ܨܝܢܐܝܬ
Assyrian Neo-Aramaic
[edit]Alternative forms
[edit]- ܟ̰ܝܼܢܵܐܝܼܬ (čīnāˀīt)
Etymology
[edit]From ܨܝܼܢܵܝܵܐ (ṣīnāyā, “Chinese”) + -ܐܝܼܬ݂ (-ʾīṯ, the language suffix)
Pronunciation
[edit]Proper noun
[edit]ܨܝܼܢܵܐܝܼܬ݂ • (ṣīnāˀīṯ) m
- Chinese, the Chinese languages taken collectively.
- ܠܸܫܵܢܵܐ ܝܲܬܝܼܪ ܥܲܡܡܵܝܵܐ ܬܹܒ݂ܹܝܠܵܐܝܼܬ݂ ܝܼܠܹܗ ܨܝܼܢܵܐܝܼܬ݂ ܥܲܡ ܝܲܬܝܼܪ ܡ̣ܢ ܡܸܠܝܵܪܕ݇ ܡܲܠܵܠܹ̈ܐ.
- liššānā yatīr ˁammāyā tēḇēlāˀīṯ īlēh ṣīnāˀīṯ ˁam yatīr min milyār mallālē.
- The most widely spoken language globally is Chinese with over a billion speakers.
Usage notes
[edit]Although ܟ̰ܝܼܢܵܐܝܼܬ݂ (čīnāˀīṯ) is the most common form in the spoken language, there is a push for ܨܝܼܢܵܐܝܼܬ݂ (ṣīnāˀīṯ) to be used more often, especially in writing. Due to it being ambiguous with ܟܝܵܢܵܐܝܼܬ݂ (kyānāˀīṯ, “naturally”) in unvocalised writing.