# \*rVḥVm-: 'womb; to have mercy, compassion'

> Proto-Semitic *rVḥVm-, 'womb; to have mercy, compassion': reflexes in 23 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>) › [R](<https://linear-a.ai/wiki/semitic-roots/r/index.md>). Updated 2026-10-22.

## Root

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Reconstruction | \*rVḥVm- |
| Meaning | 'womb; to have mercy, compassion' |
| Basis | SED, corrected |
| SED | SEDonline semet 2617 |

## Reflexes

| Language | Form | Sources | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arabic | raḥima 'to have mercy' (BK 1, 838) | BK 1, 838 |  |
| Akkadian | rēmu (CAD R 259) | CAD R 259 | gloss withheld |
| Ugaritic | rḥm,; /r-ḥ-m/ (DULAT 725) | DULAT 725 | gloss withheld |
| Hebrew | reḥem (HALOT 1217) | HALOT 1217 | gloss withheld |
| Epigraphic South Arabian | Sab rḥm (SD 116, 117; Biella 485; Sabaweb lemmas 8456, 4903) | SD 116, 117; Biella 485; Sabaweb lemmas 8456, 4903 | gloss withheld |
| Mehri | raḥm \[JM 321\]; also mǝrḥām \[ibid. 322\] | JM 321; JM 322 | gloss withheld |
| Tigre | rǝḥm \[LH 146\]. | LH 146 | gloss withheld |
| Eblaitic | rí-ʔex(EN)-mu, rí-mu-um /reḥmum/ \[Kr 14; Bl E No. 80\]; rí-ʔeₓ(EN)-mu, rí-mu-um /reḥm, riḥm/ (Sanmartín GlOS 2, 160) | Kr 14; Sanmartín GlOS 2, 160 | gloss withheld |
| Phoenician | \*rḥm (in rḥm-y) \[Estañol 227\] |  | gloss withheld |
| Modern Aramaic | MAL raḥmṯa \[Berg 76\] HRT raḥme \[J Hert 197\] NASS raḫmi (pl.) \[Tser 0195\] MMND rehem \[M MND 510\] | Berg 76; J Hert 197; Tser 0195; M MND 510 | gloss withheld |
| Jibbali | raḥm \[JJ 210\] (EAST) mǝrḥám \[JM 322\] | JJ 210; JM 322 | gloss withheld |
| Judaic Aramaic | raḥămā, raḥmā 'orifice of the matrix, womb' \[Ja 1467\] | Ja 1467 |  |
| Syrian Aramaic | raḥmā 'womb' \[Brock 724\] | Brock 724 |  |
| Aramaic | DALLA rḥm \[HJ 1070\]; rḥm (DNWSI 1068); rḥym (DNWSI 1067); rḥm (DNWSI 1069); rḥmh (DNWSI 1070); rḥmn (DNWSI 1071); rḥmnyt (DNWSI 1072) | HJ 1070; DNWSI 1068; DNWSI 1067; DNWSI 1069; DNWSI 1070; DNWSI 1071; DNWSI 1072 | gloss withheld |
| Biblical Aramaic | rḥm (HALOT 1216) | HALOT 1216 |  |
| Geez | maḥara, mĕḥĕra (HALOT 1216) | HALOT 1216 |  |
| Tigrinya | mäḥarä; rəḥm-u (SED I 204) | SED I 204 | gloss withheld |
| Harsusi | reḥām (SED I 204) | SED I 204 | gloss withheld |
| Amharic | marä (SED I 204–205) | SED I 204–205 | gloss withheld |
| East Ethiopic | WOL marä, SEL ZWY mārä (SED I 205) | SED I 205 | gloss withheld |
| Amorite | rḥm: jirḥam, jarḥam, raḥimum, raḥima (Gelb AS 21, 30); raḥmu, yirḥam (Buck 2019, 331); r-ḥ-m: ia-ar-ḫa-mu, ia-ar-ḫa-ma-an, ia-ar-a-mu-um; raḥm: ra-aḫ-ma-ia, ra-aḫ-mi-ì-lí, an-nu-ra-aḫ-mi (Sanmartín GlOS 2, 160) | Gelb AS 21 30; Buck 2019, 331; Sanmartín GlOS 2, 160 | gloss withheld |
| Canaanite | raḥmān: name ra-aḫ-ma-nu (Sanmartín GlOS 2, 160) | Sanmartín GlOS 2, 160 | gloss withheld |
| Punic | rḥm (DNWSI 1068) | DNWSI 1068 | gloss withheld |

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

## Linked from

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

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Page: https://linear-a.ai/wiki/semitic-roots/r/2741_womb_to_have_mercy_compassion/
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.