ܒܝܬ

Assyrian Neo-Aramaic

Etymology 1

Ultimately derived from Phoenician 𐤁𐤕 (bt, literally “house”); compare Hebrew בֵּית (béyt), Arabic بَاء (bāʔ) and Ancient Greek βῆτᾰ (bêtă). Doublet of ܒܲܝܬܵܐ (baytā).

Pronunciation

• (Standard) IPA^(key): [beθː]
• (Urmia) IPA^(key): [bitː]

Noun

ܒܹܝܬ݂ • (bēṯ) f

1. beth (the second letter of the Assyrian alphabet and Syriac script)

Usage notes

• Beth represents the number two in the native numbering system (usually used for ordinal numbers, book publishing data or biblical references).
  • When a mṭalqānā is placed above (ܒ݇), it means 2,000.

Coordinate terms

• (symbol) ܒ

Assyrian letter namesedit

• ܐܵܠܲܦ (ālap)
• ܒܹܝܬ݂ (bēṯ)
• ܓܵܡܲܠ (gāmal)
• ܕܵܠܲܬ݂ (dālaṯ)
• ܗܹܐ (hē)
• ܘܲܘ (waw)
• ܙܹܝܢ (zēn)
• ܚܹܝܬ݂ (ḥēṯ)
• ܛܹܝܬ݂ (ṭēṯ)
• ܝܘܿܕ݂ (yōḏ)
• ܟܲܦ (kap)
• ܠܵܡܲܕ݂ (lāmaḏ)
• ܡܝܼܡ (mīm)
• ܢܘܼܢ (nūn)
• ܣܸܡܟܲܬ݂ (simkaṯ)
• ܥܹܐ (ˁē)
• ܦܹܐ (pē)
• ܨܵܕ݂ܹܐ (ṣāḏē)
• ܩܘܿܦ (qōp)
• ܪܹܝܫ (rēš)
• ܫܝܼܢ (šīn)
• ܬܲܘ (taw)

Etymology 2

Learned borrowing from Classical Syriac, a contraction of ܒܝܢܬ (baynāṯ, “among, between”). Only used in Classical constructs. Doublet of the native ܒܹܝܢ (bēn).

Pronunciation

• (Standard) IPA^(key): [ˈbeːθ]

Preposition

ܒܹܝܬ݂ • (bēṯ)

1. between

Derived terms

• ܒܹܝܬ݂ ܢܲܗܪܝܼܢ (bēṯ nahrīn, “Mesopotamia”)

Etymology 3

Pronunciation

• (Standard) IPA^(key): [ˈbeːθ]
• (Nineveh Plains) IPA^(key): [biː], [beː]
• (Urmia) IPA^(key): [biː]

Noun

ܒܹܝܬ݂ • (bēṯ) m (plural ܒܵܬܲܝ̈ (bāttay))

1. construct state singular of ܒܲܝܬܵܐ (baytā)
2. especially used before first or last names to signify said person’s family or house, also used in traditional Assyrian naming customs; house of, family of

   ܐܝܼܡܲܢ ܒܸܕ ܐܵܙܲܠ݇ܚ ܠܒܹܝܬ݂ ܫܲܡܝܼܪܵܡ؟

   īman bid āzaḥ lbēṯ šamīrām?

   When are we going to Shammiram’s house?

   ܒܸܕ ܐܵܙܲܠ݇ܚ ܠܒܹܝܬ݂ ܢܵܢܵܐ

   bid āzaḥ lbēṯ nānā

   We’re going to [visit] grandma’s family.

   ܒܹܝܬ݂ ܝܲܠܕܵܐ ܡܘܼܓܒ݂ܸܪ ܠܗܘܿܢ ܓܲܒ݂ܪܗܘܿܢ.

   bēṯ yaldā mugḇir lhōn gaḇrhōn.

   The Yalda family gave their man in marriage.

