ܫܐܠ

Assyrian Neo-Aramaic

Etymology

Root
ܫ ܐ ܠ (š ˀ l)
5 terms

From Aramaic שְׁאַל (šəʾal); compare Arabic سَأَلَ (saʔala), Hebrew שָׁאַל (sha'ál), Eblaite 𒊭𒀪𒀀𒇻 (ša-ʾ-a-lu /⁠šaʾal⁠/) and Ge'ez ሰአለ (säʾälä).

Pronunciation

• (standard) IPA^(key): [ʃɑːʔelː]

Verb

ܫܵܐܹܠ • (šāˀēl) (present participle ܫܐܵܠܵܐ (šˀālā), past participle ܫܐܝܼܠܵܐ (šˀīlā))

1. to ask, inquire, question

   ܫܐܵܠܵܐ ܝܘܸܢ ܒܝܼܘܼܟ݂ ܫܘܼܐܵܠܵܐ. ― šˀālā ìwen bīyūḵ šūˀālā. ― I am asking you a question.

   ܫܐܝܼܠ ܠܝܼ ܒܗ̇ܘ ܝܵܠܵܕ݇ܐ ܥܘܿܡܪܹܗ. ― šˀīl lī b-awa yālā ˁōmrēh. ― I asked the boy his age.

   ܙܝܼ ܫܵܐܠܹܢ ܗ̇ܝ ܡܵܪܬܵܐ ܩܵܐ ܬܸܪ̈ܨܵܢܹܐ. ― zī šālēn aya mārtā qā tirṣānē. ― I’m going to ask this lady for directions.

2. to borrow

Usage notes

• (ask): This verb is not usually used like English in the sense of “request”; the verbs ܛܵܠܹܒ݂ (ṭālēḇ) or ܒܵܥܹܐ (bāˁē) are used instead.
• (borrow): This verb is not used like English with loans that are not returned exactly, such as money (since one does not return the same money that one borrows, as in the same bills or coins or the like, but rather an equivalent amount of money); the verbs ܡܲܕܝܸܢ (madyin) or ܝܵܙܹܦ (yāzēp) are used instead.

Conjugation

Conjugation of ܫܵܐܹܠ (šāˀēl)

		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
past	m	ܫܐܝܼܠ ܠܝܼ (šˀīl lī)	ܫܐܝܼܠ ܠܘܼܟ݂ (šˀīl lūḵ)	ܫܐܝܼܠ ܠܹܗ (šˀīl lēh)	ܫܐܝܼܠ ܠܲܢ (šˀīl lan)	ܫܐܝܼܠ ܠܵܘܟ݂ܘܿܢ (šˀīl lāwḵōn)	ܫܐܝܼܠ ܠܗܘܿܢ (šˀīl lhōn)
	f		ܫܐܝܼܠ ܠܵܟ݂ܝ (šˀīl lāḵ)	ܫܐܝܼܠ ܠܵܗ̇ (šˀīl lāh)
non-past	m	ܫܵܐܠܹܢ (šālēn)	ܫܵܐܠܹܬ (šālēt)	ܫܵܐܹܠ (šāˀēl)	ܫܵܐܠܲܚ (šālaḥ)	ܫܵܐܠܝܼܬܘܿܢ (šālītōn)	ܫܵܐܠܝܼ (šālī)
	f	ܫܵܐܠܵܢ (šālān)	ܫܵܐܠܵܬܝ (šālāt)	ܫܵܐܠܵܐ (šālā)
imperative	m		ܫܐܘܿܠ (šˀōl)			ܫܐܘܿܠܘܼܢ (šˀōlūn)
	f		ܫܐܘܿܠܝ (šˀōl)

Derived terms

• ܡܲܫܐܸܠ (mašˀil)
• ܫܵܐܹܠ ܒܲܩܛܝܼܪܵܐ (šāˀēl ba-qṭīrā, “to extort”)
• ܫܵܐܹܠ ܒܲܫܠܵܡܵܐ (šāˀēl ba-šlāmā, “to ask how one is, to ask about the health of”)
• ܫܵܐܹܠ ܒܢܸܓ݂ܕܹ̈ܐ (šāˀēl b-niḡdē, “to torture”)

See also

• ܡܒܲܩܸܪ (mbaqqir)

Classical Syriac

Etymology

From the root ܫ-ܐ-ܠ (š-ʾ-l) related to asking; compare Arabic سَأَلَ (saʔala), Hebrew שָׁאַל (šāʾal), Eblaite 𒊭𒀪𒀀𒇻 (ša-ʾ-a-lu /⁠šaʾal⁠/), Ge'ez ሰአለ (säʾälä).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Edessan) IPA^(key): [ˈʃ(ə.)ʔɛl]
• (Eastern Syriac) IPA^(key): [ˈʃʔɪl]
• (Western Syriac) IPA^(key): [ˈʃʔel], [ˈʃel]

Verb

ܫܐܠ • (šəʾel) (imperfect ܢܫܐܠ (nešʾal)) (peal construction)

1. to ask, inquire, question, interrogate
2. to consult, counsel
3. to request, entreat, demand
4. to beg, borrow
5. to claim
6. to greet
7. (with ܫܐܠܬܐ (šəʾeləṯā)) to make a request
8. (with ܒ- (ba-) + ܩܛܝܪܐ (qəṭīrā)) to extort
9. (with ܫܠܡܐ (šəlāmā) or ܒ- (ba-) + ܫܠܡܐ (šəlāmā)) to ask how one is, ask about the health of; salute
10. (with ܒ- (bə-) + ܢܓܕܐ (neḡdē)) to torture

References

• “šˀl”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–, retrieved 2021-07-19
• Costaz, Louis (2002) Dictionnaire syriaque-français ∙ Syriac–English Dictionary ∙ قاموس سرياني-عربي, 3rd edition, Beirut: Dar El-Machreq, page 355a
• Payne Smith, Jessie (1903) A Compendious Syriac Dictionary Founded Upon the Thesaurus Syriacus of R. Payne Smith, D.D., Oxford: Clarendon Press, pages 553b-55b
• 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, pages 1497a-1498a