# \*ŝwʕ ~ \*ŝyʕ: 'to follow, aid; followers, party'

> Proto-Semitic *ŝwʕ ~ *ŝyʕ, 'to follow, aid; followers, party': reflexes in 3 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>) › [ś](<https://linear-a.ai/wiki/semitic-roots/sin/index.md>). Updated 2026-10-26.

## Root

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Reconstruction | \*ŝwʕ ~ \*ŝyʕ |
| Meaning | 'to follow, aid; followers, party' |
| Basis | project |

## Reflexes

| Language | Form | Sources | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arabic | mušāyaʿat 'the following another, conforming with him'; šīʿat 'a separate, distinct party, sect'; šāʿat 'a wife' (Lane 1632) | Lane 1632 |  |
| Epigraphic South Arabian | Sab s2wʿ; s2wʿ; s2ʿt (Biella 513); s2wʿ (SD 135–136); s2ʿt; s2ʿt (SD 136); s2ʿy (Biella 521) | Biella 513; SD 135–136; SD 136; Biella 521 | gloss withheld |
| Pre-Islamic North Arabian | Safaitic śʿ; śʿt; śʿ; śyʿ (D); Dadanitic śʿt; Dhofari śʿ (Al-Jallad 2026, 144) | Al-Jallad 2026 144 | gloss withheld |

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

## Notes

Arabic has the root with y (Lane 1632), Sabaic with w; Arabic š and Sabaic s2 point to \*ŝ. SD 136 glosses s2ʿt 'community, following' with Arabic šīʿa and s2ʿt 'spouse' with šāʿa. 615 \*ŝVwVʕ- 'call (for help)' is another word. Al-Jallad (2026, 144) compares Aramaic syʿ D 'to aid', 'to support or accompany a caravan' (Palmyrene) and syʿh, syʿtʾ (sīʿā, sīʿătā) 'crowd', 'group, band' (CAL, s.v. syʿ v., syʿh n.).

## Linked from

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

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Page: https://linear-a.ai/wiki/semitic-roots/sin/3572_to_follow_aid_followers_party/
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.