ܣܒܬܐ

Assyrian Neo-Aramaic

Etymology

Root
ܣ ܐ ܒ (s ˀ b)
2 terms

From Aramaic סָבְתָא (sāḇəṯā); compare Hebrew סָבָה (savá) and סַבְתָּא (sávta).

Pronunciation

• (Standard) IPA^(key): [soːtɑː]
• (Urmia) IPA^(key): [sɑvːtɑː]
• (Tyari) IPA^(key): [sawtɑː]

Noun

ܣܵܒ݂ܬܵܐ • (sāḇtā) f (plural ܣܵܒ݂ܝܵܬܹ̈ܐ (sāḇyātē) or ܣܵܒ݂ܬܵܬ݂ܵܐ (sāḇtāṯā), masculine ܣܵܒ݂ܵܐ (sāḇā))

1. grandmother

   ܣܵܒ݂ܬܝܼ ܝܠܵܗ̇ ܒܲܫܠܵܢܬܵܐ ܝܲܬܝܼܪ ܝܲܩܝܼܪܬܵܐ ܓܵܘ ܫܒ݂ܵܒ݂ܘܼܬܵܐ.

   sāḇtī ìlāh bašlāntā yatīr yaqīrtā gāw šḇāḇūtā.

   My grandmother is the best cook in the neighbourhood.

2. elder, senior, old woman

Usage notes

• (grandmother): This is only used for genetic grandmothers and grandmothers by relation of adoption, not step-grandmothers. A step-grandmother is instead referred to as ܒܲܟ݂ܬ ܣܵܒ݂ܵܐ (baḵt sāḇā, literally “the wife of a grandfather”).

Inflection

Inflection of ܣܵܒ݂ܬܵܐ

	isolated forms			with possessive pronouns
	state	form		person	singular		plural
					m	f
singular	absolute	–		1st person	ܣܵܒ݂ܬܝܼ (sāḇtī)		ܣܵܒ݂ܬܲܢ (sāḇtan)
	construct	ܣܵܒ݂ܲܬ݂ (sāḇaṯ)		2nd person	ܣܵܒ݂ܬܘܼܟ݂ (sāḇtūḵ)	ܣܵܒ݂ܬܵܟ݂ܝ (sāḇtāḵ)	ܣܵܒ݂ܬܵܘܟ݂ܘܿܢ (sāḇtāwḵōn)
	emphatic	ܣܵܒ݂ܬܵܐ (sāḇtā)		3rd person	ܣܵܒ݂ܬܹܗ (sāḇtēh)	ܣܵܒ݂ܬܵܗ̇ (sāḇtāh)	ܣܵܒ݂ܬܗܘܿܢ (sāḇthōn)
plural	absolute	–		1st person	ܣܵܒ݂ܝܵܬ݂ܝܼ̈ (sāḇyāṯī)		ܣܵܒ݂ܝܵܬ݂ܲܢ̈ (sāḇyāṯan)
	construct	ܣܵܒ݂ܝܵܬ݂̈ (sāḇyāṯ)		2nd person	ܣܵܒ݂ܝܵܬ݂ܘܼ̈ܟ݂ (sāḇyāṯūḵ)	ܣܵܒ݂ܝܵܬ݂ܵܟ݂ܝ̈ (sāḇyāṯāḵ)	ܣܵܒ݂ܝܵܬ݂ܵܘ̈ܟ݂ܘܿܢ (sāḇyāṯāwḵōn)
	emphatic	ܣܵܒ݂ܝܵܬ݂ܹ̈ܐ (sāḇyāṯē)		3rd person	ܣܵܒ݂ܝܵܬ݂ܘܼ̈ܗܝ (sāḇyāṯūh)	ܣܵܒ݂ܝܵܬ݂̈ܘܿܗ̇ (sāḇyāṯōh)	ܣܵܒ݂ܝܵܬ݂ܗ̈ܘܿܢ (sāḇyāṯhōn)

Synonyms

• ܣܵܒ݂ܘܿܢܬܵܐ (sāḇōntā) (diminutive)
• ܢܵܢܘܿܢܬܵܐ (nānōntā) (colloquial)
• ܢܵܢܵܐ (nānā) (colloquial)

Related terms

• ܣܲܝܒܘܼܬܵܐ (saybūtā, “grandmotherhood, old age”)

Classical Syriac

Etymology 1

From the root ܣ-ܐ-ܒ (s-ʾ-b) related to growing old. Compare Hebrew סָבָה (sāḇâ).

Alternative forms

• (rare) ܣܐܒܬܐ

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [sɑvtɑ(ʔ)] (singular)
• IPA^(key): [sɑvɑθɑ(ʔ)] (plural)

Noun

ܣܒܬܐ • (transliteration needed) f (plural ܣܒܬܐ, singular masculine counterpart ܣܒܐ)

1. grandmother
2. elder, senior, old woman

Inflection

Inflection of ܣܒܬܐ

	isolated forms			with possessive pronouns
	state	form		person	singular		plural
					m	f	m	f
singular	absolute	ܣܒܐ		1st person	ܣܒܬܝ		ܣܒܬܢ
	construct	ܣܒܬ		2nd person	ܣܒܬܟ	ܣܒܬܟܝ	ܣܒܬܟܘܢ	ܣܒܬܟܝܢ
	emphatic	ܣܒܬܐ		3rd person	ܣܒܬܗ	ܣܒܬܗ	ܣܒܬܗܘܢ	ܣܒܬܗܝܢ
plural	absolute	ܣܒܢ		1st person	ܣܒܬܢ		ܣܒܬܢ
	construct	ܣܒܬ		2nd person	ܣܒܬܟ	ܣܒܬܟܝ	ܣܒܬܟܘܢ	ܣܒܬܟܝܢ
	emphatic	ܣܒܬܐ		3rd person	ܣܒܬܗ	ܣܒܬܗ	ܣܒܬܗܘܢ	ܣܒܬܗܝܢ

Derived terms

• ܣܒܬܝܐ
• ܣܒܬܢܝܐ

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [sabb(ə)θɑ(ʔ)] (singular)
• IPA^(key): [sabbɑθɑ(ʔ)] (plural)

Noun

ܣܒܬܐ • (transliteration needed) f (plural ܣܒܬܐ)

1. froth, foam, scum

Inflection

Inflection of ܣܒܬܐ

	isolated forms			with possessive pronouns
	state	form		person	singular		plural
					m	f	m	f
singular	absolute	ܣܒܐ		1st person	ܣܒܬܝ		ܣܒܬܢ
	construct	ܣܒܬ		2nd person	ܣܒܬܟ	ܣܒܬܟܝ	ܣܒܬܟܘܢ	ܣܒܬܟܝܢ
	emphatic	ܣܒܬܐ		3rd person	ܣܒܬܗ	ܣܒܬܗ	ܣܒܬܗܘܢ	ܣܒܬܗܝܢ
plural	absolute	ܣܒܢ		1st person	ܣܒܬܢ		ܣܒܬܢ
	construct	ܣܒܬ		2nd person	ܣܒܬܟ	ܣܒܬܟܝ	ܣܒܬܟܘܢ	ܣܒܬܟܝܢ
	emphatic	ܣܒܬܐ		3rd person	ܣܒܬܗ	ܣܒܬܗ	ܣܒܬܗܘܢ	ܣܒܬܗܝܢ

References

• “sbh”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–
• “sbtˀ”, 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, p. 227b
• Payne Smith, Jessie (1903) A Compendious Syriac Dictionary Founded Upon the Thesaurus Syriacus of R. Payne Smith, D.D., Oxford: Clarendon Press, p. 357a
• 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, p. 966a