k l b
44 lemmas · 14 languages
soundAll three consonants are regular📜 Exod.11.7
Themes:dog· كَلْب · כֶּלֶב·29bitch· كَلْبَة · כַּלְבָּה·4hound· كَلْب صَيْد · כֶּלֶב צַיִד·3keeper·3trainer·3
POS shape:noun·33verb·5adj·4name·2
This root is attested across 14 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
*k-l-bProto-Semitic
East Semitic
Akkadiankalbuk l b— Non-mimated form of kalbum
West Semitic
Central Semitic
Northwest Semitic
Ugaritic𐎋𐎍𐎁𐎋 𐎍 𐎁— dog
Canaanite
Hebrewכַּלְבָּהכ ל ב— dog (female), bitch
Phoenician𐤊𐤋𐤁𐤊 𐤋 𐤁— dog
Punic𐤊𐤋𐤁𐤊 𐤋 𐤁— dog
Aramaic
Imperial Aramaicכַּלְבָּאכ ל ב— dog
Syriacܟܰܠܒܳܐܟ ܠ ܒ— wild, mad
Assyrian NAܟܲܠܒܵܐܟ ܠ ܒ— dog, hound
Turoyoܟܠܒܐܟ ܠ ܒ— dog
Arabic
Arabicأَكْلَبك ل ب— more like a dog; most like a dog
South Semitic
Old South Arabian
OSA𐩫𐩡𐩨𐩫 𐩡 𐩨— dog
Ethio-Semitic
Ge'ezከልብከ ለ በ— dog
Amharicከልብከ ለ በ— dog
Tigrinyaከልቢከ ለ በ— dog
Branch structure: Huehnergard (2005), Rubin (2010). The reconstructed Proto-Semitic form is computed on the fly from the cognate set's majority reflex pattern.
Akkadian
akk · 2 lemmas- Non-mimated form of kalbum
- dog also as an invectiveFrom Proto-Semitic *kalb- (“dog”). Cognate with Arabic كَلْب (kalb) and Biblical Hebrew כֶּלֶב (kɛ́lɛḇ).
Ugaritic
irregular reflexug · 2 lemmas- dogFrom Proto-Semitic *kalb-. Compare Hebrew כֶּלֶב (kéleḇ).
- dog, bitchFeminine of 𐎋𐎍𐎁 (klb).
Phoenician
irregular reflexphn · 1 lemma- dog
Punic
irregular reflexpun · 1 lemma- dog
Old South Arabian
irregular reflexosa · 1 lemma- dog
Imperial Aramaic
arc · 2 lemmas- dogFrom Proto-Semitic *kalb-.
- dog, bitchFeminine form of כלבא. Ultimately from Proto-Semitic *kalb-.
Classical Syriac
syc · 8 lemmas- wild, madFrom Proto-Semitic *kalb-. The sense of "dog day" is a calque of Ancient Greek κύων (kúōn).
- dog, houndFrom Proto-Semitic *kalb-. The sense of "dog day" is a calque of Ancient Greek κύων (kúōn).
- Dog Star, Sirius, CaniculaFrom Proto-Semitic *kalb-. The sense of "dog day" is a calque of Ancient Greek κύων (kúōn).
- rage, madnessRelated to above. Compare Arabic كَلَب (kalab).
- dog keeper, dog trainer; one who hunts with dogsModified from above. Compare Arabic كَلَّاب (kallāb).
- alternative spelling of ܟܽܘܠܒܶܐ (kulbā)
- axe, hatchetFrom Akkadian 𒅗𒆷𒁍 (kalappu), though even Zimmern suggested that the Aramaic is cognate, which independently of this question might as well be the case with Arabic كُلَّاب (kullāb, “hook”), because Classical Mandaic ࡊࡅࡋࡀࡁ (kulab, attested but in the construct state), means “hook”. Note Coptic ⲕⲉⲗⲉⲃⲓⲛ (kelebin, “axe”).
- feminine emphatic singular of ܟܰܠܒܳܐ (kalbā)Feminine form of ܟܠܒܐ (kalbā).
Assyrian Neo-Aramaic
aii · 8 lemmas- dog, houndInherited from Aramaic כַּלְבָּא (kalbā), from Proto-Semitic *kalb-; compare Arabic كَلْب (kalb), Hebrew כֶּלֶב (kélev) and Akkadian 𒌨 (kalbum). The latter noun is an occupational noun derived from the former; compare Arabic كَلَّاب (kallāb).
