Alap Beth: An Introduction To Modern Syriac – Eastern Dialect – 5th Edition

Description

ܒܫܝܢܐ B’shayna! Welcome to Modern Syriac Language (referred to as Syriac), which is also known as Sureth ܐ̄ܣܘܪܬ, Swādāyā ܣܘܝܕܝܐ, Chaldean language ܠܫܢܐ ܟܠܕܝܐ, or Assyrian language ܠܫܢܐ ܐܬܘܪܝܐ. The grammar presented in this book represents the fundamentals of the Syriac language, assisting readers in learning how to pronounce Syriac sounds, build vocabulary, grasp simple grammar, and gain an understanding of Syriac culture.

The language presented in this book is the most commonly spoken dialect among Syriac people, known as the “Dashta D’Ninweh” – ܕܫܬܐ ܕܢܝܢܘܐ (The Nineveh Plain) dialect.

This book is intended for anyone who wishes to learn how to read, write, and speak Syriac on their own, outside of a traditional classroom setting. The chapters of the book are accompanied by recorded videos, which can be accessed at ww.aramaicstudies.org.

The book is divided into chapters that cover:

1. Letters and vowels:

• Reading, writing and pronunciation.

2. Grammar: proceeding gradually from the basic to more complex and advanced:

• Prepositions, plural, masculine, and feminine.
• Numbers, time, months, and date.
• Nouns: applying gender and numbers with nouns.
• Adjectives and adverbs.
• Verbs and their conjugations in tenses.

3. Reading and Conversations.
4. Vocabulary: through all chapters
5. Exercises.

We recognize that some readers may desire more advanced material, while others may prefer a more basic course in the Syriac language. However, we have endeavored to provide a well-rounded foundation for our readers. It is worth noting that many individuals who study Syriac do so in preparation for pastoral or deacon roles in the church. Therefore, Chapters 4 and 7 (which focus on grammar) and Chapter 8 (which covers verbs) as well as Appendices C, D, E, and F are particularly useful for pastoral students seeking a deeper understanding of the language.

In addition, this book is also intended for those who have never had the opportunity to learn Syriac, especially Syriac people living outside of their native land. Overall, the design of this grammar reflects the needs of both its primary audience and its basic structure.

What is New in this Edition?

The present edition features several enhancements designed to improve the overall learning experience for the reader. Notably, the topics have been thoughtfully organized to facilitate comprehension of the language, while the font size of the Syriac letters and words has been enlarged to enhance legibility. Additionally, a greater number of words for reading have been added, and a comprehensive treatment of the function of nouns and verbs has been incorporated into Chapter 8.

In an effort to further support learners, audio and video recordings of chapters 2 through 10 have been included. These resources are intended to aid in proper pronunciation and to simplify navigation throughout the text. To access these recordings, as well as to pose any questions or provide feedback, we invite readers to visit our website at www.aramaicstudies.org.

 

Copyright © 2023

All rights reserved. No part of this publication maybe reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise without the prior written permission of the author.

Printed in the United States of America/Michigan — ܛܒܥ ܒܐܘܚܕܢ̈ܐ ܡܚܝ̈ܕܐ ܕܐܡܪܝܟܐ – ܡܫܓܢ

 

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: The History of The Aramaic and Syriac Languages: ܬܫܥܝܬܐ ܕܠܫ̈ܢܐ ܐܪܡܝܐ ܘܐ̄ܣܘܪܝܝܐ

Chapter 2: Introduction and Basic Information

• Syriac Language Dialects
  • The Eastern Dialect
  • The Western Dialect
  • The Syriac Translation
• Syriac Scripts
  • Esṭrangelā – ܐܣܛܪܢܓܠܐ
  • Serṭā – ܣܪܛܐ
  • Garshouni – ܓܪܫܘܢܝ
• The Eastern Alphabet – ܐܬܘܬ̈ܐ ܡܕܚܝ̈ܐ
  • Final Form
  • Un-joined Letters
  • Vowels
  • Numerical Values
  • The Special Form of – ܬ (Taw)
  • The Eastern Letters
• Western Letters: ܐܬܘܬـܐ ܡܥܪ̈ܒܝܐ (ܣܝܼܪܬܘܼ)
• The Eastern Syriac Seven Vowels – ܙܘܥ̈ܐ
• • Sqapa – ܙܩܵܦܵܐ
  • Pthaha – ܦܬܵܚܵܐ
  • Zlama Psheeqa – ܙܠܵܡܵܐ ܦܫܝܼܩܵܐ
  • Zlama Qishya – ܙܠܵܡܵܐ ܦܫܝܼܩܵܐ
  • Zlama Qishya – ܙܠܵܡܵܐ ܩܸܫܝܵܐ
  • Rawahha – ܪܘܵܚܵܐ ܘ
  • Rawassa – ܪܒܼܵܨܵܐ
  • Hawassa – ܚܒܼܵܨܵܐ ܝ
• Syllabification and Pronunciation – ܪܬܡـــܐ
• • Western Letters and Vowels
• Characters Key

