ܠܫܢܐ

Assyrian Neo-Aramaic

Etymology

Root
ܠ ܫ ܢ (l š n)
2 terms

Inherited from Aramaic לִשָּׁנָא (liššānā), from Proto-Semitic *lišān-; compare Arabic لِسَان (lisān), Hebrew לָשׁוֹן (lashón) and Akkadian 𒅴 (lišānum).

Pronunciation

• (Standard) IPA^(key): [lɪʃˈʃɑːnɑː]
• (Bohtan) IPA^(key): [lɪʃˈʃoːna]
• (Nineveh Plains) IPA^(key): [lɪˈʃaːna]

Noun

ܠܸܫܵܢܵܐ • (liššānā) m (plural ܠܸܫܵܢܹ̈ܐ (liššānē))

1. (anatomy) tongue

   ܠܸܫܵܢܹܗ ܐܲܪܝܼܟ݂ܵܐ ― liššānēh arīḵā ― He talks back; He bickers (literally, “His tongue is long.”)

2. (linguistics) language

   ܥܸܠܬ݂ܵܐ ܕܗܵܕ݂ܹܐ ܢܲܫܝܼܫܘܼܬܵܐ، ܝܼܠܵܗ̇ ܠܲܝܬܵܝܘܼܬ݂ܵܐ ܕܩܸܢܛܪܹ̈ܐ ܕܡܲܠܲܦܬܵܐ ܕܠܸܫܵܢܵܐ ܕܥܲܡܹܗ.

   ˁilṯā d-hāḏē našīšūtā, īlāh laytāyūṯā d-qinṭrē d-mallaptā d-liššānā d-ˁammēh.

   The reason for this weakness, is the non-existence of centres for teaching the language of his people.

   • Acts 2:6:

     ܐܝܼܡܲܢ ܕܫܡܝܼܥ ܠܗܘܿܢ ܠܗ̇ܘ ܩܵܠܵܐ، ܟܢܝܼܫ ܠܹܗ ܟܠܹܗ ܟܸܢܫܵܐ ܘܫܓ݂ܝܼܫ ܠܹܗ ܡܸܛܠ ܟܠ ܚܲܕ݇ ܡܸܢܗܘܿܢ ܫܡܝܼܥ ܠܹܗ ܐܸܠܲܝܗܘܿܢ ܡܡܲܠܘܼܠܹܐ ܒܠܸܫܵܢܵܐ ܕܢܲܦ̮ܫܹܗ.

     īman d-šmīˁ lhōn l-awa qālā, knīš lēh kullēh kinšā w-šḡīš lēh miṭṭul kul ḥa minhōn šmīˁ lēh illayhōn mmalūlē b-liššānā d-nafšēh.

     Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in the language of his own.

Inflection

Inflection of ܠܸܫܵܢܵܐ (liššānā)
number	isolated forms		with possessive pronouns
	state	form	person	singular		plural
				m	f
singular	absolute	–	1st person	ܠܸܫܵܢܝܼ (liššānī)		ܠܸܫܵܢܲܢ (liššānan)
	construct	ܠܸܫܵܢ (liššān)	2nd person	ܠܸܫܵܢܘܼܟ݂ (liššānūḵ)	ܠܸܫܵܢܵܟ݂ܝ (liššānāḵ)	ܠܸܫܵܢܵܘܟ݂ܘܿܢ (liššānāwḵōn)
	emphatic	ܠܸܫܵܢܵܐ (liššānā)	3rd person	ܠܸܫܵܢܹܗ (liššānēh)	ܠܸܫܵܢܵܗ̇ (liššānāh)	ܠܸܫܵܢܗܘܿܢ (liššānhōn)
plural	absolute	–	1st person	ܠܸܫܵܢܝܼ̈ (liššānī)		ܠܸܫܵܢܲܢ̈ (liššānan)
	construct	ܠܸܫܵܢܲܝ̈ (liššānay)	2nd person	ܠܸܫܵܢܘܼ̈ܟ݂ (liššānūḵ)	ܠܸܫܵܢܵܟ݂ܝ̈ (liššānāḵ)	ܠܸܫܵܢܵܘ̈ܟ݂ܘܿܢ (liššānāwḵōn)
	emphatic	ܠܸܫܵܢܹ̈ܐ (liššānē)	3rd person	ܠܸܫܵܢܘܼ̈ܗܝ (liššānūh)	ܠܸܫܵܢ̈ܘܿܗ̇ (liššānōh)	ܠܸܫܵܢܗ̈ܘܿܢ (liššānhōn)

