List of loanwords in Assyrian Neo-Aramaic
Villages where varieties of North-Eastern Neo-Aramaic are or have been spoken.
Loanwords in Assyrian Neo-Aramaic came about mostly due to the contact between Assyrian people and Arabs , Persians , Kurds and Turks in modern history , and can also be found in the other two major dialects spoken by the Assyrian people, these being Chaldean Neo-Aramaic and Turoyo .[ 1] Assyrian is one of the few languages where most of its foreign words come from a different language family (in this case, Indo-European ).[ 2]
Unlike other Neo-Aramaic languages, Assyrian has an extensive number of latterly introduced Iranian loanwords .[ 3] Depending on the dialect, Arabic loanwords are also reasonably present.[ 4] Some Turkish loanwords are Turkified words that are of Arabic origin.[ 5] To note, some of the loanwords are revised (or "Assyrianized") and therefore would sound somewhat different to the original word .[ 6] Furthermore, some loanwords may also have a slightly different meaning from the original language.[ 7]
List
Below is a list of loanwords in Assyrian Neo-Aramaic, separated into sections based on the source language.
Notes:
The source language itself may have borrowed the word from another language. These are noted in the "notes" sections.
Vowels are typically "long" in an open syllable and "short" in a closed syllable; exceptions are noted by macrons on long syllables and breves on short ones.
Stress typically falls on the penultimate syllable (exceptions are noted by acute accents ). Monosyllabic words are also typically stressed.
Geminated consonants are represented by a doubled letter.
On transliteration:
Arabic
Persian
Assyrian Word
Original Word
Part of Speech
Meaning
Notes
Classical Syriac equivalent
Transliteration
Spelling
biš, buš
بیش
adverb
more
yattīr
ܝܬܝܪ
čamča
چمچه
noun
spoon
tarwāḏā
ܬܪܘܕܐ
čangal
چنگال
noun
fork
mašləyā
ܡܫܠܝܐ
čanta, janta
چنته
noun
purse; backpack
kīsā
ܟܝܣܐ
čarikk
چارک
noun
quarter, fourth
rūḇʿā
ܪܘܒܥܐ
darde
درد
noun
sorrow, pain
kēḇā
ܟܐܒܐ
darmana
درمان
noun
medicine, drug
Also borrowed into Classical Syriac.
sammā, darmānā
ܕܪܡܢܐ , ܣܡܐ
ʾerzan
ارزان
adjective
cheap, inexpensive
zəʿōr dəmayyā
ܙܥܘܪ ܕܡܝܐ
gĕran, gran, ʾagran
گران
adjective
expensive
saggī dəmayyā
ܣܓܝ ܕܡܝܐ
halbatte, halbat
البته
interjection; adverb
of course; naturally
ham
هم
adverb
also
ʾāp̄
ܐܦ
hič
هیچ
determiner
no, none; nothing
lā; lā meddem
ܠܐ ; ܠܐ ܡܕܡ
mēs
میز
noun
table
pāṯūrā
ܦܬܘܪܐ
parda
پرده
noun
curtain
prāsā, pirsā
ܦܪܣܐ
penjar(a)
پنجره
noun
window
kawwəṯā
ܟܘܬܐ
rang(a)
رنگ
noun
colour
ṣeḇʿā
ܨܒܥܐ
razi
راضی
adjective
satisfied, content
Arabic loanword.
raʿyā
ܪܥܝܐ
sabab
سبب
noun; conjunction
reason; because
Arabic loanword.
ʿelləṯā
ܥܠܬܐ
sanā́y, ʾasanā́y, hasanā́y
آسان
adjective
easy
pəšīqā
ܦܫܝܩܐ
tambal
تنبل
adjective
lazy
ḥəḇannānā
ܚܒܢܢܐ
xyara
خیار
noun
cucumber
Also borrowed into Classical Syriac.
ḵəyārā
ܟܝܪܐ
zahmat, zamit
زحمت
noun; adjective
trouble, difficulty; troublesome, difficult
Arabic loanword.
qašyā
ܩܫܝܐ
zarda
زرد
noun; adjective
yellow; yellowish
Some speakers.
šāʿūṯā; šāʿūṯānāyā
ܫܥܘܬܐ ; ܫܥܘܬܢܝܐ
Kurdish
Assyrian Word
Original Word
Part of Speech
Meaning
Notes
Classical Syriac equivalent
Transliteration
Spelling
č̣aṗṗe, č̣aṗle
çep
noun
left
semmālā
ܣܡܠܐ
čŭ
çuh
determiner
no; not
Some speakers.
lā
ܠܐ
hawar
hewar
noun
aid
ʿūḏrānā
ܥܘܕܪܢܐ
hiwi
hêvî
noun
hope
saḇrā
ܣܒܪܐ
jamikka
cêmik
noun
twin
Cognate with Latin geminus , French jumeau , Portuguese gêmeo.
tāmā
ܬܐܡܐ
ḳuṗṗala
kopal
noun
staff, cane
Cf. Persian کوپال .
šaḇṭā
ܫܒܛܐ
mra(z)zole
verb
lecturing, scolding
Arabic loanword.
gəʿar
ܓܥܪ
qonya
noun
drain; well
bālōʿtā; bērā
ܒܠܘܥܬܐ ; ܒܐܪܐ
ṣola
sol
noun
shoe
Cognate with English sole , Latin solea.
məsānā
ܡܣܐܢܐ
zăra
zer
noun; adjective
yellow; yellowish
Some speakers.
