ܝܬܘܡܐ

Assyrian Neo-Aramaic

Root
ܝ ܬ ܡ (y t m)
1 term

Etymology

The form ܝܲܬ݂ܡܵܐ (yaṯmā), from Aramaic יַתְמָא (yaṯmā), from Proto-Semitic *yatam- (“to be fatherless or without a guardian, to be without support of family or tribe, to be disenfranchised or alone”) is attested in Nineveh Plains in Maclean’s ‘A Dictionary of the Dialects of Vernacular Syriac’ (1901). However, the modern form ܝܲܬܘܼܡܵܐ (yatūmā) exactly matches the common adjective pattern 1a22ū3ā, suggesting that this word originally meant “orphaned, fatherless,” while ܝܲܬ݂ܡܵܐ (yaṯmā) would have been the noun “orphan”. This distinction was probably lost and the adjective form assumed both meanings. Compare Classical Syriac ܝܬܡܐ (yaṯmā), Hebrew יָתוֹם (yatóm), Phoenician 𐤉‬𐤕‬𐤌 (y‬t‬m‬), Arabic يَتِيم (yatīm), Classical Mandaic ࡉࡀࡕࡉࡌࡀ (yatima), Tigre ያፓም (yattam), and Ugaritic 𐎊𐎚𐎎 (ytm).

Pronunciation

• (Standard) IPA^(key): [yat.tuːmɑː]

Noun

ܝܲܬܘܼܡܵܐ • (yatūmā) m sg (plural ܝܲܬܘܼܡܹ̈ܐ (yatūmē), feminine ܝܲܬܘܼܡܬܵܐ (yatumtā))

1. orphan
   • James 1:27:

     ܬܵܘܕܝܼܬܵܐ ܕܟ݂ܝܼܬܵܐ ܘܕܠܵܐ ܡܘܼܡܵܐ ܩܲܕ݇ܡ ܐܲܠܵܗܵܐ ܒܵܒܵܐ ܐܵܗܵܐ ܝܠܵܗ̇، ܕܐ݇ܢܵܫܵܐ ܬܵܦܹܩ ܒܝܲܬܘܼܡܹ̈ܐ ܘܐܲܪ̈ܡܸܠܝܵܬܹܐ ܒܐܘܼܠܨܵܢܵܝ̈ܗܝ، ܘܢܵܛܹܪ ܓܵܢܹܗ ܡ̣ܢ ܥܵܠܡܵܐ ܕܠܵܐ ܛܘܼܠܫܵܐ.

     tāwdītā dḵītā w-d-lā mūmā qam allāhā bābā āhā ìlāh, d-nāšā tāpēq b-yatūmē w-armilyātē b-ulṣānāyh, w-nāṭēr gānēh min ˁālmā d-lā ṭulšā.

     Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

2. fatherless or motherless person

Inflection

Inflection of ܝܲܬܘܼܡܵܐ (yatūmā)

number	isolated forms		with possessive pronouns
	state	form	person	singular		plural
				m	f
singular	absolute	–	1st person	ܝܲܬܘܼܡܝܼ (yatūmī)		ܝܲܬܘܼܡܲܢ (yatūman)
	construct	ܝܲܬܘܼܡ (yatūm)	2nd person	ܝܲܬܘܼܡܘܼܟ݂ (yatūmūḵ)	ܝܲܬܘܼܡܵܟ݂ܝ (yatūmāḵ)	ܝܲܬܘܼܡܵܘܟ݂ܘܿܢ (yatūmāwḵōn)
	emphatic	ܝܲܬܘܼܡܵܐ (yatūmā)	3rd person	ܝܲܬܘܼܡܹܗ (yatūmēh)	ܝܲܬܘܼܡܵܗ̇ (yatūmāh)	ܝܲܬܘܼܡܗܘܿܢ (yatumhōn)
plural	absolute	–	1st person	ܝܲܬܘܼܡܝܼ̈ (yatūmī)		ܝܲܬܘܼܡܲܢ̈ (yatūman)
	construct	ܝܲܬܘܼܡܲܝ̈ (yatūmay)	2nd person	ܝܲܬܘܼܡܘܼ̈ܟ݂ (yatūmūḵ)	ܝܲܬܘܼܡܵܟ݂ܝ̈ (yatūmāḵ)	ܝܲܬܘܼܡܵܘ̈ܟ݂ܘܿܢ (yatūmāwḵōn)
	emphatic	ܝܲܬܘܼܡܹ̈ܐ (yatūmē)	3rd person	ܝܲܬܘܼܡܘܼ̈ܗܝ (yatūmūh)	ܝܲܬܘܼܡ̈ܘܿܗ̇ (yatūmōh)	ܝܲܬܘܼܡܗ̈ܘܿܢ (yatumhōn)

Derived terms

• ܒܹܝܬ ܝܲܬܘܼܡܹ̈ܐ (bēt yatūmē, “orphanage”)
• ܝܲܬܘܼܡܘܼܬܵܐ (yatūmūtā, “orphanhood”)
• ܝܲܬܘܼܡܵܐ ܕܒܵܒܵܐ (yatūmā dbābā, “fatherless”)
• ܝܲܬܘܼܡܵܐ ܕܐܸܡܵܐ (yatūmā d-immā, “motherless”)

Proper noun

ܝܲܬܘܼܡܵܐ • (yatūmā) ?

1. a surname