Unit 1: Orthographical Specialties of Syriac Consonants and Vowels
1.0. Objectives
The first unit is limited to orthography. The Alphabet and the vowels should be studied at the very outset. Then some important orthographical specialties of Consonants and Vowels are given in short. A basic knowledge of these specialties is essential to read Syriac words with correct pronunciation.
Alphabets
ܐ ܒ ܓ ܕ ܗ ܘ ܙ ܚ ܛ ܝ ܟ
ܠ ܡ ܢ ܣ ܥ ܦ ܨ ܩ ܪ ܫ ܬ
Please click here to learn how to write East Syriac letters
ܠ ܡ ܢ ܣ ܥ ܦ ܨ ܩ ܪ ܫ ܬ
Please click here to learn how to write East Syriac letters
Name of the Consonants
Vowels in East Syriac
ܒܲ = Ba
ܒܵ = Baa
ܒܸ = Be
ܒܹ = Be
ܒܘܼ = Bu
ܒܘܿ = Bo
ܒܝܼ = Bi
Please follow the link to learn how to write East Syriac vowels
Vowels in West Syriac
ܒܰ = Ba
ܒܳ = Bo
ܒܶ = Be
ܒܽܘ = Bu
ܒܺܝ = Bi
The Orthographical Specialities Of Consonants
They are six in number, namely: i) Doubling ii) Assimilation iii) Occultation iv) Substitution v) Metathesis vi) Kusaya and Rukakha
1. Doubling
Doubling is the mode of pronouncing a single consonant as if it were two.
Rules
1. When a vowelled letter is preceded by another with a short vowel it is doubled.
e.g. ܟܲܬܸܒ
2. Doubling takes place in all cases of assimilation.
e.g. ܥܹܕܬܵܐ
2. Assimilation
Assimilation is the mode of pronouncing two consonants as one under certain conditions.
1. Assimilation takes place between :-
i) The same letters.
e.g. ܐܸܬܿܬܲܒܲܪ (ettanbar)
ii) The letters of same organ ܬ ܕ ܛ
e.g. ܚܲܕܬ݃ܐ (Hattha)
iii) The letters of similar articulation in the middle of a word;
1. When a vowelled letter is preceded by another with a short vowel it is doubled.
e.g. ܟܲܬܸܒ
2. Doubling takes place in all cases of assimilation.
e.g. ܥܹܕܬܵܐ
2. Assimilation
Assimilation is the mode of pronouncing two consonants as one under certain conditions.
1. Assimilation takes place between :-
i) The same letters.
e.g. ܐܸܬܿܬܲܒܲܪ (ettanbar)
ii) The letters of same organ ܬ ܕ ܛ
e.g. ܚܲܕܬ݃ܐ (Hattha)
iii) The letters of similar articulation in the middle of a word;
e.g. ܚܲܝܘܼܤܬ݃ܢ݃ܐ (Hayussana)
3. Occultation
It is an orthographical speciality by which certain consonants are not pronounced. Occulted letter is marked by a small line above it. This line is called Mebhattelana.
Difference between assimilation and occultation.
In assimilation the loss of the assimilated (1st )letter is compensated by the doubling of the following letter, while in occultation the occulted letter is simply silent; as in ܐ̄ܢܵܫܵܐ (nasa) ܐܵܙܠ̄ܝܼܢ (azin) etc.
Please follow the link to learn Doubling, Assimilation and Occultation in East Syriac
4. Substitution
Substitution is that process by which certain consonants are replaced by others.
The weak letters ܐ ܘ ܝ are most liable to this change: as in ܡܵܘܬܵܐ ܡܵܐܹܬܼ ܡܝܼܬܼ
When the verbs beginning with ܙ are changed into passive, the ܬ of the prefix ܐܸܬ is changed into ܕ similarly the verbs beginning with ܨ change ܬ into ܛ as ܨܠܲܒ ܐܸܨܛܠܸܒ
5. Metathesis
When the verbs beginning with any one of the dentals ܙ ܣ ܨ ܫ are changed into passive, these letters take the place of the ܬ of the prefix.
Metathesis is that process by which the adjacent consonants of a word change their places. As in ܫܕܲܪ ܐܸܫܬܲܕܲܪ
6. Kusaya and Rukakha
Syriac shares with Aramaic a set of lightly contrasted plosive/fricative pairs. In different variations of a certain lexical root, a root consonant might exist in plosive form in one variation and fricative form in another. In the Syriac alphabet, a single letter is used for each pair. Sometimes a dot is placed above the letter (qûššāyâ, or strengthening; equivalent to a dagesh in Hebrew) to mark that the plosive pronunciation is required, and a dot is placed below the letter (rûkkāhâ, or softening) to mark that the fricative pronunciation is required.
