ܓܫܘܫܐ

Assyrian Neo-Aramaic

Etymology

Root
ܓ ܫ ܫ (g š š)
3 terms

Inherited from Aramaic גָּשׁוֹשָׁא (gāšōšā), as a phono-semantic matching of Proto-Iranian *gáwšah (“ear”) through the verb ܓܵܝܹܫ (gāyēš, “to touch”); hence also the verb ܡܓܲܫܸܩ (mgaššiq, “to stare”), Imperial Aramaic 𐡂𐡅𐡔𐡊𐡀 (gwškʾ /⁠*gōšakā⁠/, “a Persian official: spy”) and Old Armenian գուշակ (gušak, “spy”). Also present in Hebrew גָּשׁוֹשׁ (gashósh) and borrowed into Arabic جَاسُوس (jāsūs) via Classical Syriac.

Pronunciation

• (Standard) IPA^(key): [ɡɑːʃoːʃɑː]
• (Urmia) IPA^(key): [d͡ʒɑːʃuːʃɑː]

Noun

ܓܵܫܘܿܫܵܐ • (gāšōšā) m sg (plural ܓܵܫܘܿܫܹ̈ܐ (gāšōšē), feminine ܓܵܫܘܿܫܬܵܐ (gāšōštā))

1. spy
2. scout, searcher, explorer

Inflection

Inflection of ܓܵܫܘܿܫܵܐ

	isolated forms			with possessive pronouns
	state	form		person	singular		plural
					m	f
singular	absolute	–		1st person			ܓܵܫܘܿܫܲܢ (gāšōšan)
	construct	ܓܵܫܘܿܫ (gāšōš)		2nd person	ܓܵܫܘܿܫܘܼܟ݂ (gāšōšūḵ)	ܓܵܫܘܿܫܵܟ݂ܝ (gāšōšāḵ)	ܓܵܫܘܿܫܵܘܟ݂ܘܿܢ (gāšōšāwḵōn)
	emphatic	ܓܵܫܘܿܫܵܐ (gāšōšā)		3rd person	ܓܵܫܘܿܫܹܗ (gāšōšēh)	ܓܵܫܘܿܫܵܗ̇ (gāšōšāh)	ܓܵܫܘܿܫܗܘܿܢ (gāšōšhōn)
plural	absolute	–		1st person	ܓܵܫܘܿܫܝܼ̈ (gāšōšī)		ܓܵܫܘܿܫܲܢ̈ (gāšōšan)
	construct	ܓܵܫܘܿܫܲܝ̈ (gāšōšay)		2nd person	ܓܵܫܘܿܫܘܼ̈ܟ݂ (gāšōšūḵ)	ܓܵܫܘܿܫܵܟ݂ܝ̈ (gāšōšāḵ)	ܓܵܫܘܿܫܵܘ̈ܟ݂ܘܿܢ (gāšōšāwḵōn)
	emphatic	ܓܵܫܘܿܫܹ̈ܐ (gāšōšē)		3rd person	ܓܵܫܘܿܫܘܼ̈ܗܝ (gāšōšūh)	ܓܵܫܘܿܫ̈ܘܿܗ̇ (gāšōšōh)	ܓܵܫܘܿܫܗ̈ܘܿܢ (gāšōšhōn)

Derived terms

• ܓܵܫܘܿܫܘܼܬ݂ܵܐ (gāšōšūṯā)

Classical Syriac

Etymology

From the root ܓ-ܫ-ܫ related to feeling touch, palpitating. Also present in Hebrew גָּשׁוֹשׁ (gāšṓš). Meanings of spying are well from a Middle Iranian descendant of Proto-Iranian *gáwšah (“ear”); compare Imperial Aramaic 𐡂𐡅𐡔𐡊𐡀 (gwškʾ /⁠*gōšakā⁠/, “a Persian official: spy”) and Old Armenian գուշակ (gušak, “spy”), and Arabic عَيْن (ʕayn, “spy”, literally “eye”) for like transferral of a body parts name to the name of a spy in Semitic.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ɡɑʃoʃɑ] (singular)
• IPA^(key): [ɡɑʃoʃe] (plural)

Noun

ܓܫܘܫܐ • (gāšōšā) m (plural ܓܫܘܫܐ (gāšōšē), singular feminine counterpart ܓܫܘܫܬܐ (gāšōštā))

1. spy
2. scout, searcher, explorer
3. (medicine) palpitation

Inflection

Inflection of ܓܫܘܫܐ

	isolated forms			with possessive pronouns
	state	form		person	singular		plural
					m	f	m	f
singular	absolute	ܓܫܘܫ		1st person	ܓܫܘܫܝ		ܓܫܘܫܢ
	construct	ܓܫܘܫ		2nd person	ܓܫܘܫܟ	ܓܫܘܫܟܝ	ܓܫܘܫܟܘܢ	ܓܫܘܫܟܝܢ
	emphatic	ܓܫܘܫܐ		3rd person	ܓܫܘܫܗ	ܓܫܘܫܗ	ܓܫܘܫܗܘܢ	ܓܫܘܫܗܝܢ
plural	absolute	ܓܫܘܫܝܢ		1st person	ܓܫܘܫܝ		ܓܫܘܫܝܢ
	construct	ܓܫܘܫܝ		2nd person	ܓܫܘܫܝܟ	ܓܫܘܫܝܟܝ	ܓܫܘܫܝܟܘܢ	ܓܫܘܫܝܟܝܢ
	emphatic	ܓܫܘܫܐ		3rd person	ܓܫܘܫܘܗܝ	ܓܫܘܫܝܗ	ܓܫܘܫܝܗܘܢ	ܓܫܘܫܝܗܝܢ

Derived terms

• ܓܫܘܫܘܬܐ (gāšōšūṯā)

Descendants

• → Arabic: جَاسُوس (jāsūs)

References

• “gšwš”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–
• Asatrian, Mushegh (2006) “Iranian Elements in Arabic: The State of Research”, in Iran and the Caucasus‎^[1], volume 10, number 1, page 87
• Costaz, Louis (2002) Dictionnaire syriaque-français ∙ Syriac–English Dictionary ∙ قاموس سرياني-عربي, 3rd edition, Beirut: Dar El-Machreq, page 55a
• Payne Smith, Jessie (1903) A Compendious Syriac Dictionary Founded Upon the Thesaurus Syriacus of R. Payne Smith, D.D., Oxford: Clarendon Press, page 79b
• 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, pages 264b-265a