Page:Compendious Syriac Grammar.djvu/41

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
§ 2.
— 3 —

At the end of a word we can only have a form from the 2nd column or the 1st, and from the one or the other according as the preceding letter has a form connecting to the left (Col. 3) or not. Forms from Col. 4 can only appear in the interior of a word; while initial forms must be taken from Col. 1 or 3.

Rem. The most judicious course for the beginner will be to impress upon his memory only Cols. 1 and 3.

C. ܠ‍‎ with ܐ‍‎ is generally written ܠܐ‎ (‍ܠܐ‍‎), but initial ܐ‎ with ܠ‍‎ thus, ܐܠ‍‎. For ‍ܠ ܐ‎ one sometimes puts , and thus draws in this case two words together. In Nestorian script is given for final ܬܐ‎ (ܬܐ‎).

For ܟ‍‎, ܢ‍‎ as single letters or as ciphers, one generally writes ܟܟ‎, ܢܢ‎.

In manuscripts ܟ‍‎ and ܒ‍‎ are often mistaken for each other from their resemblance; so is it with ܢ‍‎ and ܝ‍‎, and also with ܚ‍‎ on the one hand and ܢܝ‍‎, ܢܢ‍‎, ܝܢ‍‎, and ܝܝ‍‎ on the other. Farther it is frequently difficult to distinguish ܝܫ‍‎ from a simple ܫ‍‎, and occasionally even ܝܥ‍‎ from a simple ܥ‍‎. Even in many printed copies ܟ‍‎ and ܒ‍‎ are far too like one another:[1] farther, ܠ‍‎ and ܥ‍‎, and ܫ‍‎ and ܝ‍‎ are not sufficiently discriminated.

Pronunciation. § 2. The pronunciation of the letters can of course be determined only approximately. Notice the following: ܬ ܦ ܟ‍ ܕ ܓ ܒ‎ have a twofold pronunciation, one hard, answering to our b g d k p t, one soft, aspirated or rather sibilated. Soft ܒ‎ is nearly the German w, or the English and French v; soft ܓ‎ = γ (gh) is nearly the Dutch g (like the Arabic غ‎); soft ܕ‎ = δ (dh) is the English th in there, other; soft ܟ‍‎ = kh, or the German ch in ach (not that in ich); soft ܦ‎ the German, English, and French f; soft ܬ‎ = θ (th) is the English th in think, both.[2] On the changes of the hard and soft pronunciations v. §§ 15, 23 sqq.

ܘ‎ is always the vowel-sounding English w, never the German w, and accordingly it quiesces easily and completely into a u. ܝ‎ has also more of a vowel character than the German j, being nearly the English y.


  1. Translator's Note: The same may be said for ܟ‍‎ and ܩ‍‎.
  2. Translator's Note: In the transcription followed in this Edition, soft ܒ‎ will be represented by v, soft ܩ‎ by kh, soft ܦ‎ by f or ph, and soft ܬ‎ by th; while soft ܓ‎ and ܕ‎ will be rendered by γ and δ respectively.

1*