The six letters ܒ ܓ ܕ ܟ ܦ ܬ are liable to Kusaya and rukakha(hard and soft pronunciation) according to the position they take in a word. The pairs are:
· Voiced labial pair – /b/ and /v/ ܒ
· Voiced velar pair – /g/ and /g / ܓ
· Voiced dental pair – /d/ and /ð/ ܕ
· Voiceless velar pair – /k/ and /x/ ܟ
· Voiceless labial pair – /p/ and /f/ ܦ
· Voiceless dental pair – /t/ and /θ/ ܬ
Kusaya : Rules
1. An initial ܒ ܓ ܕ ܟ ܦ ܬ of a word is always Kusaya
e.g. ܒܸܣܡ݃ܐ
2. A doubled ܒ ܓ ܕ ܟ ܦ ܬ is Kusaya
e.g. ܣܸܬ݃ܪ݃ܐ
3. When ܒ ܓ ܕ ܟ ܦ ܬ comes after a consonant without a vowel or a seva
e.g. ܟ݃ܬܒ݃ܐ
Rukakha: Rules
1. When a ܒܓܕܟܦܬ comes after a seva it is rukakha
e.g. ܡܲܣܒ݂݃ܐ
2. After a vowel if it is devoid of a vowel: as in
e.g. ܙܲܒ݂ܢ݃ܐ
3.After a vowel even though it has a vowel which is not its own.
e.g. ܐܲܒܝ݂ܬ݂
4.After a long vowel even though it has a vowel of its own.
e.g. ܟܬ݂ܝ݂ܒ݂݃ܐ
3. Occultation
It is an orthographical speciality by which certain consonants are not pronounced. Occulted letter is marked by a small line above it. This line is called Mebhattelana.
Difference between assimilation and occultation.
In assimilation the loss of the assimilated (1st )letter is compensated by the doubling of the following letter, while in occultation the occulted letter is simply silent; as in ܐ̄ܢܵܫܵܐ (nasa) ܐܵܙܠ̄ܝܼܢ (azin) etc.
Please follow the link to learn Doubling, Assimilation and Occultation in East Syriac
4. Substitution
Substitution is that process by which certain consonants are replaced by others.
The weak letters ܐ ܘ ܝ are most liable to this change: as in ܡܵܘܬܵܐ ܡܵܐܹܬܼ ܡܝܼܬܼ
When the verbs beginning with ܙ are changed into passive, the ܬ of the prefix ܐܸܬ is changed into ܕ similarly the verbs beginning with ܨ change ܬ into ܛ as ܨܠܲܒ ܐܸܨܛܠܸܒ
5. Metathesis
When the verbs beginning with any one of the dentals ܙ ܣ ܨ ܫ are changed into passive, these letters take the place of the ܬ of the prefix.
Metathesis is that process by which the adjacent consonants of a word change their places. As in ܫܕܲܪ ܐܸܫܬܲܕܲܪ
6. Kusaya and Rukakha
Syriac shares with Aramaic a set of lightly contrasted plosive/fricative pairs. In different variations of a certain lexical root, a root consonant might exist in plosive form in one variation and fricative form in another. In the Syriac alphabet, a single letter is used for each pair. Sometimes a dot is placed above the letter (qûššāyâ, or strengthening; equivalent to a dagesh in Hebrew) to mark that the plosive pronunciation is required, and a dot is placed below the letter (rûkkāhâ, or softening) to mark that the fricative pronunciation is required.
The six letters ܒ ܓ ܕ ܟ ܦ ܬ are liable to Kusaya and rukakha(hard and soft pronunciation) according to the position they take in a word. The pairs are:
· Voiced labial pair – /b/ and /v/ ܒ
· Voiced velar pair – /g/ and /g / ܓ
· Voiced dental pair – /d/ and /ð/ ܕ
· Voiceless velar pair – /k/ and /x/ ܟ
· Voiceless labial pair – /p/ and /f/ ܦ
· Voiceless dental pair – /t/ and /θ/ ܬ
Kusaya : Rules
1. An initial ܒ ܓ ܕ ܟ ܦ ܬ of a word is always Kusaya
e.g. ܒܸܣܡ݃ܐ
2. A doubled ܒ ܓ ܕ ܟ ܦ ܬ is Kusaya
e.g. ܣܸܬ݃ܪ݃ܐ
3. When ܒ ܓ ܕ ܟ ܦ ܬ comes after a consonant without a vowel or a seva
e.g. ܟ݃ܬܒ݃ܐ
Rukakha: Rules
1. When a ܒܓܕܟܦܬ comes after a seva it is rukakha
e.g. ܡܲܣܒ݂݃ܐ
2. After a vowel if it is devoid of a vowel: as in
e.g. ܙܲܒ݂ܢ݃ܐ
3.After a vowel even though it has a vowel which is not its own.
e.g. ܐܲܒܝ݂ܬ݂
4.After a long vowel even though it has a vowel of its own.
e.g. ܟܬ݂ܝ݂ܒ݂݃ܐ
Now we can familiarize with the Personal Pronouns in Syriac
Please download East Syriac Study Notes
1. Alphabets
2. Vowels
3. Orthography
4. Numerals
5. Case Letters
18. Verbal Patterns
19. Prepositions I
20. Prepositions II
21. Prepositions III
22. Prepositions IV