Derived terms

• ܒܹܝܬ ܡܲܟ̰ܡܲܥܬܵܐ (bēt mačmaˁtā, “fire station”)
• ܒܹܝܬ݂ ܐܝܼܙܓܲܕܘܼܬ݂ܵܐ (bēṯ īzgadūṯā, “embassy residence”)
• ܒܹܝܬ݂ ܐܲܣܝܼܪܹ̈ܐ (bēṯ asīrē, “prison, jail”)
• ܒܹܝܬ݂ ܐܲܦܵܝܹ̈ܐ (bēṯ appāyē, “bakery”)
• ܒܹܝܬ݂ ܐܲܪ̈ܟܹܐ (bēṯ arkē, “library”)
• ܒܹܝܬ݂ ܒܘܼܫܵܠܵܐ (bēṯ buššālā, “kitchen”, literally “house of cooking”)
• ܒܹܝܬ݂ ܒܝܼܠܕܵܪܵܐ (bēṯ bīldārā, “post office”)
• ܒܹܝܬ݂ ܓܒ݂ܝܼܢܹ̈ܐ (bēṯ gḇīnē, “glabella”)
• ܒܹܝܬ݂ ܕܝܼܢܵܐ (bēṯ d-īnā, “court, courthouse”)
• ܒܹܝܬ݂ ܕܸܒܹ̈ܐ (bēṯ dibbē, “Beth-Dibbe”, literally “house of bears”)
• ܒܹܝܬ݂ ܙܵܠܝܼ̈ܢ (bēṯ zālīn, “Qamishli”, literally “house of reeds”)
• ܒܹܝܬ݂ ܚܡܝܼܡܹ̈ܐ (bēṯ ḥmīmē, “bathroom”, literally “house of hot springs”)
• ܒܹܝܬ݂ ܚܲܬܡܹ̈ܐ (bēṯ ḥatmē, “Bakhetme”, literally “house of seals”)
• ܒܹܝܬ݂ ܚܸܙܘܵܢܹ̈ܐ (bēṯ ḥizwānē, “theatre, cinema, movie theatre”)
• ܒܹܝܬ݂ ܛܵܘܣܵܐ (bēṯ ṭāwsā, “airport”)
• ܒܹܝܬ݂ ܝܘܼܠܦܵܢܵܐ (bēṯ yulpānā, “academy, school”)
• ܒܹܝܬ݂ ܝܲܬܘܼܡܹ̈ܐ (bēṯ yatūmē, “orphanage”)
• ܒܹܝܬ݂ ܟܪ̈ܝܼܗܹܐ (bēṯ krīhē, “hospital”)
• ܒܹܝܬ݂ ܟܵܪܹ̈ܐ (bēṯ kārē)
• ܒܹܝܬ݂ ܡܕ݂ܝܼܢ݇ܬܵܐ (bēṯ mḏītā, “town hall, city hall”)
• ܒܹܝܬ݂ ܡܘܼܣܵܝܵܐ (bēṯ mussāyā, “laundry”)
• ܒܹܝܬ݂ ܡܲܟܠܝܵܐ (bēṯ maklyā, “car park, parking lot, parking garage”)
• ܒܹܝܬ݂ ܢܝܵܚܵܐ (bēṯ nyāḥā, “restroom, washroom, water closet”)
• ܒܹܝܬ݂ ܣܓ݂ܵܕ݂ܵܐ (bēṯ sḡāḏā, “place of worship”)
• ܒܹܝܬ݂ ܣܡܵܟ݂ܵܐ (bēṯ smāḵā, “club, clubhouse”)
• ܒܹܝܬ݂ ܣܸܟܪܹ̈ܐ (bēṯ sikrē, “lock”)
• ܒܹܝܬ݂ ܥܘܼܪܦܵܢܵܐ (bēṯ ˁurpānā, “bank”)
• ܒܹܝܬ݂ ܥܸܬܩܹ̈ܐ (bēṯ ˁitqē, “museum”)
• ܒܹܝܬ݂ ܨܠܘܿܬ݂ܵܐ (bēṯ ṣlōṯā, “chapel, oratory, musalla”)
• ܒܹܝܬ݂ ܨܲܪܵܦܘܼܬ݂ܵܐ (bēṯ ṣarrāpūṯā, “currency exchange, bureau de change”)
• ܒܹܝܬ݂ ܨܵܘܒܹ̈ܐ (bēṯ ṣāwbē, “university”)
• ܒܹܝܬ݂ ܩܒ݂ܘܼܪܹ̈ܐ (bēṯ qḇūrē, “cemetery, graveyard”)
• ܒܹܝܬ݂ ܩܝܵܡܬܵܐ (bēṯ qyāmtā, “Easter”)
• ܒܹܝܬ݂ ܩܲܗܘܵܐ (bēṯ qahwā, “coffee shop”)
• ܒܹܝܬ݂ ܪ̈ܵܓ݂ܘܿܠܹܐ (bēṯ rāḡōlē, “Be-Rawole”, literally “house of ravines”)
• ܒܹܝܬ݂ ܫܘܼܪܛܵܐ (bēṯ šurṭā, “police station”)
• ܒܹܝܬ݂ ܬܸܒ݂ܢܵܐ (bēṯ tiḇnā, “store-room for straw”)
• ܒܹܝܬ݂ܠܚܸܡ (bēṯlḥim, “Bethlehem”, literally “house of bread”)

Classical Syriac

Etymology 1

Ultimately from Phoenician 𐤁𐤕 (bt, “house; letter beth”), from Proto-Semitic *bayt-; compare Hebrew בֵּית (bêṯ).

Alternative forms

• ܒܝܬܐ (bēṯā)

Pronunciation

• (Classical Edessan, Eastern Syriac, Western Syriac) IPA^(key): [ˈbeθ]

Noun

ܒܝܬ • (bēṯ) f (plural ܒܝܬܝܢ (bēṯyen))

1. beth, second letter of the Syriac alphabet

Coordinate terms

• Previous: ܐܠܦ
• Next: ܓܡܠ

See also

• ܒ (b)

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• (Classical Edessan, Eastern Syriac, Western Syriac) IPA^(key): [beθ]

Noun

ܒܝܬ • (bēṯ)

1. construct state singular of ܒܝܬܐ

Etymology 3

A contraction of ܒܝܢܬ (baynāṯ, “among, between”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Edessan, Eastern Syriac, Western Syriac) IPA^(key): [ˈbeθ]

Preposition

ܒܝܬ • (bēṯ)

1. Alternative form of ܒܝܢܬ (baynāṯ)

Usage notes

Unlike the uncontracted form, this form does not take pronominal suffixes.

References

• “by²”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–, retrieved 2019-07-26
• “byt”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–, retrieved 2019-07-26
• Coakley, J. F. (2013) Robinson's Paradigms and Exercises in Syriac Grammar, 6th edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press, page 31
• Costaz, Louis (2002) Dictionnaire syriaque-français ∙ Syriac–English Dictionary ∙ قاموس سرياني-عربي, 3rd edition, Beirut: Dar El-Machreq, page 29a
• Payne Smith, Jessie (1903) A Compendious Syriac Dictionary Founded Upon the Thesaurus Syriacus of R. Payne Smith, D.D., Oxford: Clarendon Press, pages 33a, 43a, 44b
• Sokoloff, Michael (2009) 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 114a