Reconstructions Search

The origin is uncertain. (See Kogan 2015:551 for details).

Either to be considered denominative from Proto-MSA *bVr- ‘son’ or identified with the PCS verbal root *brˀ/*bry ‘to shape, to create’. The semantic shift “to build” > “to bear” is well documented for Akk. banû (Kogan 2015:551)

The etymology is unknown.

ousted from its original semantic slot by Proto-MSA *ḏVr(y)-

“Has been compared to Arb. dnw (IV) ‘to be near bringing forth’ <...> which must imply a contamination of the original meaning “to be pregnant” with the normal meaning of Arb. dnw “to be close, near” (Kogan 2015:551)

The origin of the term, which is common to other MSA, is uncertain. Its formal similarity to the widespread PS biconsonantal element *ḏr ‘to sow, to scatter’ is conspicuous, but there is hardly any way to reconcile the semantic difference between them. One possible way of doing this is to consider the development “to scatter” > “to spill blood”. PS *dam- ‘blood’ is relegated to the meaning “pus“ throughout MSA (Kogan 2015: 541)

See Kogan 2015:552 for etymological overview.