ܢܦܫܐ

Assyrian Neo-Aramaic

Root
ܢ ܦ ܫ (n p š)
3 terms

Etymology

Inherited from Aramaic נַפְשָׁא (nap̄šā) with the first sense a semantic loan from Classical Syriac, from Proto-Semitic *napš-; compare Akkadian 𒍣 (napištum), Arabic نَفْس (nafs), Hebrew נֶפֶשׁ (néfesh), and Ugaritic 𐎐𐎔𐎌 (npš /⁠napšu⁠/).

Pronunciation

• (Standard) IPA^(key): [naf.ʃɑː]
• (Nineveh Plains) IPA^(key): [noːʃɑː]
• (Urmia) IPA^(key): [noːʃɑː]

Noun

ܢܲܦ̮ܫܵܐ • (nafšā) f sg (plural ܢܲܦ̮̈ܫܵܬ݂ܵܐ (nafšāṯā))

1. (literary, formal) self (one individual’s personality, character, demeanor, or disposition)

   Synonyms: ܪܘܼܚܵܐ (rūḥā), ܓܵܢܵܐ (gānā)

   ܩܛܝܼܠ ܠܹܗ ܢܲܦ̮ܫܹܗ ― qṭīl lēh nafšēh ― He killed himself. [reflexive]

   ܚܙܹܐ ܠܝܼ ܢܲܦ̮ܫܝܼ ܒܢܲܘܪܵܐ.

   ḥzē lī nafšī b-nawrā.

   I saw myself in the mirror. [reflexive]

   ܒܸܬ ܐܵܬ݂ܝܵܐ ܒܢܲܦ̮ܫܵܗ̇ ܐܸܕܠܹܝܠ.

   bit āṯyā b-nafšāh idlēl.

   She will come by herself tonight.

2. breath (the act or process of breathing)

   ܡܨܹܐ ܗ݇ܘܵܐ ܠܝܼ ܕܫܵܡܥܹܢ ܢܲܦ̮ܫܵܐ ܕܪܲܗܵܛܵܐ ܡ̣ܢ ܒܵܬ݂ܪܝܼ.

   mṣē wā lī d-šāmˁēn nafšā drahhāṭā min bāṯrī.

   I could hear the breath of the runner behind me.

3. psyche (the human mind as the central force in thought, emotion, and behavior of an individual)
4. same, used before or after the noun with an enclitic pronoun attached to it

Inflection

Inflection of ܢܲܦ̮ܫܵܐ

	isolated forms			with possessive pronouns
	state	form		person	singular		plural
					m	f
singular	absolute	–		1st person	ܢܲܦ̮ܫܝܼ (nafšī)		ܢܲܦ̮ܫܲܢ (nafšan)
	construct	ܢܦ̮ܸܫ (nfiš)		2nd person	ܢܲܦ̮ܫܘܼܟ݂ (nafšōḵ)	ܢܲܦ̮ܫܵܟ݂ܝ (nafšāḵ)	ܢܲܦ̮ܫܵܘܟ݂ܘܿܢ (nafšāwḵōn)
	emphatic	ܢܲܦ̮ܫܵܐ (nafšā)		3rd person	ܢܲܦ̮ܫܹܗ (nafšēh)	ܢܲܦ̮ܫܵܗ̇ (nafšāh)	ܢܲܦ̮ܫܗܘܿܢ (nafšhōn)
plural	absolute	–		1st person	ܢܲܦ̮ܫܵܬܝܼ̈ (nafšātī)		ܢܲܦ̮ܫܵܬܲܢ̈ (nafšātan)
	construct	ܢܲܦ̮̈ܫܵܬ݂ (nafšāṯ)		2nd person	ܢܲܦ̮ܫܵܬܘܼ̈ܟ݂ (nafšātōḵ)	ܢܲܦ̮ܫܵܬܵܟ݂ܝ̈ (nafšātāḵ)	ܢܲܦ̮ܫܵܬܵܘ̈ܟ݂ܘܿܢ (nafšātāwḵōn)
	emphatic	ܢܲܦ̮ܫܵܬܹ̈ܐ (nafšātē)		3rd person	ܢܲܦ̮ܫܵܬܘܼ̈ܗܝ (nafšātūh)	ܢܲܦ̮ܫܵܬ̈ܘܿܗ̇ (nafšātōh)	ܢܲܦ̮ܫܵܬܗ̈ܘܿܢ (nafšāthōn)

