ܪܝܫܐ

Assyrian Neo-Aramaic

Alternative forms

• ܪܹܫܵܐ (rēšā)

Etymology

From Aramaic רֵישָׁא (rēšā), from Proto-Semitic *raʔš-; compare Arabic رَأْس (raʔs), Hebrew רֹאשׁ (rosh) and Akkadian 𒊕 (rēšum).

Pronunciation

• (standard) IPA^(key): [reːʃɑː]
• (Urmian) IPA^(key): [riːʃɑː]

Noun

ܪܹܝܫܵܐ • (rēšā) m (plural ܪܹ̈ܝܫܹܐ (rēšē) or ܪܹ̈ܝܫܵܢܹܐ (rēšānē) or ܪܹ̈ܝܫܲܘܵܬ݂ܵܐ (rēšawwāṯā), feminine ܪܹܝܫܬܵܐ (rēštā))

1. (anatomy) head
2. summit, top, tip, point, edge, end
3. beginning, front, starting point
4. first, best, chief, principal, superior
5. ruler, prefect, magistrate
6. poll
7. division of a discourse; heading, chapter, treatise
8. (orthography) initial letter
9. lid, cap

Usage notes

The plural ܪܹ̈ܝܫܵܢܹܐ (rēšānē) is only used for the sense of "rulers, prefects, magistrates"

Inflection

Inflection of ܪܹܝܫܵܐ (rēšā)

number	isolated forms		with possessive pronouns
	state	form	person	singular		plural
				m	f
singular	absolute	–	1st person	ܪܹܝܫܝܼ (rēšī)		ܪܹܝܫܲܢ (rēšan)
	construct	ܪܹܝܫ (rēš)	2nd person	ܪܹܝܫܘܼܟ݂ (rēšūḵ)	ܪܹܝܫܵܟ݂ܝ (rēšāḵ)	ܪܹܝܫܵܘܟ݂ܘܿܢ (rēšāwḵōn)
	emphatic	ܪܹܝܫܵܐ (rēšā)	3rd person	ܪܹܝܫܹܗ (rēšēh)	ܪܹܝܫܘܿܗ̇ (rēšōh)	ܪܹܝܫܗܘܿܢ (rēšhōn)
plural	absolute	–	1st person	ܪܹ̈ܝܫܵܢܝܼ (rēšānī)		ܪܹ̈ܝܫܵܢܲܢ (rēšānan)
	construct	ܪܹ̈ܝܫܲܝ (rēšay)	2nd person	ܪܹ̈ܝܫܵܢܘܼܟ݂ (rēšānūḵ)	ܪܹ̈ܝܫܵܢܵܟ݂ܝ (rēšānāḵ)	ܪܹ̈ܝܫܵܢܵܘܟ݂ܘܿܢ (rēšānāwḵōn)
	emphatic	ܪܹ̈ܝܫܵܢܹܐ (rēšānē)	3rd person	ܪܹ̈ܝܫܵܢܘܼܗܝ (rēšānūh)	ܪܹ̈ܝܫܵܢܘܿܗ̇ (rēšānōh)	ܪܹ̈ܝܫܵܢܗܘܿܢ (rēšānhōn)

Derived terms

• ܪܹܝܫ ܩܸܢܵܐ (rēš qinnā, “firstborn”)
• ܪܹܝܫ ܫܲܢ݇ܬܵܐ (rēš šattā, “new year”)

Classical Syriac

Alternative forms

• ܪܫܐ

Etymology

From Proto-Semitic *raʔš-.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [re(j)ʃɑ(ʔ)] (singular)
• IPA^(key): [re(j)ʃe(ʔ)], [re(j)ʃɑne(ʔ)] (plural)

Noun

ܪܝܫܐ • (rēšā) m (plural ܪܝܫܢܐ or ܪܝܫܐ)

1. (anatomy) head, poll
2. single person
3. summit, top, tip, point, edge, end
4. beginning, front, starting point
5. first, best, chief, principal, superior
6. preeminence, superiority
7. ruler, prefect, magistrate
8. division of a discourse; heading, chapter, treatise
9. (orthography) initial letter
10. capital city
11. region
12. (military) army, detachment, corps, military unit
13. first fruits
14. topic
15. line
16. poison, venom

Usage notes

The plural ܪܝܫܢܐ (rêšānēʾ) is used for the sense of "magistrates" while the plural ܪܝܫܐ (rêšēʾ) is used for all other senses.

Inflection

    declension of ܪܝܫܐ

state	singular	plural
absolute	ܪܝܫ	ܪܝܫܢܝܢ ,ܪܝܫܝܢ
construct	ܪܝܫ	ܪܝܫܢܝ ,ܪܝܫܝ
emphatic	ܪܝܫܐ	ܪܝܫܢܐ ,ܪܝܫܐ
possessive forms
1st c. sg. (my)	ܪܝܫܝ	ܪܝܫܢܝ ,ܪܝܫܝ
2nd m. sg. (your)	ܪܝܫܟ	ܪܝܫܢܝܟ ,ܪܝܫܝܟ
2nd f. sg. (your)	ܪܝܫܟܝ	ܪܝܫܢܝܟܝ ,ܪܝܫܝܟܝ
3rd m. sg. (his)	ܪܝܫܗ	ܪܝܫܢܘܗܝ ,ܪܝܫܘܗܝ
3rd f. sg. (her)	ܪܝܫܗ	ܪܝܫܢܝܗ ,ܪܝܫܝܗ
1st c. pl. (our)	ܪܝܫܢ	ܪܝܫܢܝܢ ,ܪܝܫܝܢ
2nd m. pl. (your)	ܪܝܫܟܘܢ	ܪܝܫܢܝܟܘܢ ,ܪܝܫܝܟܘܢ
2nd f. pl. (your)	ܪܝܫܟܝܢ	ܪܝܫܢܝܟܝܢ ,ܪܝܫܝܟܝܢ
3rd m. pl. (their)	ܪܝܫܗܘܢ	ܪܝܫܢܝܗܘܢ ,ܪܝܫܝܗܘܢ
3rd f. pl. (their)	ܪܝܫܗܝܢ	ܪܝܫܢܝܗܝܢ ,ܪܝܫܝܗܝܢ

References

• “ryš”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–
• Costaz, Louis (2002) Dictionnaire syriaque-français ∙ Syriac–English Dictionary ∙ قاموس سرياني-عربي, 3rd edition, Beirut: Dar El-Machreq, p. 345b
• Payne Smith, Jessie (1903) A Compendious Syriac Dictionary Founded Upon the Thesaurus Syriacus of R. Payne Smith, D.D., Oxford: Clarendon Press, pp. 539b-540a
• 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, pp. 1462b-1463a

Turoyo

Alternative forms

• ܪܶܫܳܐ (rešo)

Etymology

From Aramaic רישא (reʃɑ).

Noun

ܪܝܫܳܐ • (rišo) m

1. (anatomy) head