ܐܓܡܐ

Classical Syriac

Etymology

From Aramaic 𐡀𐡂𐡌 (ʾgm), borrowed into West Semitic from Akkadian 𒀀𒂵𒈬𒌝 (agammum), from Sumerian 𒀀𒂵𒄠 (agam); compare Jewish Babylonian Aramaic אַגְמָא (ʾaḡmā), Hebrew אֲגַם (ʾăḡamm, “lake, swamp”), Arabic أَجَمَة (ʔajama, “jungle, brushwood”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Edessan) IPA^(key): [ˈʔɛɣ.mɑ]
• (Eastern Syriac) IPA^(key): [ˈʔaɣ.mɑ], [ˈʔɑɣ.mɑ]
• (Western Syriac) IPA^(key): [ˈʔɛɣ.mo]

The Eastern pronunciations differ from the expected *[ˈʔɪɣ.mɑ].

Noun

ܐܓܡܐ • (ʾeḡmā) m (plural ܐܓܡܐ (ʾeḡmē))

1. swamp, marsh, meadow
2. pool, standing water
   • Peshitta, Psalms 107:27:

     ܕܥܒܕ ܡܕܒܪܐ ܠܐܓܡ̈ܐ ܕܡܝ̈ܐ

     da-ʿəḇaḏ maḏbərā lə-ʾeḡmē ḏə-mayyā

     He turneth the wilderness into a standing water

3. (botany) reed (especially Egyptian papyrus)
   • Peshitta, Job 8:11:

     ܕܠܡܐ ܣܓܐ ܐܓܡܐ ܒܐܬܪܐ ܨܗܝܐ: ܐܘ ܝܥܐ ܐܪܒܢܐ ܐܝܟܐ ܕܠܝܬ ܡܝ̈ܐ.

     da-lə-mā sāḡē ʾeḡmā ḇə-ʾaṯrā ṣahyā? ʾaw yāʿē ʾarbānā ʾaykā ḏə-layt mayyā?

     Can papyrus grow tall where there is no marsh? Can reeds thrive without water?

Inflection

Inflection of ܐܓܡܐ

	isolated forms			with possessive pronouns
	state	form		person	singular		plural
					m	f	m	f
singular	absolute	ܐܓܡ		1st person	ܐܓܡܝ		ܐܓܡܢ
	construct	ܐܓܡ		2nd person	ܐܓܡܟ	ܐܓܡܟܝ	ܐܓܡܟܘܢ	ܐܓܡܟܝܢ
	emphatic	ܐܓܡܐ		3rd person	ܐܓܡܗ	ܐܓܡܗ	ܐܓܡܗܘܢ	ܐܓܡܗܝܢ
plural	absolute	ܐܓܡܝܢ		1st person	ܐܓܡܝ		ܐܓܡܝܢ
	construct	ܐܓܡܝ		2nd person	ܐܓܡܝܟ	ܐܓܡܝܟܝ	ܐܓܡܝܟܘܢ	ܐܓܡܝܟܝܢ
	emphatic	ܐܓܡܐ		3rd person	ܐܓܡܘܗܝ	ܐܓܡܝܗ	ܐܓܡܝܗܘܢ	ܐܓܡܝܗܝܢ

Derived terms

• ܐܓܡܢܝܐ (ʾeḡmānāyā)

References

• “ˀgm”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–, retrieved 2012-05-13
• Costaz, Louis (2002) “ܐܶܓܡܳܐ”, in Dictionnaire syriaque-français ∙ Syriac–English Dictionary ∙ قاموس سرياني-عربي, 3rd edition, Beirut: Dar El-Machreq, page 2b
• Payne Smith, Jessie (1903) “ܐܶܓܡܳܐ”, in A Compendious Syriac Dictionary Founded Upon the Thesaurus Syriacus of R. Payne Smith, D.D., Oxford: Clarendon Press, page 3a
• Sokoloff, Michael (2009) “ܐܸܓܡܵܐ”, in A Syriac Lexicon: A Translation from the Latin, Correction, Expansion, and Update of C. Brockelmann's Lexicon Syriacum, Winona Lake, Indiana, Piscataway, New Jersey: Eisenbrauns; Gorgias Press, page 7b