m h r
31 lemmas · 10 languages
soundAll three consonants are regular📜 Gen.19.22
Themes:filly·2skilled·2fast·2quickly·2defective·2
POS shape:noun·14verb·10adj·4adv·2name·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
*m-h-rProto-Semitic
East Semitic
Akkadianmaḫrumm h r— front, presence
West Semitic
Central Semitic
Northwest Semitic
Ugaritic𐎎𐎅𐎗𐎎 𐎅 𐎗— soldier, warrior
Canaanite
Hebrewמָהִירמ ה ר— fast, quick
Aramaic
Imperial Aramaicמהרמ ה ר— to learn, to excel, to be practiced
Syriacܡܗܪܐܡ ܗ ܪ— dowry
Assyrian NAܡܗܝܼܪܵܐܡ ܗ ܪ— skilled, proficient, adept
Arabic
Arabicمَهَرَم ه ر— to be skilled or skillful
South Semitic
Old South Arabian
OSA𐩣𐩠𐩧𐩩𐩣 𐩠 𐩧— filly, foal
Ethio-Semitic
Ge'ezመሀረመ ሀ ረ— to teach, instruct
Tigrinyaምህሮመ ሀ ረ— teaching
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 · 3 lemmas- front, presenceCompare Sabaean 𐩣𐩭𐩧 (mḫr, “to face, oppose, fight”) and Soqotri [script needed] (meḥor, “to offer”).
- first, old, originalFrom 𒅆 (maḫrum, “front”) + 𒄿 (-ī, nisba suffix).
▸ 1 derivation
- relatedmaḫrītum
- to accept, receiveCompare Sabaean 𐩣𐩭𐩧 (mḫr, “to face, oppose, fight”) and Soqotri meḥor (“to offer”).
Ugaritic
irregular reflexug · 1 lemma- soldier, warrior
Old South Arabian
irregular reflexosa · 1 lemma- filly, foal
Imperial Aramaic
arc · 1 lemma- to learn, to excel, to be practiced
Classical Syriac
syc · 1 lemma- dowryFrom the root ܡ ܗ ܪ. Compare Arabic مَهْر (mahr) and Hebrew מֹהַר (mṓhar).
Assyrian Neo-Aramaic
aii · 1 lemma- skilled, proficient, adeptCompare Arabic مَاهِر (māhir) and Hebrew מָהִיר (mahír, “fast, quick”).
▸ 2 derivations
- derivedܡܗܝܼܪܘܼܬ݂ܵܐmhīrūṯā
- derivedܡܗܝܼܪܵܐܝܼܬ݂mhīrāˀīṯ
Hebrew
he · 8 lemmas- fast, quick
- to hurry
- quickly, speedily, soon, shortly
- a speed, a velocityFrom מָהִיר (mahír, “quick, fast”) + ־וּת (-út, “-ness, -ity”).
▸ 3 derivations
- derivedבִּמְהִירוּתbim'hirút
- derivedבִּמְהִירוּת הַבָּזָקbim'hirút habazák
- derivedמְהִירוּת הָאוֹרm'hirút ha'ór
- Quickly, rapidly, fast.
- defective spelling of מיהר
- to acquire a wife by paying her purchase priceDenominative from מוהר / מֹהַר, cognate to Arabic مَهَرَ (mahara).
- defective spelling of מוהרDenominative from מוהר / מֹהַר, cognate to Arabic مَهَرَ (mahara).
Arabic
ar · 8 lemmas- to be skilled or skillfulFrom Proto-Semitic *mahir-/*marw- (“(young) man; still fast and physically useful”), possibly further Proto-Afroasiatic *ma(hi)r- (“servant, slave”), potentially related to Arabic مَرْء (marʔ). Compare Akkadian 𒌉 (mārum, “young man, son; subordinate, deployable man, service man, usable worker, hireling for a…
- elative degree of مَاهِر (māhir):Elative of مَاهِر (māhir, “clever; skillful”).
- a male given name, MahirDerived from the active participle of مَهَرَ (mahara, “to be skilled, to be proficient”).
- filly
- verbal noun of مَهَرَ (mahara) (form I)
- verbal noun of مَهَرَ (mahara) (form I)Common West Semitic term; compare Ugaritic 𐎎𐎅𐎗 (mhr), Old South Arabian 𐩣𐩠𐩧𐩩 (mhrt, “wealth, possessions, commodities, goods”), Biblical Hebrew מָהַר (mahar, “to acquire by exchange, to barter, to purchase”), Biblical Hebrew מֹהַר (mṓhar, “bridal payment, purchasing price”), Classical Syriac ܡܗܪܐ (“bride-price”),…
- seal; signet; stampFrom Middle Persian [Book Pahlavi needed] (mwdl), 𐫖𐫇𐫍𐫡 (mwhr /muhr/, “seal”), and denominal verb.
Ge'ez
gez · 5 lemmas- to teach, instructCognate with Classical Syriac ܡܗܺܝܪܳܐ, Hebrew מָהִיר, Hebrew מָהַר, Arabic مَهَرَ (mahara).
- The meaning of this term is uncertain. Possibilities include:Regularly, spelled with later vowel distinctions, *ምህር (məhr), from Proto-Semitic *muhr-.
- imperative of መሀረ (mähärä, “to teach”)
- to be taught, be instructed. See መሀረ (mähärä).
- student, pupil, discipleCognate with Amharic ተማሪ (tämari). See መሀረ (mähärä)
Tigrinya
ti · 2 lemmas- teaching
- counsel, advice