← All root families

ḥ k m

29 lemmas · 8 languages
soundAll three consonants are regularT Exod.31.6
Themes:wise·9wisdom· حِكْمَة · חָכְמָה·8knowledge·4science·3philosophy·2
POS shape:noun·13adj·7verb·6root·2name·1

This root is attested across 8 Semitic languages in our index. Each section below shows representative lemmas; attested means a Wiktionary editor explicitly tagged the root, inferredmeans we derived it mechanically from the word's consonantal skeleton.

Etymology treehow this root diverged from Proto-Semitic through the family

*ḥ-k-mProto-Semitic
West Semitic
Central Semitic
Northwest Semitic
Ugaritic𐎈𐎋𐎎𐎈 𐎋 𐎎wise
Canaanite
Hebrewחָכָםח כ םwise, smart
Aramaic
Imperial Aramaicחכםח כ מto be wise
Syriacܚܟܡܬܐܚ ܟ ܡwisdom, knowledge, science, philosophy
Assyrian NAܚܲܟܝܼܡܵܐܚ ܟ ܡwise, smart
Arabic
Arabicحَكَمَح ك مto exercise authority, command, bid, to rule, to reign, to decree
South Semitic
Ethio-Semitic
Amharicሐኪምሐ ከ መdoctor
Tigrinyaሓኪምሐ ከ መdoctor

Branch structure: Huehnergard (2005), Rubin (2010). The reconstructed Proto-Semitic form is computed on the fly from the cognate set's majority reflex pattern.

Ugaritic

irregular reflexug · 2 lemmas
  • ḥkmadjinferredWiktionary ↗
    wise
    Compare Hebrew חָכָם (ḥāḵām), Aramaic חַכִּים (ḥakkīm), Arabic حَكِيم (ḥakīm).
  • ḥkmtnouninferredWiktionary ↗
    wisdom
    Compare Hebrew חָכְמָה (ḥoḵmā), Arabic حِكْمَة (ḥikma).

Imperial Aramaic

arc · 2 lemmas
  • verbinferred𐡀 tg. Jer. Deut 34:6Wiktionary ↗
    to be wise
  • nouninferred𐡀 tg. Onk. Exod 28:3Wiktionary ↗
    wisdom, knowledge, science

Classical Syriac

syc · 1 lemma
  • ḥeḵməṯānounattestedWiktionary ↗
    wisdom, knowledge, science, philosophy
    From the root ܚ ܟ ܡ related to wisdom; compare Hebrew חָכְמָה (ḥoḵmâ).

Assyrian Neo-Aramaic

aii · 6 lemmas
  • ḥakīmāadjattestedWiktionary ↗
    wise, smart
    Of the adjectival pattern 1a22ī3ā, inherited from Aramaic חַכִּימָא (ḥakkīmā); cognate to Arabic حَكِيم (ḥakīm) and Hebrew חָכָם (khakhám).
  • ḥakīmānounattestedWiktionary ↗
    sage
    Of the adjectival pattern 1a22ī3ā, inherited from Aramaic חַכִּימָא (ḥakkīmā); cognate to Arabic حَكِيم (ḥakīm) and Hebrew חָכָם (khakhám).
  • ḥakīmānameattestedWiktionary ↗
    a male given name
    Of the adjectival pattern 1a22ī3ā, inherited from Aramaic חַכִּימָא (ḥakkīmā); cognate to Arabic حَكِيم (ḥakīm) and Hebrew חָכָם (khakhám).
  • ḥiḵmṯānounattestedWiktionary ↗
    wisdom, knowledge, science, philosophy
    From Aramaic חֵכמְּתָא (ḥeḵməṯā); compare Hebrew חָכְמָה (khokhmá) and Arabic حِكْمَة (ḥikma).
    2 derivations
  • ḥḵumyānounattestedWiktionary ↗
    sexual intercourse, copulation, coitus
    Of the noun pattern 12u3yā.
  • ḥ krootinferredWiktionary ↗
    forming words pertaining to wisdom
    From Proto-Semitic; compare Hebrew ח־כ־ם (ḥ-k-m) and Arabic ح ك م (ḥ k m).

Hebrew

he · 8 lemmas
  • khakhámadjattestedT Exod.31.6Wiktionary ↗
    wise, smart
    Compare Arabic حَكِيم (ḥakīm), Aramaic חַכִּים (ḥakkīm).
    3 derivations
  • khakhámnounattestedT Exod.31.6Wiktionary ↗
    wise man, sage
    Compare Arabic حَكِيم (ḥakīm), Aramaic חַכִּים (ḥakkīm).
  • khakhámverbattestedT Exod.31.6Wiktionary ↗
    to be wise, become wise, learn
    Compare Arabic حَكِيم (ḥakīm), Aramaic חַכִּים (ḥakkīm).
  • hekhkímverbattestedWiktionary ↗
    to become wise, acquire knowledge, learn
  • khokhmánouninferredT Exod.28.3Wiktionary ↗
    defective spelling of חוכמה.
    Cognate with Arabic حكمة.
  • kh-k-mrootinferredT Exod.31.6Wiktionary ↗
    Related to wisdom.
    Unknown. Compare Arabic ح ك م (ḥ k m).
  • khokhmánouninferredT Exod.28.3Wiktionary ↗
    wisdom
    Related to Arabic حِكْمَة (ḥikma).
  • khakhamotadjinferredT Judg.5.29Wiktionary ↗
    feminine plural indefinite form of חָכָם (khakhám)

Arabic

ar · 8 lemmas
  • ḥakamaverbattested☪︎ Q.2:32Wiktionary ↗
    to exercise authority, command, bid, to rule, to reign, to decree
  • ḥakumaverbattested☪︎ Q.2:32Wiktionary ↗
    to be wise
  • ḥakkamaverbattested☪︎ Q.2:32Wiktionary ↗
    to appoint as a judge or governor
  • ʔaḥkamadjattested☪︎ Q.2:32Wiktionary ↗
    elative degree of حَكِيم (ḥakīm)
    Elative of حَكِيم (ḥakīm, “wise”) and form IV.
  • ḥākimadjattested☪︎ Q.2:32Wiktionary ↗
    ruling, governing
    Derived from the active participle of the verb حَكَمَ (ḥakama, “to pass judgment”).
  • ḥikmanounattested☪︎ Q.2:32Wiktionary ↗
    wisdom
    From the verbal noun of حَكُمَ (ḥakuma, “to be wise”). Compare Hebrew חָכְמָה (ḥokhmá, “wisdom”) and Ugaritic 𐎈𐎋𐎎𐎚 (ḥkmt).
  • ḥakamanounattested☪︎ Q.2:32Wiktionary ↗
    bridle, bit
  • ḥukmiyyadjattested☪︎ Q.2:32Wiktionary ↗
    legal
    حُكْم (ḥukm, “judgement”) + ـِيّ (-iyy).

Amharic

am · 1 lemma
  • ḥakimnouninferredWiktionary ↗
    doctor
    Borrowed from Arabic حَكِيم (ḥakīm).

Tigrinya

ti · 1 lemma
  • ḥakkimnouninferredWiktionary ↗
    doctor
    Borrowed from Arabic حَكِيم (ḥakīm).

Related rootsshare 2 of 3 consonants with ḥ-k-m

Compare two languages side-by-side