ܡܝܐ

Assyrian Neo-Aramaic

ܡܝ̈ܐ

Etymology

From Aramaic מַיָּא (mayyā), from Proto-Semitic *māy-; compare Arabic مَاء (māʔ), Hebrew מַיִם (máyim) and Akkadian 𒀀 (mû).

Pronunciation

• (Standard) IPA^(key): [ˈmaj.jɑː]
• (Urmia) IPA^(key): [ˈmiːjɑː]
• (Nineveh Plains) IPA^(key): [ˈmɑ.jɑ]

Noun

ܡܲܝ̈ܵܐ or ܡ̈ܝܼܵܐ • (mayyā or mīyā) m pl (plural only)

1. water, waters

   ܒܥܲܠܥܵܠܵܐ، ܡܲܝ̈ܵܐ ܫܸܠܝܹ̈ܐ ܚܕ݂ܝܼܪ ܠܗܘܿܢ ܠܠܲܦܹ̈ܐ.

   b-ˁalˁālā, mayyā šilyē ḥḏīr lhōn l-lappē.

   During the storm, the quiet water turned into waves.

   ܐܸܢ ܒܵܣܡܵܐ ܠܘܼܟ݂ ܡܲܝܬ݂ܝܼ ܠܝܼ ܟܵܣܵܐ ܕܡܲܝ̈ܵܐ ܩܲܪܝܼܪܹ̈ܐ.

   in bāsmā lūḵ mayṯī lī kāsā d-mayyā qarīrē.

   Please bring me a cup of cold water.

   • Genesis 1:6:

     ܘܐ݇ܡܝܼܪܹܗ ܐܲܠܵܗܵܐ: «ܗܵܘܹܐ ܪܩܝܼܥܵܐ ܒܒܹܝܦܲܠܓܵܐ ܕܡܲܝ̈ܵܐ، ܘܗܵܘܹܐ ܒܸܦܪܵܫܵܐ ܡܲܝ̈ܵܐ ܡ̣ܢ ܡܲܝ̈ܵܐ .

     w-mīrēh allāhā: “hāwē rqīˁā b-bēpalgā d-mayyā, w-hāwē biprāšā mayyā min mayyā .

     Then God said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters”.

   • John 4:14:

     ܐܝܼܢܵܐ ܟܠ ܡ̇ܢ ܕܫܵܬܹܐ ܡ̣ܢ ܡܲܝ̈ܵܐ ܕܐܵܢܵܐ ܝܵܗ݇ܒ݂ܹܢ ܠܹܗ ܠܹܐ ܨܵܗܹܐ ܠܥܵܠܲܡ، ܐܸܠܵܐ ܡܲܝ̈ܵܐ ܕܐܵܢܵܐ ܝܵܗ݇ܒ݂ܹܢ ܠܹܗ ܒܸܬ ܗܵܘܝܼ ܓܵܘܹܗ ܥܲܝܢܵܐ ܕܡܲܝ̈ܵܐ ܕܢܵܒ݂ܥܝܼ ܠܚܲܝܹ̈ܐ ܕܠܥܵܠܲܡ.

     īnā kul man d-šātē min mayyā d-ānā yāḇēn lēh lē ṣāhē l-ˁālam, illā mayyā d-ānā yāḇēn lēh bit hāwī gāwēh ˁaynā d-mayyā d-nāḇˁī l-ḥayyē d-l-ˁālam.

     But whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

Inflection

Inflection of ܡܲܝ̈ܵܐ

number	isolated forms			with possessive pronouns
	state	form		person	singular		plural
					m	f
plural	absolute	–		1st person			ܡܲܝܲܢ̈ (mayyan)
	construct	ܡܲܝ̈ (may)		2nd person	ܡܲܝܘܼ̈ܟ݂ (mayūḵ)	ܡܲܝܵܟ݂ܝ̈ (mayyāḵ)	ܡܲܝܵܘ̈ܟ݂ܘܿܢ (mayyāwḵōn)
	emphatic	ܡܲܝ̈ܵܐ (mayyā)		3rd person	ܡܲܝܘܼ̈ܗܝ (mayūh)	ܡܲܝ̈ܘܿܗ̇ (mayyōh)	ܡܲܝܗ̈ܘܿܢ (mayhōn)

