ܐܢܐ

Assyrian Neo-Aramaic

Etymology 1

• From Aramaic אֲנָא (ʾănā) with a lengthening of the first syllable, possible influence to and from Gulf Arabic آنَا (āna) or Iraqi Arabic آني (āni), but compare Turoyo ܐܳܢܐ (ono), hinting at a historical long /ā/. In other cases, a short initial /a/ without doubling afterwards where it usually would happen has let to it elongating, such as many dialects’ realization of ܐܲܠܵܗܵܐ (/ʾalāhā/) as /ʾālāhā/.
• Otherwise from the variant form Aramaic אנא (ʾĕnā) whose pronunciation is seen in Classical Syriac ܐܸܢܵܐ (ʾĕnā) and reflected still in the dialectal Turoyo form Turoyo ܐܶܢܐ (eno). A shift from a short initial /ʾĕ/ without doubling afterwards where it would usually happen has led to its shift into /ʾă/, again seen in Aramaic אֱלָהָא (ʾĕlāhā) into ܐܲܠܵܗܵܐ (ʾălāhā).

Ultimately from Proto-Semitic *ʔanāku; compare Arabic أَنَا (ʔanā), Hebrew אֲנִי (aní) and Akkadian 𒀀𒈾𒆪 (anāku).

Pronunciation

• (standard) IPA^(key): [ʔɑːnɑː]

Pronoun

ܐܵܢܵܐ • (ānā) sg (plural ܐܲܚܢܲܢ (aḥnan))

1. (personal) I
2. (intensive) I myself

See also

Assyrian Neo-Aramaic personal pronouns

Isolated nominative pronouns
		singular	plural
1st person		ܐܵܢܵܐ (ānā)	ܐܲܚܢܲܢ (aḥnan)
2nd person	m	ܐܲܢ݇ܬ (at)	ܐܲܢ݇ܬܘܿܢ (atōn)
	f	ܐܲܢ݇ܬܝ (at)	ܐܲܢ݇ܬܹܝܢ (attēn)
3rd person	m	ܗ̇ܘ (awa)	ܗܸܢܘܿܢ (hinōn)
	f	ܗ̇ܝ (aya)	ܗܸܢܹܝܢ (hinnēn)
Enclitic accusative and genitive pronouns
		singular	plural
1st person		-ܝܼ (-ī)	-ܲܢ (-an)
2nd person	m	-ܘܼܟ݂ (-ūḵ)	-ܵܘܟ݂ܘܿܢ (-āwḵōn)
	f	-ܵܟ݂ܝ (-āḵ)
3rd person	m	-ܹܗ (-ēh); -ܘܼܗܝ (-ūh)	-ܗܘܿܢ (-hōn)
	f	-ܵܗ̇ (-āh); -ܘܿܗ̇ (-ōh)

Etymology 2

Possibly from ܐܵܗܵܐ (aha) + ܐܵܢܝܼ (anī).

Pronunciation

• (Urmian) IPA^(key): [ʔan.ne.]

Pronoun

ܐܲܢܹܐ or ܐܲܢܲܝ̈ • (annē or annay) c (singular ܐܵܗܵܐ (āhā))

1. (dialectal) Alternative form of ܗܵܠܹܝܢ (hālēn, “these”)

Usage notes

• In the Iraqi Koine, this is the most common spelling in vocalised texts. ܐܲܢܲܝ̈ (annay) is more common in unvocalised texts.

Classical Syriac

Etymology 1

From Proto-Semitic *ʔanāku. Compare Arabic أَنَا (ʔanā), Hebrew אֲנִי (ʾănî).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ʔɛ̆nɑ]

Pronoun

ܐܢܐ • (ʾĕnā) c (plural ܚܢܢ or ܐܢܚܢܢ)

1. (personal) I
2. (intensive) I myself

Etymology 2

Modified from above, with the initial consonant and vowel quiescing.

Alternative forms

• ܢܐ-

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [-nɑ(ʔ)]

Pronoun

ܐܢܐ • (-nāʾ) c (plural ܚܢܢ)

1. an enclitic used as a copula for a first-person singular subject; I am

Usage notes

Usually, the form ܐܢܐ (ʾĕnāʾ) is written separately from the word it follows while the alternative form ܢܐ- (-nāʾ) is written together with the word it follows.

See also

• ܐܝܬܝ

References

• “ˀnˀ”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–, retrieved 2011-06-16
• Costaz, Louis (2002) Dictionnaire syriaque-français ∙ Syriac–English Dictionary ∙ قاموس سرياني-عربي, 3rd edition, Beirut: Dar El-Machreq, p. 12b
• Payne Smith, Jessie (1903) A Compendious Syriac Dictionary Founded Upon the Thesaurus Syriacus of R. Payne Smith, D.D., Oxford: Clarendon Press, p. 21a
• 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. 58b

Turoyo

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

• (standard) IPA^(key): /ʔono/
• (Midyat) IPA^(key): /ʔəno/

Pronoun

ܐܢܐ • (ʾōnō) c (plural ܐܚܢܐ)

1. (personal) I
2. (intensive) I myself

See also

Turoyo personal pronouns

		singular	plural
1st person		ܐܳܢܳܐ (ʾōnō)	ܐܰܚܢܰܐ (ʾaḥna)
2nd person	m	ܗܰܬ (hat)	ܗܰܬܘ (hātu)
	f	ܗܰܬ (hat)
3rd person	m	ܗܝܝܶܐ (hiye)	ܗܷܢܢܶܐ (hënne)
	f	ܗܝܝܰܐ (hiya)

Etymology 2

Modified from above.

Alternative forms

• ܢܐ- (n-)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /no/ (singular)
• IPA^(key): /na/ (plural)

Pronoun

ܐܢܐ • (-nō) c (plural ܢܐ)

1. an enclitic used as a copula for a first-person singular subject; I am