Derived terms

• ܠܸܫܵܢܵܝܵܐ (liššānāyā, “lingual, linguist”)
• ܒܠܸܫܵܢܵܐ (bliššānā, “through peaceful talk”)
• ܡܠܲܫܸܢ (mlaššin, “to pronounce”)

Classical Syriac

Etymology

From Proto-Semitic *lišān-.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Edessan) IPA^(key): [lɛʃˈʃɑ.nɑ]
• (Eastern Syriac) IPA^(key): [lɪʃˈʃɑ.nɑ]
• (Western Syriac) IPA^(key): [leˈʃo.no]

Noun

ܠܫܢܐ • (leššānā) m (plural ܠܫܢܐ (leššānē))

1. (anatomy) tongue
2. (phonetics) pronunciation, articulation
3. (linguistics) language, speech
   • Peshitta, Acts 2:6:

     ܘܟܕ ܗܘܐ ܩܠܐ ܗܘ. ܟܢܫ ܟܠܗ ܥܡܐ ܘܐܫܬܓܫ. ܡܛܠ ܕܫܡܥ ܗܘܐ ܐܢܫ ܐܢܫ ܡܢܗܘܢ ܕܡܡܠܠܝܢ ܗܘܘ ܒܠܫ̈ܢܝܗܘܢ.

     wə-ḵaḏ həwā qālā haw, kənaš kollēh ʿammā wə-ʾeštəḡeš, meṭṭol də-šāmaʿ [hə]wā [ʾ]nāš [ʾ]nāš menhōn da-məmalləlīn [hə]waw bə-leššānayhōn.

     Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.

4. nation, people
5. judgement
6. (figuratively, geography) narrow stretch of land or water; isthmus, channel
7. tongue-shaped ornament; wedge

Inflection

    inflection of ܠܫܢܐ

state	singular	plural
absolute	ܠܫܢ	ܠܫܢܝܢ
construct	ܠܫܢ	ܠܫܢܝ
emphatic	ܠܫܢܐ	ܠܫܢܐ
possessive forms
1st c. sg. (my)	ܠܫܢܝ	ܠܫܢܝ
2nd m. sg. (your)	ܠܫܢܟ	ܠܫܢܝܟ
2nd f. sg. (your)	ܠܫܢܟܝ	ܠܫܢܝܟܝ
3rd m. sg. (his)	ܠܫܢܗ	ܠܫܢܘܗܝ
3rd f. sg. (her)	ܠܫܢܗ	ܠܫܢܝܗ
1st c. pl. (our)	ܠܫܢܢ	ܠܫܢܝܢ
2nd m. pl. (your)	ܠܫܢܟܘܢ	ܠܫܢܝܟܘܢ
2nd f. pl. (your)	ܠܫܢܟܝܢ	ܠܫܢܝܟܝܢ
3rd m. pl. (their)	ܠܫܢܗܘܢ	ܠܫܢܝܗܘܢ
3rd f. pl. (their)	ܠܫܢܗܝܢ	ܠܫܢܝܗܝܢ

References

• “lšn”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–, retrieved 2011-11-04
• Costaz, Louis (2002) Dictionnaire syriaque-français ∙ Syriac–English Dictionary ∙ قاموس سرياني-عربي, 3rd edition, Beirut: Dar El-Machreq, page 174b
• Payne Smith, Jessie (1903) A Compendious Syriac Dictionary Founded Upon the Thesaurus Syriacus of R. Payne Smith, D.D., Oxford: Clarendon Press, page 245a-b
• 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, page 698a-b