Chapter 3: The Eastern Syriac Alphabet – ܐܬܘܬ̈ܐ ܕܠܫܢܐ ܐ̄ܣܘܪܝܝܐ ـ ܠܥܙܐ ܡܕܢܚܝܐ

• The First Group – ܐܒܓܕ
  • Alap: – ܐܲܠܲܦ – ܐ ܐ
  • Beth: – ܒܹܝܬܼ – ܒ
  • Gamal – ܓ – ܓܲܡܲܠ
  • Dalath: – ܕ ܕ – ܕܲܠܲܬܼ
• The Second Group – ܗܘܙ
  • Heh: – ܗ ܗ – ܗܹܐ
  • Wow: – ܘ– ܘܵܐܘ
  • Zain: – ܙ– ܙܲܝܢ
• The Third Group – ܚܛܝ
  • Heth: – ܚ–ܚܹܝܬܼ
  • Teth: – ܛ – ܛܹܝܬܼ
  • Yod: – ܝ –ܝܘܿܕ
• The Fourth Group – ܟܠܡܢ
  • Kap and Kap: – ܟܢ ܟ ܟܵܦ ܘ ܟܵܦ
  • Lamath: – ܠ – ܠܲܡܲܖ
  • Meem and Meem: – ܡܒܡ –ܡܝܼܡ ܘ ܡܝܼܡ
  • Noon and Noon: – ܢ ܢܢ – ܢܘܼܢ ܘ ܢܘܼܢ
• The Fifth Group – ܣܥܦܨ
  • Simkath: – ܣ – ܣܸܡܟܲܬܼ
  • Aeh: – ܥ – ܥܹܐ
  • Peh: – ܦ – ܦܹܐ
  • Sade: – ܨ – ܨܵܕܹܐ
• The Sixth Group – ܩܪܫܬ
  • Qop: – ܩ – ܩܘܿܦ
  • Resh: – ܪ ܪ – ܪܹܫ
  • Sheen: – ܫ – ܫܝܼܢ
  • Taw: – ܬ ܬ– ܬܵܐܘ
• Chapter 3 Exercises

Chapter 4: The Basic Grammar – ܬܘܪܨ ܡܡܠܠܐ ܦܫܝܛܐ

• The Soft and Hard Letters – ܐܬܘܬـܐ ܪ̈ܟܝܟܐ ܘܐܬܘܬܐ ܩܫܝ̄ܐ
• The Sounds of the Letter – ܚ In The Spoken Language
• The Prepositions in Syriac
  • The Independent Prepositions
  • For / To: – ܬܵܐ
• The Feminine and Masculine Forms – ܕܟܪܢܝܐ: ܢܩܒܬܢܝܐ
• The Plural Form – ܣܝܡ̈ܐ
  • Irregular Plural Forms
• The Third Person Auxiliary verbs (is and are)
• The Question Words in Syriac – – ܒܘܩـــــܪ̈ܐ

Chapter 5: Numbers and Time – ܡܢܝܢ̈ܐ ܘ ܥܕܢܐ
The Numeric Values of the Letter

• • The Numeric Values of the Letter – 1 to 10
  • The Numeric Values of the Letter – 11 to 99
  • The Numeric Values of the Letter – 101 to 499
  • The Numeric Values of 500 and Beyond
  • The Thousands’ Numberic Values

The Names of Number in Syriac

• • • Cardinal Numbers: 1 to 10
    • Numbers 11 to 19
    • Counting By Tens (20 to 90)
    • Compound Numbers: 21 to 99
    • Hundreds: ܐܡ̈ܐ
      • How to read hundreds?
  • The Numerical Values and Names Beyond 499
  • Thousands: ܐܠܦ̈ܐ
    • How to read thousands?
  • Ordinal Numbers ܣܕܪܢܝܐ
    • Using Regular Numbers For Ordinal Numbers
  • Fractions ܬܒܪ̈ܐ
  • Percentages
  • Reading Sums of Money
  • Pronouncing Measurements
  • Reading and Writing Bible’s Verses
  • Pronouncing Years
  • Pronouncing Centuries
    • Using regular numbers
    • Using Ordinal Numbers
  • The Times ܙܘܢ̈ܐ
    • Parts of the Day: ܥܕܢ̈ܐ ܕܝܘܿܡܐ
    • Hour/Watch ܫܥ̱ܬܐ
    • Numbers and Time Examples
  • Chapter 5 Exercises