▸ 4 derivations
- derivedܟܲܠܒܘܼܬ݂ܵܐkalbūṯā
- derivedܟܲܠܒܘܿܢܵܐkalbōnā
- derivedܟܲܠܒܵܐ ܕܡܲܝ̈ܵܐkalbā d-mayyā
- derivedܟܲܠܒܵܝܵܐkalbāyā
- dog keeper, dog trainerInherited from Aramaic כַּלְבָּא (kalbā), from Proto-Semitic *kalb-; compare Arabic كَلْب (kalb), Hebrew כֶּלֶב (kélev) and Akkadian 𒌨 (kalbum). The latter noun is an occupational noun derived from the former; compare Arabic كَلَّاب (kallāb).
- pickaxeLearned borrowing from Classical Syriac ܟܘܠܒܐ (kulbā), from Akkadian 𒅗𒆷𒁍 (kalappu).
- to misbehave, mess aroundDerived from ܟܲܠܒܵܐ (kalbā, “dog”).
- Caleb (son of Jephunneh, an Israelite who entered Canaan with Joshua)Borrowed from Classical Syriac, from Biblical Hebrew כָּלֵב (Kālēḇ), possibly related to כֶּלֶב (keleḇ, “dog”), referring to dogs’ unconditional devotion to their masters.
- construct state singular of ܟܲܠܒ݂ܵܐ (kalḇā, “dog”)
- female dog, hound, bitchFeminine form of ܟܲܠܒܵܐ (kalbā), from Aramaic כַּלְבְּתָא (kalbəṯā); compare Arabic كَلْبَة (kalba) and Hebrew כַּלְבָּה (kalbá). The latter noun is an occupational noun derived from the former.
- dog keeper, dog trainer; one who hunts with dogsFeminine form of ܟܲܠܒܵܐ (kalbā), from Aramaic כַּלְבְּתָא (kalbəṯā); compare Arabic كَلْبَة (kalba) and Hebrew כַּלְבָּה (kalbá). The latter noun is an occupational noun derived from the former.
Hebrew
he · 7 lemmas- dog (female), bitch
- rabies
- cageThe word has cognates in multiple Semitic languages Classical Syriac ܟܘܠܒܫܐ (kalbāšā), Arabic كَلْبِشْ (kalbiš), and Tigrinya [script needed] (karba) and Amharic [script needed] (karabō) with metathesis of the consonant /ɹ/ and /l/. Which are likely related to Ancient Greek κλωβός (klōbós, “birdhouse”) and Old…
- stapler
- doggy; a small friendly dogA diminutive form of כֶּלֶב (kélev, “dog”) formed by partial reduplication. Compare with חֲתַלְתּוּל (khataltúl, “a kitten, a kitty”) (from חָתוּל (khatúl, “a cat”)).
- dog (the species Canis familiaris (sometimes designated Canis lupus familiaris), domesticated for thousands of years and of highly variable appearance because of human breeding)Inherited from Proto-Semitic *kalb-.
▸ 8 derivations
- derivedכֶּלֶב זְאֵבkélev ze'év
- derivedכֶּלֶב כְּנַעֲנִיkélev kna'aní
- derivedכֶּלֶב־יָםkélev-yam
- derivedכֶּלֶב־נָהָרkélev-nahár
- derivedכְּלַבְלַבklavláv
- derivedכַּלְבָןkalván
- derivedכַּלֶּבֶתkalévet
- derivedקור כלביםkor klavím
- plural indefinite form of כלבלב (klavláv)
Arabic
ar · 8 lemmas- more like a dog; most like a dogElative from كَلْب (kalb, “dog”).
- dogFrom Proto-Semitic *kalb-. Cognate with Akkadian 𒌨𒂠 (kalbum) and Biblical Hebrew כֶּלֶב (kɛ́lɛḇ).
- to be seized by hydrophobia, to become rabidLikely denominal to كَلَب (kalab, “rabies”) or directly to كَلْب (kalb, “dog”).
- verbal noun of كَلِبَ (kaliba) (form I)Likely derived from كَلْب (kalb, “dog”).
- rabid, affected with rabiesLikely derived from كَلْب (kalb, “dog”).
Ge'ez
gez · 1 lemma- dogFrom Proto-Semitic *kalb-.
Amharic
am · 1 lemma- dogFrom Proto-Semitic *kalb-.
Tigrinya
ti · 1 lemma- dogFrom Proto-Semitic *kalb-.
Turoyo
tru · 1 lemma- dog