Numerals
Ehret (1995) reconstructs the following cardinal numbers (Ehret does not include Berber in his reconstruction):
Number | Proto-Afroasiatic | Proto-Semitic | Egyptian | Proto-Cushitic | Proto-Chadic | Proto-Omotic |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
two | *tsan, *can | *θny | snwj | |||
*tsîr(n), *cîr(n) | *θər | *sər | ||||
*ɬâm- | *ɬmʔl "left hand" | *ɬâ(a)m- | *lam- | |||
three | *xayaz- | *knɗ- | *x2ayz- | |||
four | *fâzw- | fdw | *fʷaɗə |
The first root for "two" has been compared to Berber (Tamazight) sin. There are other proposed cognate sets:
- "six": Egyptian srs, Proto-Semitic *šidṯ-, Berber (Tamazight) seddis
- "seven": Egyptian sfḫ, Proto-Semitic *šabʕ-, Berber (Tamazight) sa.
Read more about this topic: Proto-Afroasiatic Language