אדם

Where it comes from

Inherited from Proto-Semitic *ʔadam-. Comparable to Phoenician 𐤀𐤃𐤌 (ʾdm, “man, earthling”), Ugaritic 𐎀𐎄𐎎 (ảdm, “man; red earth, red ochre”), Old South Arabian 𐩱𐩵𐩣 (ʾdm, “vassals, subjects”), Ge'ez ዶም (dom, “slave”), Akkadian 𒀀𒁕𒄠𒈬 (a-da-am-mu /⁠adamu⁠/, “blood”), Akkadian 𒀀𒁕𒈠𒌈 (a-da-ma-tum /⁠adamātu⁠/, “dark red earth or dye”), Akkadian 𒀀𒁕𒈬 (a-da-mu /⁠adamu⁠/, “a red garment”), Akkadian 𒀀𒁕𒈬 (a-da-mu /⁠adamu⁠/, “an important or noble person”).

Further discussion

The meaning range points to these words are extensions from Proto-Semitic *dam- (“blood”), compare the Palestinian Aramaic forms of it אדם / אידם / ܐܕܡ (ʾəḏem, “blood”).

The semantic development could be any of the following:

# “blood” → “red earth”, “red ochre” → “earthling”;

# “blood” → “man”, as blood is a main ingredient of humans;

# “blood” → “red earth”, “red ochre” → “the dye to paint idols” → hence “an idol” → “an effigy, a likeness” → “a man”;

# “blood” → “blood sacrifice to appease an idol” → hence “an idol” → “an effigy, a likeness” → “a man”;

# “blood” → “red” → “to show red blood in the face, e.g. to blush” → “a human”.

Compare Arabic دُمْيَة (dumya, “statue, idol; effigy, likeness; doll, puppet”), دَمَّ (damma, “to bedaub”).