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

> Proto-Semitic *nVpVš 1, *nap(i)š- 2, 'to breathe' 1, 'throat, neck; soul; vitality, life; person, personality; self' 2, 'funerary monument' 3: reflexes in 25 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>) › [N](<https://linear-a.ai/wiki/semitic-roots/n/index.md>). Updated 2026-11-04.

## Root

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Reconstruction | \*nVpVš 1, \*nap(i)š- 2 |
| Meaning | 'to breathe' 1, 'throat, neck; soul; vitality, life; person, personality; self' 2, 'funerary monument' 3 |
| Basis | reconstruction SED; meaning SED, corrected |
| SED | SEDonline semet 73 |

## Reflexes

| Language | Form | Sources | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arabic | nfs 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 |  |
| Mehri | nōf- 2; ḥǝnōf- 2 (Rubin 2018 75, 98) | Rubin 2018 75, 98 | gloss withheld |
| Soqotri | néfoš 1 \[LS 271\]; nófoš, pl. of nafh- 2 \[LS 271, 260\] | LS 271; LS 271, 260 | gloss withheld |
| Akkadian | napāšu (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 738 | gloss withheld |
| Harsusi | nefesét 2 \[JH 94\] | JH 94 | gloss withheld |
| Tigre | näfsä, tǝnäffäsä 1 \[LH 346\]; näfs 2 \[LH 346\] | LH 346 | gloss withheld |
| Eblaitic | nu-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, 98–99 | gloss withheld |
| Mandaic Aramaic | NPS̆ 1 \[DM 304\]; napša 2 \[ibid. 285\] | DM 304; DM 285 | gloss withheld |
| Ugaritic | npš; 2 \[Aist 211\] (DULAT 627) | Aist 211; DULAT 627 | gloss withheld |
| East Ethiopic | SEL WOL ZWY näfäsä 1 \[LGur 452\]; SEL WOL näfs, ZWY näfis 2 \[LGur 452\] | LGur 452 | gloss withheld |
| Geez | nafsa (ǝ) 1 \[LGz 389\]; nafs 2 \[LGz 389\] | LGz 389 | gloss withheld |
| Gurage | CHA 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 |  |
| Phoenician | npš 2, 3 (T 218; Krahmalkov 333) | T 218; Krahmalkov 333 | gloss withheld |
| Jibbali | ǝnfés 1 \[JJ 182\]; nǝfsɛ́t 2 \[JJ 182\] | JJ 182 | gloss withheld |
| Hebrew | npš (nipʕ) 1 (HALOT 711); näpäš 2 (HALOT 711, 712, 713) | HALOT 711; HALOT 711, 712, 713 | gloss withheld |
| Amharic | näffäsä 1 \[K 1082\]; näfs 2 \[K 1083\] | K 1082; K 1083 | gloss withheld |
| Epigraphic South Arabian | SAB 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 66 | gloss withheld |
| Judaic Aramaic | nǝpaš, napšā 2 \[Ja 927\] (cf. npš \[Sok 358\]) | Ja 927; Sok 358 | gloss withheld |
| Syrian Aramaic | npš (Etpe.) 'breathed' 1 \[Brock 441\]; napšā 'spirit, person' 2; 'funerary pyramid' 3 \[Brock 441\] | Brock 441 |  |
| Aramaic | SAMAL OLD OFF NAB PLM HTR npš 2, 3 \[HJ 744-9\] | HJ 744-9 | gloss withheld |
| Tigrinya | näfäsä 'to blow wind; evaporate liquor etc.' 1 \[Bass 468\]; näfsi 'soul' 2 \[Bass 468\] | Bass 468 |  |
| Argobba | tänäffäsa 1 (LGz. 577) | LGz. 577 | gloss withheld |
| Amorite | napśum 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, 98 | gloss withheld |
| Punic | npš, nʾpš 2, 3 (T 218) | T 218 | gloss withheld |
| Pre-Islamic North Arabian | Safaitic 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 100 | gloss 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 &gt; nass in reflexive constructions; base of Tigrinya/Amharic 3p independent pronouns (nəssu &lt; 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).

## Linked from

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

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Page: https://linear-a.ai/wiki/semitic-roots/n/141_to_breathe_1_throat_neck_soul_vitality_life_pers/
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.