ܥܕܠܐ

Assyrian Neo-Aramaic

Etymology

Semi-learned borrowing from Aramaic, from עַד (ˁaḏ, “until; by”) + לָא (lā, “not”); compare similar expression in Hebrew עוֹד לֹא (ód ló, “not yet”).

Pronunciation

• (Standard) IPA^(key): [ʕadd.la]

Adverb

ܥܲܕܠܵܐ • (ˁadlā)

1. preceding a verb in the indefinite past tense already, before now, before then

   ܕܡܝܼܪ ܗ݇ܘܵܐ ܠܝܼ ܕܠܵܐ ܝܗ݇ܘܵܐ ܥܲܕܠܵܐ ܡܬܘܼܢܝܼܬ݂ܵܐ ܛܸܒܹ̈ܐ ܐܸܠܝܼ.

   dmīr wā lī d-lā ìwā ˁadlā mtūnīṯā ṭibbē ilī.

   I was surprised that she hadn’t already told me the news.

   ܪܵܒܵܐ ܡ̣ܢ ܕܝܼܠܹܗ ܐ݇ܡܝܼܪܵܐ، ܥܲܕܠܵܐ ܝܕܝܼܥܵܐ ܝܘܸܢ ܗ݇ܘܵܐ.

   rābā min d-īlēh mīrā, ˁadlā dīˁā ìwen wā.

   Much of what he said I knew already.

   ܡܒܵܬ݂ܲܪ ܥܸܣܪܝܼܢ ܕܲܩܝܼܩܵܐ ܗ̇ܝ ܥܲܕܠܵܐ ܡܫܘܼܠܸܡܬܵܐ ܝܠܵܗ̇ ܟܠܹܗ ܦܘܼܠܚܵܢܵܐ.

   mbāṯar ˁisrīn daqīqā aya ˁadlā mšūlimtā ìlāh kullēh pulḥānā.

   After twenty minutes she already finished all the work.

2. preceding a verb in the non-past already, so soon

   ܥܲܕܠܵܐ ܒܛܵܠܵܐ ܝܘܸܬ؟ ― ˁadlā bṭālā ìwet? ― Are you quitting already?

   ܒܵܣ ܕܲܩܝܼܩܵܐ, ܐܵܢܵܐ ܥܲܕܠܵܐ ܐܵܬ݂ܹܝܢ.

   bās daqīqāˀ, ānā ˁadlā āṯēn.

   Just a moment, I'll be right there.

   (literally, “Just a minute, I'm already coming.”)

Usage notes

• This is considered a semi-formal term. In most dialects of colloquial Assyrian Neo-Aramaic, speakers simply express the sense of “already” using the indefinite past tense, but maybe use ܥܲܕܠܵܐ (ˁadlā) to emphasize the earliness of an event or state, or that the action has been completed.

Synonyms

• (already, before now): ܟܒ݂ܲܪ (kḇar), ܡ̣ܢ ܟܲܕܘܼ (min kadū)
• (so soon): ܐܵܕܝܼܵܐ (ādīyā), ܗܵܫܵܐ (hāšā)