ixss

Tashelhit

Alternative forms

• iɣs, iɣss

Etymology

Inherited from Medieval Tashelhit ايغسّ (iɣess, “bone”), from Proto-Berber *e-ɣăst (“bone”), from Proto-Afroasiatic *ḳas- (“bone”).

Cognates include Tuareg éɣăss (“bone”), Zenaga iʔSi, iʔssi (“bone”), Ghomara aɣess (“bone”), Tarifit iɣess (“bone, skeleton”), Ghadames ɣăss (“bone”), Egyptian qs (“bone”) and Proto-Chadic *ḳas- (whence Hausa ƙashi (“bone”)).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /iχsː/

Noun

ixss m (plural ixsan, Tifinagh spelling ⵉⵅⵙⵙ, Arabic spelling ايخسّ)

1. bone

   ملا يتّقُبال ربّي الدُعا ن ييضان، س اسن د يڭا آنژار س يخسان.

   mla ittqʷbal ṛbbi dduɛa n yiḍan, s asn d iga anẓar s ixsan.

   If God accepted the dogs' prayer, he would send them a shower of bones.

2. human body (plural only)

   Synonym: tiɣssa

   رمين يخسان ينو. ― ṛmin ixsan inu. ― my body is tired.

Inflection

Inflection of ixss

	singular	plural
free state	ixss	ixsan
annexed state	ixss, yixss	ixsan

See also

• afgan (“human being”)
• axʷs (“tooth”)
• idammn (“blood”)
• ilm (“skin”)
• tifiyyi (“flesh, meat”)
• tiɣssa (“body”)

References

• Stroomer, Harry (2025), Dictionnaire berbère tachelḥiyt-français — Tome 2 f—l (Handbook of Oriental Studies – Handbuch der Orientalistik; 188/2) (in French), Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill, →DOI, →ISBN, page 1171b