ܡܨܐ

Assyrian Neo-Aramaic

Etymology

Root
ܡ ܨ ܐ (m ṣ ˀ)
2 terms

From Aramaic מְצָא (məṣā), from Akkadian 𒈠𒍮𒌑 (maṣûm, “to be equal; amount; be sufficient for”), from Proto-Semitic *mṯ̣ʔ- (“to reach”); compare Hebrew מָצָא (matsá, “to find”), and doublet of ܡܵܛܹܐ (māṭē, “to arrive; reach”).

Pronunciation

• (standard) IPA^(key): [maːsˤeː]

Verb

ܡܵܨܹܐ • (māṣē) (present participle ܡܨܵܝܵܐ (mṣāyā), past participle ܡܸܨܝܵܐ (miṣyā))

1. can, to be able to

   ܠܹܐ ܝܠܹܗ ܒܸܡܨܵܝܵܐ ܢܵܦܹܫ! ― lē ìlēh bimṣāyā nāpēš! ― He can not breathe!

   ܟܹܐ ܡܵܨܹܝܢ ܐܵܬܹܝܢ ܒܪܲܡܫܵܐ. ― kē māṣēn ātēn b-ramšā. ― I can come in the evening.

   ܡܲܠܦܵܢܵܐ ܐ݇ܡܝܼܪܹܗ ܐܸܠܘܼܟ݂، «ܟܹܐ ܡܵܨܹܝܬ ܝܵܠܦܹܬ ܪܵܒܵܐ ܡܸܢܕܝܵܢܹ̈ܐ ܡ̣ܢ ܐܵܗܵܐ ܟܬܵܒ݂ܵܐ».

   malpānā mīrēh ilūḵ, “kē māṣēt yālpēt rābā mindyānē min āhā ktāḇā”.

   The teacher said to you, “you can learn many things from this book.”

   • Romans 8:31:
   • ܡܘܼܕܝܼ ܐܵܡܪܲܚ ܒܘܼܬ ܐܲܢܹܐ؟ ܐܸܢ ܐܲܠܵܗܵܐ ܠܓܹܒܲܢ ܝܼܠܹܗ، ܡܵܢܝܼ ܟܹܐ ܡܵܨܹܐ ܗܵܘܹܐ ܕܲܠܩܘܼܒ݂ܠܲܢ؟

     mūdī āmraḥ būt annē? in allāhā l-gēban īlēh, mānī kē māṣē hāwē dalquḇlan?

     What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

2. may

   ܟܹܐ ܡܵܨܹܝܬ ܗܲܡܙܸܡܸܬ ܣܘܼܪܵܐܝܼܬ؟ ― kē māṣēt hamzimmit sūrāˀīt? ― May you speak Assyrian?

   ܟܹܐ ܡܵܨܹܝܢ ܗܵܘܹܐ ܠܝܼ ܟܵܣܵܐ ܕܡ̈ܝܼܵܐ؟ ― kē māṣēn hāwē lī kāsā dmīyā? ― May I have a glass of water?

   ܟܹܐ ܡܵܨܹܐ ܥܵܪܹܐ ܡܸܛܪܵܐ ܩܘܼܕܡܹܐ. ― kē māṣē ˁārē miṭrā qudmē. ― It may rain tomorrow.

Usage notes

• ܡܵܨܹܐ (māṣē) is sometimes used rhetorically to issue a command, placing the command in the form of a request. For instance, “ܡܵܨܹܝܬ ܝܵܗ݇ܒ݂ܹܬ ܠܝܼ ܗ̇ܘ ܩܲܢܝܵܐ. ― māṣēt yāḇēt lī awa qanyā.” “Can you give me that pen?” as a polite substitution for “ܗܲܒ݂݇ܠ ܠܝܼ ܗ̇ܘ ܩܲܢܝܵܐ. ― hal lī awa qanyā.”
• ܡܵܨܹܐ (māṣē) is not used with verbs relating to the five senses:

  ܒܸܚܙܵܝܵܐ ܝܘܸܢ ܐܸܠܘܼܟ݂. ― biḥzāyā ìwen ilūḵ. ― I (can) see you (literally, “I am seeing you”) (not “ܟܹܐ ܡܵܨܹܝܢ ܚܵܙܹܝܢܘܼܟ݂ ― kē māṣēn ḥāzēnūḵ”, which is “I can see (i.e. meet) you”)

• Regarding the use of ܡܵܨܹܐ (māṣē) and ܝܵܕܹܥ (yādēˁ), three sub-senses must be distinguished:
  • ܝܵܕܹܥ (yādēˁ) is used for “know how to do something, have learnt something”.