Chapter 6

• • • Horoscope ܡܠܘܫ̈ܐ or ܒܘܼܪ̈ܓܐ
    • The Seasons ܫܘܚܠܦ̈ܐ
    • Water Status Stage ܫܚ̇ܢܘܬܐ ܕܡܝܐ
    • Weather Status ܫܚ̇ܢܘܬܐ ܕܦܘܚܐ
    • The Colors ܓܘܢ̈ܐ
    • The Directions ܨܘܒ̈ܐ
      • Asking for Directions
    • The Days ܝܘ̈ܡܬܐ ܕܫܒܬܐ
      • Pronouncing Days
    • The Months ܝܪ̈ܚܐ
      • Pronouncing Date
      • Pronouncing Full Date (Month, Day, Year)
    • Vocabulary
    • Chapter 6 Exercises

Chapter 7: The Grammar – ܬܘܪܨ ܡܡܠܠܐ

• • The Subject Pronoun – ܚܠܦܫܡ̈ܐ
  • The Syriac Nouns – ܫܡ̈ܐ
    • Proper Noun – ܫܸܡܵܐ ܩܢܘܿܡܵܝܵܐ
      • Persons
      • Place
      • Things
    • Common Noun – ܫܸܡܵܐ ܓܵܘܵܢܵܝܵܐ
    • Collective Noun – ܫܸܡܵܐ ܓܢܘܼܫܝܵܝܵܐ
    • Pronominal Prefixes and Suffixes
      • Possessive Forms of Nouns
      • Adjective Possessive
      • Absolute Possessive
    • The Adjectives – ܫܘܡـــܗ̈ܐ
      • Common Adjective suffixes in Syriac
    • Determiners in Syriac
      • Articles
      • Demonstratives
        • Adverb – ܥܲܠܡܸܠܬܼܵܐ
        • Quantifiers – ܟܡܵܝܘܼܬܼܵܐ
        • Time – ܙܲܒܼܢܹ̈ܐ / ܙܲܒܼܢܵܐ
        • Demonstrative with singular/plural nouns
      • Conjunction – ܐܣــــــܪ̈ܐ
        • And – ܘ
        • Or – ܝܲܢ
        • But – ܒܲܣ -ܒܲܠܵܟܸܢ
        • Because – ܡܒܹ̇ܝܕ
      • Comparative – ܒܸܫ
      • Every/Each – ܟܘܿܕ
      • Pair and Couple – ܙܘܿܓ̈ܵܐ
      • The Question Words in Syriac – ܒܘܩܪ̈ܐ
      • Chapter 7 Exercises

      Chapter 8: The Verbs: – ܡܠܬܐ

      • The First, Second, Third Person of the following verbs:-
        • The Simple Present Verb – ܙܲܒܼܢܵܐ ܕܩܵܐܹܡ ܦܫܝܼܛܵܐ
          • Always Simple Present Verb + ܗܲܪ
        • The Present Continuous Verb – ܙܲܒܼܢܵܐ ܕܩܵܐܹܡ ܣܘܼܥܪܵܢܵܝܵܐ
        • The Simple Past Verb ܙܲܒܼܢܵܐ ܕܲܥܒܲܪ ܦܫܝܼܛܵܐ
        • The Past Continuous – ܙܲܒܼܢܵܐ ܕܲܥܒܲܪ ܣܘܼܥܪܵܢܵܝܵܐ and The Past Perfect Continuous – ܙܲܒܼܢܵܐ ܕܲܥܒܲܪ ܓܡܝܼܪܵܐ
        • The Present Perfect Verb – ܙܲܒܼܢܵܐ ܕܩܵܐܹܡ ܓܡܝܼܪܵܐ
        • The Simple Future Verb – ܙܲܒܼܢܵܐ ܕܲܥܬܼܝܼܖ ܦܫܝܼܛܵܐ
        • The Future Perfect Tense – ܙܲܒܼܢܵܐ ܕܲܥܬܼܝܼܖ ܓܡܝܼܪܵܐ
        • The – Used to – Verb
        • The Imperative Form – ܙܲܒܼܢܵܐ ܦܵܩܘܿܕܵܐ
        • The Auxiliary Verbs
          The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Person of:
• The Verb “To Have: has, have, had, having, will have” – ܐܝܼܬ̇
• Subject-Verb Agreement
  • There is/are: – ܐܝܼܬܼ
  • There was/were: – ܐܝܼܬܼܘܵܗ̄ܐ
  • There will be. – ܒܸܕ ܗܵܘܹܐ
    There is going to be. – ܙܝܼܠ ܗܵܘܹܐ
• The Permission Verb – Let ( – ܫܒܼܘܿܩ)
  • Special Case – ܫܒܼܘܿܕ
  • Seeking Permission
• The Modal Verbs
  • The Verbs (Have to, Need to) – ܣܢܝܼܩܵܐ
  • Should Verb + ܠܵܙܸܡ + ܬܵܐ
  • Can/ be able to (Suffix + ܐܝܼܬܼ̄ܒܸ̇ܐ)
  • Could (Suffix + ܒܗܵܘܸܒܸ̇ܐ)
  • May (have) and Might (have) – Perhaps – ܓܒܲܪܸܐ
• Conditional
  • IF ܐܸܢ
  • Unless/If not – ܐܸܢ ܠܵܐ ( ܐܸܢ̄ܠܵܐ)
  • In Case – ܕܠܵܐ
• Function of Nuouns and Verbs
  • As subject of sentences
  • As direct object of sentences
  • As indirect object of sentences
  • As object of prepositions in sentences
• Chapter 8 Exercises

