back (body part)
→
surface
5 realizations
Related shifts
| ID | Meaning 1 | Direction | Meaning 2 |
-
Comment
| ACCEPTED Realization 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Type | Semantic evolution | |
| Language | Akkadian | |
| Lexeme | ṣēru | |
| Meaning 1 | back (body part) | |
| Direction | — | |
| Meaning 2 | surface | |
| Reference | CAD: ṣ 138 Lane: 1653 | |
| Comment | The question is whether it was a “geographical” semantic shift from lexeme with a meaning 'back (body part)’ to a meaning -> ‘surface of the (earth)', or it was a syncretism of two independent lexemes with contamination of their meanings (via metaphorical reinterpretation): anatomical term for 'back' and 'back of the Earth'. Cf. dictonaries (CAD, AHw.) consider it the same word as ṣēru ‘hinterland, open country, steppe', which is rather to be compared to Arb. ṣaḥrā صَحْرَاء 'desert area, desert' (> Sahara) (BK 1 1314). Meanwhile, cf. Ugr. ṯ̦r with the meaning 'back' and Arb. ḏ̣ahr- 'hinder part; back' (SED I no. 284). |
|
| ACCEPTED Realization 2 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Type | Polysemy | |
| Language | Classical Arabic | |
| Lexeme | ḏ̦ahr- | |
| Meaning 1 | back | |
| Direction | → | |
| Meaning 2 | the upper side, surface | ḏ̦ahr-u l-lisān-i the upper surface of the tongue |
| Reference | Lane: 1927-1928 | |
| Comment | ||
| ACCEPTED Realization 3 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Type | Polysemy | |
| Language | Latin | |
| Lexeme | dorsum | |
| Meaning 1 | back | |
| Direction | — | |
| Meaning 2 | surface | dorsum viae, dorsum maris road surface, sea surface |
| Reference | ||
| Comment | ||
| NEW Realization 4 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Type | Polysemy | |
| Language | Somali | |
| Lexeme | dul(-sha) | |
| Meaning 1 | surface | |
| Direction | — | |
| Meaning 2 | back (of an animal) | |
| Reference | Alejnikov 2012 | |
| Comment | ||
| ACCEPTED Realization 5 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Type | Polysemy | |
| Language | Ugaritic | |
| Lexeme | ṯ̦r | |
| Meaning 1 | back (body part) | |
| Direction | — | |
| Meaning 2 | surface | |
| Reference | SED I: no. 284 | |
| Comment | ||