b ʿ l
29 lemmas · 10 languages
soundAll three consonants are regular📜 Gen.20.3
Themes:master·6lord·5baal·3deity· إِلَه · אֱלוֹהַּ·3owner·3
POS shape:noun·18name·7adj·2verb·1root·1
This root is attested across 10 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
*b-ʿ-lProto-Semitic
West Semitic
Central Semitic
Northwest Semitic
Ugaritic𐎁𐎓𐎍𐎁 𐎓 𐎍— lord
Canaanite
Hebrewבַּעַלב ע ל— master, owner
Phoenician𐤁𐤏𐤋𐤁 𐤏 𐤋— lord, master
Punic𐤁𐤏𐤋𐤁 𐤏 𐤋— lord, master
Aramaic
Imperial Aramaicבַּעֲלָאב ע ל— lord, master
Assyrian NAܒܥܸܠܕܒ݂ܵܒ݂ܵܐܒ ܥ ܠ— enemy, foe, adversary, accuser
Arabic
Arabicبَعْلب ع ل— husband
South Semitic
Old South Arabian
OSA𐩨𐩲𐩡𐩨 𐩲 𐩡— lord
Ethio-Semitic
Ge'ezበዓልበ ዐ ለ— owner, paterfamilias, husband
Tigrinyaበዓልበ ዐ ለ— master
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 · 4 lemmas- lordFrom Proto-Semitic *baʕl-. Cognate with Biblical Hebrew בעל (bʿl).
- Baal (deity)From Proto-Semitic *baʕl-. Cognate with Biblical Hebrew בעל (bʿl).
- ladyFrom Proto-Semitic *baʕlat-.
- Baalat (deity)From Proto-Semitic *baʕlat-.
Phoenician
irregular reflexphn · 1 lemma- lord, master
Punic
irregular reflexpun · 1 lemma- lord, master
Old South Arabian
irregular reflexosa · 1 lemma- lord
Imperial Aramaic
arc · 2 lemmas- lord, masterFrom Proto-Semitic *baʕl-.
- enemy
Assyrian Neo-Aramaic
aii · 2 lemmas- enemy, foe, adversary, accuserBy surface analysis, ܒܥܸܠ (bˁil, “lord of”) + ܕܒ݂ܵܒ݂ܵܐ (dḇāḇā). From Classical Syriac, itself a partial calque of Akkadian [script needed] (bēl dabābi, “Lord of the speech”); compare Arabic بَعَل الذَّبَاب (baʕal aḏ-ḏabāb) and Hebrew בַּעַל זְבוּב (ba'al zvuv). Doublet of ܒܥܸܠܙܒ݂ܘܿܒ݂ (bˁilzḇōḇ).
- Beelzebub, the DevilFrom Classical Syriac, from Biblical Hebrew בַּעַל זְבוּב (baʿal zəḇûḇ), a partial calque of Akkadian [script needed] (bēl dabābi, “Lord of the speech”). Doublet of ܒܥܸܠܕܒ݂ܵܒ݂ܵܐ (bˁildḇāḇā, “enemy, foe”).
Hebrew
he · 8 lemmas- master, ownerFrom Proto-Semitic *baʕl-.
- Baal (Canaanite deity)From Proto-Semitic *baʕl-.
- having, possessing, (endowed) withFrom Proto-Semitic *baʕl-.
- to have sexual intercourseVerbal form related to the above noun.
- mistress (female master or owner)Female form of בַּעַל (bá'al, “master”).
- Baalah, the name of several places in ancient Israel.Female form of בַּעַל (bá'al, “master”).
- ownership, possession
- Related to ownership, lordship, marriage.From Proto-Semitic *baʕl-.
Arabic
ar · 7 lemmas- husbandFrom Proto-Semitic *baʕl-.
- BaalFrom Proto-Semitic *baʕl-.
- wife, mistressFrom Proto-Semitic *baʕlat-.
- plural of بَعْل (baʕl)
- plural of بَعْل (baʕl)
- Baalbekiبَعْلَبَكّ (baʕlabakk, “Baalbek”) + ـِيّ (-iyy).
- Baalbekiبَعْلَبَكّ (baʕlabakk, “Baalbek”) + ـِيّ (-iyy).
Ge'ez
gez · 2 lemmas- owner, paterfamilias, husbandFrom Proto-Semitic *baʕl-. Related to Tigrinya በዓል (bäʿal).
- Baalbek
Tigrinya
ti · 1 lemma- masterFrom Proto-Semitic *baʕl-.