ܕܠܡܐ

Assyrian Neo-Aramaic

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Classical Syriac.

Pronunciation

• (standard) IPA^(key): [dal.mɑː]

Conjunction

ܕܲܠܡܵܐ • (dalmā)

1. (formal, literary) lest; for the fear that; that not; in order to prevent something from happening; in case.

   ܕܲܠܡܵܐ ܢܵܟ݂ܹܦ ܐܵܫܘܿܪܵܝܵܐ ܒܠܸܫܵܢܹܗ.

   dalmā nāḵēp āšōrāyā b-liššānēh.

   Lest an Assyrian be ashamed of his language.

   ܕܲܠܡܵܐ ܢܵܫܲܚ ܣܵܗܕܲܢ̈ ܢܦܝܼܠܹ̈ܐ.

   dalmā nāšaḥ sāhdan npīlē.

   Lest we forget our fallen martyrs.

   • Psalms 13:4:

     ܕܲܠܡܵܐ ܐܵܡܹܪ ܒܥܸܠܕܒ݂ܵܒ݂ܝܼ: «ܗ݇ܘܹܐ ܠܝܼ ܙܵܟ݂ܘܿܝܵܐ ܥܲܠܘܼܗܝ،» ܘܡܲܠܝܸܨܵܢܝܼ̈ ܦܵܨܚܝܼ ܐܝܼܡܲܢ ܕܫܵܥܫܹܢ.

     dalmā āmēr bˁildḇāḇī: “wē lī zāḵōyā ˁalūh,” w-malyiṣṣānī pāṣḥī īman d-šāˁšēn.

     Lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed against him”; Lest those who trouble me rejoice when I am moved.

   • Luke 22:46:

     ܘܐ݇ܡܝܼܪܹܗ ܐܸܠܵܝܗܝ: ܩܵܡܘܿܕܝܼ ܕܡܝܼܟ݂ܹ̈ܐ ܝܬܘܿܢ؟ «ܩܘܼܡܘܿܢ ܘܨܲܠܹܝܡܘܼܢ ܕܲܠܡܵܐ ܥܵܒ݂ܪܝܼܬܘܿܢ ܠܢܸܣܝܘܿܢܵܐ».

     w-mīrēh illāyh: qāmōdī dmīḵē ìtōn? “qūmōn w-ṣallēmūn dalmā ˁāḇrītōn lnisyōnā”.

     Then He said to them, “Why do you sleep? Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation”.

Usage notes

• This is usually followed by a verb in the subjunctive mood in either the present or future tense.
• This word is formal or archaic. In everyday or colloquial speech, this could be similarly expressed by ܕܠܵܐ (d-lā) or ܠܵܐ ܗܵܘܝܵܐ ܕ- (lā hāwyā d-).

  ܠܵܐ ܗܵܘܝܵܐ ܕܛܵܠܹܩ ܠܹܗ ܫܘܼܠܘܼܗܝ. ― lā hāwyā d-ṭālēq lēh šūlūh. ― Lest he loses his job.