Synonyms

• ܓܵܢܵܐ (gānā), ܝܵܬ݂ܵܐ (yāṯā), ܩܢܘܿܡܵܐ (qnōmā), ܪܘܼܚܵܐ (rūḥā)

Derived terms

• ܢܲܦ̮ܫܵܢܵܐ (nafšānā, “animate”)
• ܢܲܦ̮ܫܵܢܵܐܝܼܬ݂ (nafšānāˀīṯ, “animately”)
• ܢܲܦ̮ܫܵܢܵܝܵܐ (nafšānāyā, “psychological”)
• ܢܲܦ̮ܫܵܢܵܝܘܼܬ݂ܵܐ (nafšānāyūṯā)

References

• “ܢܲܦ̮ܫܵܐ”, in Sureth Dictionary, Association Assyrophile de France, 2022 October 4 (last accessed)
• “ܢܲܦ̮ܫܹܗ”, in Sureth Dictionary, Association Assyrophile de France, 2022 October 4 (last accessed)

Classical Syriac

Etymology

From Proto-Semitic *napš-. Compare Akkadian 𒍣 (ZI /⁠napištum⁠/), Arabic نَفْس (nafs), Hebrew נֶפֶשׁ (nép̄eš), and Ugaritic 𐎐𐎔𐎌 (npš /⁠napšu⁠/).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [nafʃɑ]

Noun

ܢܦܫܐ • (nap̄šā) f (plural ܢܦܫܬܐ)

1. soul, life, breath of life
2. self, oneself
3. person
4. funeral stele, tombstone

Inflection

Inflection of ܢܦܫܐ

	isolated forms			with possessive pronouns
	state	form		person	singular		plural
					m	f	m	f
singular	absolute	ܢܦܫ		1st person	ܢܦܫܝ		ܢܦܫܢ
	construct	ܢܦܫ		2nd person	ܢܦܫܟ	ܢܦܫܟܝ	ܢܦܫܟܘܢ	ܢܦܫܟܝܢ
	emphatic	ܢܦܫܐ		3rd person	ܢܦܫܗ	ܢܦܫܗ	ܢܦܫܗܘܢ	ܢܦܫܗܝܢ
plural	absolute	ܢܦܫܢ		1st person	ܢܦܫܬܝ		ܢܦܫܬܢ
	construct	ܢܦܫܬ		2nd person	ܢܦܫܬܟ	ܢܦܫܬܟܝ	ܢܦܫܬܟܘܢ	ܢܦܫܬܟܝܢ
	emphatic	ܢܦܫܬܐ		3rd person	ܢܦܫܬܗ	ܢܦܫܬܗ	ܢܦܫܬܗܘܢ	ܢܦܫܬܗܝܢ

Derived terms

• ܢܦܫܢܐ
• ܢܦܫܢܐܝܬ
• ܢܦܫܢܘܬܐ
• ܢܦܫܢܝܐ
• ܢܦܫܢܝܘܬܐ

References

• “npš”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–
• Costaz, Louis (2002) Dictionnaire syriaque-français ∙ Syriac–English Dictionary ∙ قاموس سرياني-عربي, 3rd edition, Beirut: Dar El-Machreq, page 210a
• Payne Smith, Jessie (1903) A Compendious Syriac Dictionary Founded Upon the Thesaurus Syriacus of R. Payne Smith, D.D., Oxford: Clarendon Press, pages 346b–347a
• 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, →ISBN, page 938a