| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. |
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Appendix II
Semitic Roots |
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| ENTRY: | bn. |
| DEFINITION: | Common Semitic noun *bn-, son, and feminine derivative *bint-, daughter.
I. Common Semitic *bn-. 1a. bar mitzvah, from Aramaic bar, bound form of b r , son; b. Barabbas, from Aramaic bar- abb, son of the father (probably a nickname, or a joking name for a bastard; abb, father; see b); c. Barnabas, from Aramaic bar-nbô, son of Nabu (nbô, Nabu, Akkadian deity, from Akkadian nabû). 2a. B'nai B'rith, from Hebrew bnê, plural bound form of b n, son; b. Benjamin, from Hebrew binymîn, son of the right hand, from bin-, frozen bound form of bn (ymîn, right hand, south; see ymn).
II. Common Semitic *bint-. 1a. bat mitzvah, from Hebrew bat (< *batt < *bitt < *bint), daughter; b. Bathsheba, from Hebrew bat- ebac (see bc). 2. bint, from Arabic bint, daughter. |
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| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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