ܐܝܢܐ

Assyrian Neo-Aramaic

Etymology 1

Developed from ܐܸܠܵܐ (illā) or Borrowed from Northern Kurdish inâ.

Pronunciation

• (standard) IPA^(key): [ʔiːnɑː]

Conjunction

ܐܝܼܢܵܐ • (īnā)

1. but
2. however

See also

• ܐܸܠܵܐ (illā)
• ܒܪܲܡ (bram)
• ܐܘܼܦ ܟܲܕ݂ (ūp kaḏ)

Etymology 2

Inherited from Aramaic אַיְנָא (ʾaynā), from אַי (ʾay) +‎ הָנָא (hānā, “this”), hence from Proto-Semitic *ʔayy-; compare Hebrew אֵיזֶה (éize), Arabic أَيّ (ʔayy) and Akkadian 𒀀𒀀𒌑𒌝 (ayyum).

Pronunciation

• (standard) IPA^(key): [ʔay.naː.]
• (Barwar) IPA^(key): [ʔeː.ni.]
• (Bohtan) IPA^(key): [ʔaj.ni.]
• (Nineveh Plains) IPA^(key): [ʔeː.ma.]

Determiner

ܐܲܝܢܵܐ • (aynā) (feminine ܐܲܝܕܵܐ (aydā), plural ܐܲܝܠܹܝܢ (aylēn))

1. (interrogative) which

   ܐܲܝܢܵܐ ܚܲܒܘܼܫܵܐ ܐ݇ܟ݂ܝܼܠ ܠܘܼܟ݂؟ ― aynā ḥabūšā ḵīl lūḵ? ― Which apple did you eat?

   ܡ̣ܢ ܐܲܝܢܵܐ ܐܲܬ݂ܪܵܐ ܝܘܸܬ؟ ― min aynā aṯrā ìwet? ― From which country are you?

2. (with ܕ- (d-, “that”)) whichever (The/Any ... that)

   ܫܩܘܿܠ ܐܲܝܢܵܐ ܚܲܒܘܼܫܵܐ ܕܟܹܐ ܒܵܥܹܝܬ ― šqōl aynā ḥabūšā d-kē bāˁēt ― Take whichever apple [that] you want.

Pronoun

ܐܲܝܢܵܐ • (aynā) (feminine ܐܲܝܕܵܐ (aydā), plural ܐܲܝܠܹܝܢ (aylēn))

1. (interrogative) which one (What one (of those mentioned or implied))

   ܐܲܝܢܵܐ ܐ݇ܟ݂ܝܼܠ ܠܘܼܟ݂؟ ― aynā ḵīl lūḵ? ― Which one did you eat?

   ܐܲܝܢܵܐ ܝܠܹܗ ܝܵܠܕ݇ܘܼܟ݂؟ ― aynā ìlēh yālūḵ? ― Which one is your child?

2. (directly followed by ܕ- (d-)) Whichever one that…, He who…

   ܫܩܘܿܠ ܐܲܝܢܵܐ ܕܟܹܐ ܒܵܥܹܝܬ ― šqōl aynā d-kē bāˁēt ― Take whichever one that you want.

   ܐܲܝܢܵܐ ܕܡܲܨܝܸܬ݂ ܠܢܘܼܟ݂ܪ̈ܵܝܹܐ ܠܵܐ ܟܹܐ ܚܵܙܹܐ ܦܨܝܼܚܘܼܬ݂ܵܐ ― aynā d-maṣyiṯ l-nuḵrāyē lā kē ḥāzē pṣīḥūṯā ― He who/Whichever one that heeds to strangers will not see happiness.

Usage notes

Many dialects only use the masculine form regardless of gender or plural.

Derived terms

• ܐܲܝܢܵܐ ܕܗܵܘܹܐ (aynā dhāwē, “Whichever one; Any of them.”)