Chapter 9: The Conversations – ܡܚܟܝ̈ܬܐ

• Daily Statements – ܦܬܓܡ̈ܐ ܟܘܕ ܝܘܡܐ
• Conversations
  • Greetings – ܫܠܡ̈ܐ
  • These and Those Conversation
  • This and That Conversation
  • Sweet and sour Conversation
  • They and Are They Conversation
  • Few, Little, and Lots Conversation
  • Introducing People
  • Classroom – ܨܦܐ
  • Shopping at the Supermarket – ܫܘܩܐ
  • Traditional Marriage – ܓܘܪܐ ܕܡܬܘܬ̈ܐ
  • A New Couple And a Priest – ܛܠܝܒ̈ܐ ܘܩܫܐ
  • At The Clinic – ܡܣܥܪܐ
  • Internal Organs: – ܗܕܡ̈ܐ ܕܓܘܫܡܵܐ ܓܘܢܝ̈ܐ
  • The Outside Members of The Human Body
  • The Mouth Parts
  • Food – ܡܐܟܠܬܐ
  • At Restaurant – ܒܝܬ ܡܐܟܠܬܐ
  • Building The House – ܒܢܝܐ ܕܒܝܬܐ
  • Going Outside – ܦܠܛܐ ܠܒܪܝܐ
  • Looking for Job – ܚ̇ܙܝܐ ܕܫܘܓܠܐ

Chapter 10: Reading – ܩܪܝܢܐ

• Helping The Blind Man – ܓܒܪܐ ܣܡܝܐ
• The Fortune – ܓܙܐ
• My School – ܡܕܪܫܬܝ
• The Rope – ܚܒܠܐ
• The Heart – ܠܒܐ
• The Family – ܐ̄ܢܫ̈ܐ ܕܒܝܬܐ
• The Fall – ܬܫܪ̈ܝܝܐ
• The Winter – ܣــــܬܘܐ
• Global Warming – ܚܒܝܫܘܬܐ ܕܫܚܢܘܬܐ

Chapter 11: The Vocabulary – ܠܟܣܝܩܘܢ

• Relatives – ܐ̄ܢܫ̈ܘܬܐ
• Food – ܡܐܟܠܬܐ
• Classroom – ܣܕܪܐ
• Animals Sound – ܩܠ ܕܚܝܘ̈ܬܐ
• States Of Water – ܫܚܢܘܬܐ ܕܡܝܐ
• Time Of The Day – ܥܕܢ̈ܬܐ ܕܝܘܡܐ
• The Fingers – ܨܒܥ̈̈ܬܐ ܕܐܝܕܐ
• The Stages Of Human Life – ܡܫܩܠ̈ܐ ܕܚܝ̈ܐ ܕܒܪܢܫܐ

Appendix A

• Appendix A
  • Letter Alignment Connections
  • Sounds
  • Vowles
• Appendix B
  • Punctuation
  • Special Characters and Ligatures
  • Modifiers
• Appendix C
  • The Hard and Soft Letters Rules
  • Hard Letters
  • Soft Letter
• Appendix D
  • The Preposition Letter Rules
• Appendix E
  • Silent Letters
• Appendix F – The Plural Form – ܣܝܵܡܹ̈ܐ
• Appendix G – More about Human Body
• Appendix H – The International Numerals
• Appendix I – Ordinal Numbers Beyond the Tenth

References – ܫܪ̈ܫܐ