šāʿūṯā; šāʿūṯānāyā
ܫܥܘܬܐ ; ܫܥܘܬܢܝܐ
Turkish
Assyrian Word
Original Word
Part of Speech
Meaning
Notes
Classical Syriac equivalent
Modern
Ottoman
Transliteration
Spelling
belki, balkit
belki
بلکه
adverb
maybe
From Persian balke (بلکه , "but").
kəḇar
ܟܒܪ
čakuč
çekiç
چكیچ
noun
hammer
From Persian čakoš (چکش , "hammer").
marzap̄tā, ʾarzap̄tā
ܡܪܙܦܬܐ , ܐܪܙܦܬܐ
dabanja
tabanca
طبانجه
noun
pistol, gun
dūs, dus
düz
دوز
adjective
straight, flat; correct
tərīṣā
ܬܪܝܨܐ
gami
gemi
noun
boat, ship
ʾelpā, səp̄ī[n]tā
ܐܠܦܐ , ܣܦܝܢܬܐ
hazir
hazır
حاضر
adjective
ready
From Arabic ḥāḍir (حَاضِر , "present").
ʿəṯīḏā
ܥܬܝܕܐ
kismet
kısmet
قسمت
noun
fate
From Arabic qisma (قِسْمَة , "division").
gaddā
ܓܕܐ
pežgir
peşkir
پیشگیر
noun
towel
From Persian pišgir (پیشگیر ).
šūšippā, šōšippā
ܫܘܫܦܐ
rahat
rahat
راحت
adjective
comfortable
From Arabic rāḥa (رَاحَة , "relaxation").
šalyā
ܫܠܝܐ
saʾatt
saat
ساعت
noun
hour; clock
From Arabic sāʿa (سَاعَة ), itself probably borrowed from Aramaic.
šāʿṯā
ܫܥܬܐ
tammiz, tammis
temiz
تمیز
adjective
clean, tidy
From Arabic tamyīz (تَمْيِيز , "refinement").
daḵyā
ܕܟܝܐ
tōs, taws
toz
توز
noun
dust
ʾaḇqā
ܐܒܩܐ
zengin
zengin
زنگين
adjective
rich, wealthy
From Persian sangin (سنگين , "heavy").
ʿattīrā
ܥܬܝܪܐ
Other
These foreign words are borrowed from European languages:
Assyrian Word
Original Word
Part of Speech
Meaning
Notes
Classical Syriac equivalent
Transliteration
Spelling
ʾatmabel, ʾatnabel
English , French : automobile
noun
automobile, car
Classical Syriac equivalent is a neologism.
rāḏāytā
ܪܕܝܬܐ
benzin, benzil
German : Benzin
noun
petrol/gasoline
batri
French: batterie , English: battery
noun
battery
baṭrīṯā
ܒܛܪܝܬܐ
bāy
English: bye
interjection
bye
pōš ba-šəlāmā
ܦܘܫ ܒܫܠܡܐ
bira
Italian : birra , from Latin : bibere
noun
beer
pezzā
ܦܙܐ
bomba
English: bomb , French: bombe
noun
bomb
From Ancient Greek bómbos (βόμβος).
glās
English: glass
noun
cup (not necessarily made of glass)
kāsā
ܟܣܐ
ha(l)lo
English: hello
interjection
hello, greetings
šəlāmā
ܫܠܡܐ
lori
English: lorry
noun
lorry/truck
mašina
Russian : mašína (маши́на )
noun
train; automobile
Meaning differs depending on the speaker, dialect and/or context. Ultimately from Ancient Greek mēkhanḗ (μηχανή ).
qṭārā
ܩܛܪܐ
mčayyoke
English: check
verb
checking, inspecting
The noun Old French eschec , from medieval Latin scaccus , via Arabic from Persian šāh (شاه , "king").
bəḏaq
ܒܕܩ
pakit(a)
English: packet
noun
packet
stōp
English: stove
noun
stove; heater
təp̄ayyā, təp̄āyā
ܬܦܝܐ
stumka, ʾisṭumka
Ancient Greek : stómakhos (στόμαχος )
noun
stomach
Also borrowed into Classical Syriac. Cognate with English stomach .
karsā, ʾesṭōmka
ܟܪܣܐ , ܐܣܛܘܡܟܐ
tĭlifón
English: telephone
noun
telephone
Coined from Ancient Greek têle (τῆλε , “afar”) and phōnḗ (φωνή , “voice, sound”).
rūḥqqālā
ܪܘܚܩܩܠܐ
tilvizyón
English: television
noun
television
Coined from Ancient Greek têle (τῆλε, “afar”) and Latin vīsiō ("vision, seeing"). Classical Syriac equivalent is a neologism.
pərās ḥezwā
ܦܪܣ ܚܙܘܐ
See also
References
^ Yildiz, Efrem (2000), The Aramaic Language and Its Classification , Journal of Assyrian Academic Studies 14:1
^ Odisho, Edward Y. (2002). „The role of aspiration in the translation of loanwords in Aramaic and Arabic“, W. Arnold and H. Bobzin (ed.): Sprich doch mit deinen Knechten aramäisch, wir verstehen es! 60 Beiträge zur Semitistik. Festschrift für Otto Jastrow zum 60 Geburtstag, Wiesbaden, 489-502.
^ Younansardaroud, Helen, Synharmonism in the Särdä:rïd Dialect , Journal of Assyrian Academic Studies 12:1 (1998): 77-82.
^ The Neo-Aramaic Dialect of Barwar, Geoffrey Khan, Boston, 2008
^ Yamauchi, Edwin M., Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic or Syriac? A Critique of the Claims of G.M. Lamsa for the Syriac Peshitta , Bibliotheca Sacra 131 (1974): 320-331.
^ Yohannan, Abraham, Some Remarks Regarding the Pronunciation of Modern Syriac , Journal of the American Oriental Society 25 (1904)
^ Younansardaroud, Helen (1999). „The influence of Modern Persian on the Särdä:rïd dialect“, Journal of Assyrian Academic Studies, XIII:65-68.