21, 26); napšu 2, napišu 2 (Buck 2019, 330); nap(a)S, nap(i)S 2: na-pí-zu-um, na-ap-si-i-la, na-ap-sa/ša-nu-um (Ur III) (Sanmartín GlOS 2, 98)Gelb AS 21 26; Buck 2019, 330; Sanmartín GlOS 2, 98gloss withheld
Punicnpš, nʾpš 2, 3 (T 218)T 218gloss withheld
Pre-Islamic North ArabianSafaitic nfs 2 (Al-Jallad–Jaworska 103); nfs, nfst 3; ʾnfs, ʾfs 3; Dadanitic nfs 3; nfs 2; Hismaic nfs 2 (Al-Jallad 2026, 100)Al-Jallad–Jaworska 103; Al-Jallad 2026 100gloss withheld

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

Notes

Reflexive pronoun base across Semitic: Heb nišba' bā-napšō 'he swore by himself'; Ethiopian nafs > nass in reflexive constructions; base of Tigrinya/Amharic 3p independent pronouns (nəssu < nāfsu 'his person') (Lipiński OLA80 §36.12, §36.28). PES *nVfās- 'wind' (Gez. nafās, Tna. nəfas, Amh. nəfas, Sod. nəfas, Wol. nəfas) derives from the PES verb *nfs 'to blow', from PS *npš 'to breathe' (Kogan 2015, ch. 7 §4.1 no. 11).

Updated 4 November 2026

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Linear A Lexicon