    ܟܹܐ ܝܵܕܥܹܢ ܣܚܵܝܵܐ. ― kē yādˁēn sḥāyā. ― I can swim. / I know how to swim. / I’ve learnt to swim.

  • ܡܵܨܹܐ (māṣē) is generally used for “be currently capable of doing something”

    ܠܹܐ ܡܵܨܹܝܢ ܕܵܡܟ݂ܹܢ. ― lē māṣēn dāmḵēn. ― I can’t sleep. / I’m not currently able to fall asleep.

  • ܡܵܨܹܐ (māṣē) is always used for “be free, allowed, unhindered to do something”.

    ܠܹܐ ܡܵܨܹܝܢ ܦܵܠܛܹܢ. ― lē māṣēn pālṭēn. ― I can’t go out. / I’m not allowed to go out. / Something prevents me from going out.

Conjugation

Conjugation of ܡܵܨܹܐ (māṣē)

		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
past	m	ܡܨܹܐ ܠܝܼ (mṣē lī)	ܡܨܹܐ ܠܘܼܟ݂ (mṣē lūḵ)	ܡܨܹܐ ܠܹܗ (mṣē lēh)	ܡܨܹܐ ܠܲܢ (mṣē lan)	ܡܨܹܐ ܠܵܘܟ݂ܘܿܢ (mṣē lāwḵōn)	ܡܨܹܐ ܠܗܘܿܢ (mṣē lhōn)
	f		ܡܨܹܐ ܠܵܟ݂ܝ (mṣē lāḵ)	ܡܨܹܐ ܠܵܗ̇ (mṣē lāh)
non-past	m	ܡܵܨܹܝܢ (māṣēn)	ܡܵܨܹܝܬ (māṣēt)	ܡܵܨܹܐ (māṣē)	ܡܵܨܲܚ (māṣaḥ)	ܡܵܨܹܝܬܘܿܢ (māṣētōn)	ܡܵܨܝܼ (māṣī)
	f	ܡܵܨܝܵܢ (māṣyān)	ܡܵܨܝܵܬܝ (māṣyāt)	ܡܵܨܝܵܐ (māṣyā)
imperative	m		ܡܨܝܼ (mṣī)			ܡܨܹܝܡܘܼܢ (mṣēmūn)
	f		ܡܨܹܐ (mṣē)

See also

• ܐܝܼܬ ܒ (īt b-)
• ܝܵܕܹܥ (yādēˁ)

References

• “mṣy”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–, retrieved 2022-07-28
• “ܡܵܨܹܐ”, in Sureth Dictionary, Association Assyrophile de France, 2022 July 28 (last accessed)
• “maṣû”, in Akkadian Dictionary, Association Assyrophile de France, 2022 July 28 (last accessed)

Classical Syriac

Etymology 1

From older Aramaic מצא.

Pronunciation

• (Western Syriac) IPA^(key): [mˈsˤō]

Verb

ܡܨܐ • (mṣɑ) (imperfect ܢܡܨܐ (nemṣē))

1. to be able

Etymology 2

The passive participle of the above.

Pronunciation

• (Western Syriac) IPA^(key): [mˈsˤē]

Adjective

ܡܨܐ • (mṣē) m (plural ܡܨܝܢ, singular feminine counterpart ܡܨܝܐ)

1. able

   ܐܝܟ ܡܐ ܕܡܨܝܢܢ — akh mā damṣēnan — As much as we're able.

   ܡܨܐ ܟܠ — mṣē kul — omnipotent.

References

• Payne Smith, Jessie (1903) A Compendious Syriac Dictionary Founded Upon the Thesaurus Syriacus of R. Payne Smith, D.D., Oxford: Clarendon Press, page 293