Derived terms

• ܐܘܿܪܡܝܼܵܐ (ōrmīyā, “Urmia”)
• ܒܹܝܬ݂ ܡܲܝ̈ܵܐ (bēṯ mayyā, “toilet, latrine”)
• ܕܵܠܘܿܝܵܐ ܕܡܲܝ̈ܵܐ (dālōyā d-mayyā, “water pump”)
• ܡܲܝ̈ ܘܲܪܕܵܐ (may wardā, “rose water”)
• ܡܲܝ̈ܵܐ ܟܲܕܵܒ݂ܹ̈ܐ (mayyā kaddāḇē, “mirage”, literally “lying water”)
• ܡܲܝܵܢܘܼܬ݂ܵܐ (mayyānūṯā, “wateriness”)
• ܡܲܝܵܢܵܐ (mayyānā, “watery, aqueous”)
• ܡܲܝܵܢܵܝܵܐ (mayyānāyā, “aquatic”)
• ܡܵܐܝܹ̈ܐ (māˀyē, “Maye”)

Classical Syriac

Etymology

From Proto-Semitic *māy-.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Edessan) IPA^(key): [ˈmaj.jɑ]
• (Eastern Syriac) IPA^(key): [ˈmaj.jɑ]
• (Western Syriac) IPA^(key): [ˈmɑ.jo]

Noun

ܡܝܐ • (mayyā) m (plural only; not used in singular form)

1. water
   • Peshitta, John 4:14:

     ܟܠ ܕܝܢ ܕܢܫܬܐ ܡ̣ܢ ܡܝ̈ܐ ܕܐܢܐ ܐܬܠ ܠܗ. ܠܐ ܢܨܗܐ ܠܥܠܡ. ܐܠܐ ܡܝ̈ܐ ܗܢܘܢ ܕܝܗܒ ܐܢܐ ܠܗ. ܢܗܘܘܢ ܒܗ ܡܥܝܢܐ ܕܡܝ̈ܐ. ܕܢܒܥܝܢ ܠܚܝ̈ܐ ܕܠܥܠܡ.

     koll dēn də-neštē men mayyā ḏə-ʾĕnā ʾettel lēh, lā neṣhē lə-ʿālam, ʾellā mayyā hānōn də-yāheḇ [ʾ]nā lēh, nehwōn bēh məʿīnā ḏə-mayyā, də-nāḇʿīn lə-ḥayyē ḏa-lə-ʿālam.

     But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

2. juice, sap
3. albumen, egg white
4. various bodily fluids: urine; semen; menstrual fluid

Inflection

Inflection of ܡܝܐ

	isolated forms			with possessive pronouns
	state	form		person	singular		plural
					m	f	m	f
singular	absolute	—		1st person	—		—
	construct	—		2nd person	—	—	—	—
	emphatic	—		3rd person	—	—	—	—
plural	absolute	ܡܝܝܢ ,ܡܝܢ		1st person	ܡܝ ,ܡܝܝ		ܡܝܢ ,ܡܝܝܢ
	construct	ܡܝ		2nd person	ܡܝܟ ,ܡܝܝܟ	ܡܝܟܝ ,ܡܝܝܟܝ	ܡܝܟܘܢ ,ܡܝܝܟܘܢ	ܡܝܟܝܢ ,ܡܝܝܟܝܢ
	emphatic	ܡܝܐ		3rd person	ܡܘܗܝ ,ܡܝܘܗܝ	ܡܝܗ ,ܡܝܝܗ	ܡܝܗܘܢ ,ܡܝܝܗܘܢ	ܡܝܗܝܢ ,ܡܝܝܗܝܢ

Derived terms

• ܒܝܬ ܡܝܐ (bêṯ mayyā)
• ܡܗܐ (məhā)
• ܡܗܝܐ (mahhāyā)
• ܡܗܝܘܬܐ (mahhāyūṯā)
• ܡܝܢܐ (mayyānā)
• ܡܝܢܘܬܐ (mayyānūṯā)
• ܡܝܢܝܐ (mayyānāyā)
• ܡܝܢܝܘܬܐ (mayyānāyūṯā)

References

• “myyn”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–, retrieved 2011-11-08
• Costaz, Louis (2002) Dictionnaire syriaque-français ∙ Syriac–English Dictionary ∙ قاموس سرياني-عربي, 3rd edition, Beirut: Dar El-Machreq, page 181b
• Payne Smith, Jessie (1903) A Compendious Syriac Dictionary Founded Upon the Thesaurus Syriacus of R. Payne Smith, D.D., Oxford: Clarendon Press, page 268b
• 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 750b