Page:Compendious Syriac Grammar.djvu/70

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§§ 45. 46.

ܐܘܦ‎ = ܐܴܦ‎ "also"[1]; still more usual are ܢܷܣܝܘܿܢܳܐ‎ "temptation" (from ܢܷܣܝܳܢܳܐ‎ though somewhat different in signification ["test or trial" 2 Cor. 2. 9]); ܓܶܠܝܘܿܢܳܐ‎ as well as ܓܶܠܝܳܢܳܐ‎ "revelation"; ܝܱܪ̈ܩܘܿܢܶܐ‎ "vegetables" &c. (§ 74).

a. § 45. a has frequently become e, e. g. ܩܷܜܠܱܬ‎ "she killed", from qaṭalath (cf. ܩܱܜܠܷܗ‎ "he killed him"); ܒܷܣܪܴܐ‎ "flesh", from basarā, &c. Here and there the vocalisation fluctuates between a and e: the East-Syrians especially give preference, upon occasion, to the former; e. g. in ܐܲܠܲܨalaṣ for ܐܷܠܱܨ‎ "afflicted" (§ 174 A); ܫܲܬ݂ܐܸܣܬ݂ܵܐ‎ for ܫܷܬ݂ܣܬ݂ܳܐ‎ "foundation"; ܦܲܥܪܵܐ‎ for ܦܷܥܪܴܐ‎ "cavern"; ܪܲܗܜܵܐ‎ for ܪܷܗܜܳܐ‎ "course, run"; and in several others that have a guttural for the middle letter.

A š, immediately followed by another consonant, sometimes occasions e instead of a: ܐܷܫܟܱ݁ܚ‎, ܡܶܫܟܱ݁ܚ‎ instead of aškaḥ, maškaḥ "find" (§ 164); ܡܶܫܬܻܝܬ݂ܳܐ‎ "texture", contrasted with ܡܱܪܕܺܝܬ݂ܳܐ‎ "course"; ܡܷܫܬܾ݁ܘܬ݂ܳܐ‎ "feast" (but ܡܱܫܬܝܴܐ‎ the same) overagainst ܡܱܪܕܽܘܬ݂ܐ‎ "chastisement"; ܬܷܫܘܺܝܬ݂ܳܐ‎ "bed", ܬܷܫܡܶܫܬܴ݁ܐ‎ "service", contrasted with ܬܱܟ݂ܣܺܝܬ݂ܳܐ‎ "covering", ܬܱܟ݂ܫܷܦ݂ܬܴ݁ܐ‎ "petition" (but ܬܱܫܥܻܝܬܴܐ‎ "narration")[2]: notice farther ܐܷܫܬܴ݁ܐ‎, ܐܷܫܬܻ݁ܝ‎, ܐܷܫܜܳܪܴܐ‎ (§ 51). Similarly s in ܒ݂ܣܬܱ݁ܪ‎ "behind", from ܣܬܱܪ‎ + ܒ‍‎, where according to other analogies ba was to be expected.

ē. § 46. Within the word an ē has sometimes been produced through the quiescing of a consonantal ܐ‎, as in ܒܹܐܪܴܐ‎ "well"; ܪܹܝܫܳܐ‎ or ܪܹܫܳܐ‎ "head"; ܢܹܐܦܴܐ‎ "stone", ܟܹܐܢܳܐ‎, ܟܹܐܝܢ‎, or ܟܹܝܢ‎ "right, just" (§ 98 C). In an open syllable ē is, without regard for etymology, expressed freely by ܐ‎, or even not expressed at all (and in the same way the Greek αι and ε are dealt with: thus even ܩܹܐܪܣܴܐ‎ (qērsā = καιρός), while in a closed syllable ܝ‎ (or even ܐܝ‎) is set down by preference: In later times ܝ‎ is more prevalent; e. g. the old form ܢܦܐܫܐ‎, becomes later ܢܦܹܝܫܳܐne̊fēshā "refreshment, recovery"; and ܠܡܹܐܢܐλιμένα "harbour" takes later the form ܠܡܺܝܢܳܐ‎, &c.


  1. ܦܘܪ̈ܣܝܐ‎ "Persians" is probably an intentional defacement of the other and still more useful form ܦܴܪ̈ܣܴܝܷܐ‎: The hostile nation was denoted by a word which means "pudenda".
  2. ܡܶܫܢܳܐ‎ "a pledge" is a borrowed word from the Assyrian, and accordingly does not belong to this class.