ܠ-

Assyrian Neo-Aramaic

Etymology

Ultimately merged from Proto-Semitic *lV- (“for, to”) + *ʔila (“towards, nigh”); cognate with Hebrew ל־ (lə-), אֶל (el), Arabic لِـ (li-), إِلَى (ʔilā) and Akkadian 𒀀𒈾 (ana).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [l(ə)-]
• IPA^(key): [ʔɪl-] (at starting speech)

Preposition

ܠ- • (l-)

1. to, towards; indicating a destination or end-point
   1. Indicating the destination of movement

      ܒܫܵܒ݂ܘܿܥܵܐ ܕܥܒ݂ܝܼܪܹܗ ܐ݇ܙܝܼܠ ܠܝܼ ܠܢܝܼܢܘܹܐ. ― b-šāḇōˁā dˁḇīrēh zīl lī lnīnwē. ― Last week I went to Nineveh.

      ܫܵܥܲܬ݂ ܟܡܵܐ ܒܸܬ ܡܵܛܲܚ ܠܡܕܝܼܢ݇ܬܵܐ؟ ― šāˁaṯ kmā bit māṭaḥ lmdītā? ― What time will we get to the city?

2. to, for; corresponding to an English indirect object or a Latin dative
   1. Indicating the recipient of a transfer

      ܩܵܡ ܝܵܗ݇ܒ݂ܹܠ ܠܵܗ̇ ܡܵܘܗܲܒ݂ܬܵܐ. ― qām yāḇēl lāh māwhaḇtā. ― He gave her a gift.

   2. Indicating the addressee of an utterance

      ܩܵܡ ܐܵܡܪܝܼ ܠܲܢ ܡܘܿܕܝܼ ܗ݇ܘܹܐ ܠܹܗ. ― qām āmrī lan mōdī wē lēh. ― They told us what happened.

   3. Marking the definite direct object; the person or thing affected by an action

      Synonym: ܒ- (b-)

      ܡܘܿܕܝܼ ܒܸܥܒ݂ܵܕܵܐ ܝܬܘܿܢ ܠܬܲܪܥܵܐ؟ ― mōdī biˁḇādā ìtōn ltarˁā? ― What are you doing to the door?

      ܡܲܪܝܲܡ ܐ݇ܟ݂ܝܼܠ ܠܵܗ̇ ܠܚܲܒܘܼܫܵܐ ― Maryam ate an apple.

3. of; indicating a possessor
   1. Used with ܐܝܼܬ (īt) or (for non-possession) ܠܲܝܬ (layt)

      ܐܵܣܝܵܐ ܐܝܼܬ ܠܹܗ ܥܲܝ̈ܢܹܐ ܙܪ̈ܘܿܩܹܐ. ― āsyā īt lēh ˁaynē zrōqē. ― The doctor has blue eyes (literally, “The doctor there is to him blue eyes.”)

      ܠܲܝܬ ܠܘܼܟ݂ ܙܘܼܙܹ̈ܐ؟ ― layt lūḵ zūzē? ― Don't you have money? (literally, “Is there not money to you?”)

   2. Used with a form of ܗܵܘܹܐ (hāwē)

      ܒܸܬ ܗܵܘܹܐ ܠܝܼ ܒܲܝܬܵܐ ܓܘܼܪܵܐ. ― bit hāwē lī baytā gurā. ― I will have a big house (literally, “There will be to me a big house.”)

4. Used with the absolute singular state of the past participle to indicate the preterite past tense

   ܫܡܝܼܥ ܠܝܼ ܩܵܠܵܐ ― šmīˁ lī qālā ― I heard a voice. (literally, “Heard to me a voice.”)

   ܐ݇ܟ݂ܝܼܠ ܠܵܗ̇ ܚܲܒܘܼܫܵܐ ― ḵīl lāh ḥabūšā ― She ate an apple. (literally, “Ate to her an apple.”)

Inflection

• In Assyrian Neo-Aramaic ܠ (“l-”) essentially has two different sets of inflected forms: its own original forms, which are used in indicating indirect objects and most circumstances, as well as the forms originally belonging to ܐܸܠ (il), which are used with indicating direct objects, and words of motion, words of connection, words of relation, and so on.

Inflection of ܠ- (l-)

Original, usual forms ܠ- (l-)				Forms borrowed from ܐܸܠ (il)
Base Form			ܠ- (l-)	Base Form			ܐܸܠ (il)
Personal-pronoun including forms	singular		plural	Personal-pronoun including forms	singular		plural
	m	f			m	f
1st person	ܠܝܼ (lī)		ܠܲܢ (lan)	1st person	ܐܸܠܝܼ (ilī)		ܐܸܠܲܢ (illan)
2nd person	ܠܘܼܟ݂ (lūḵ)	ܠܵܟ݂ܝ (lāḵ)	ܠܵܘܟ݂ܘܿܢ (lāwḵōn)	2nd person	ܐܸܠܘܼܟ݂ (ilūḵ)	ܐܸܠܵܟ݂ܝ (illāḵ)	ܐܸܠܵܘܟ݂ܘܿܢ (illāwḵōn)
3rd person	ܠܹܗ (lēh)	ܠܵܗ̇ (lāh)	ܠܗܘܿܢ (lhōn)	3rd person	ܐܸܠܹܗ (illēh)	ܐܸܠܵܗ̇ (illāh)	ܐܸܠܗܘܿܢ (ilhōn)

Particle

ܠܸ or ܠܹ or ܠ- or ܠܝܼ • (li or lē or l- or lī)

1. to; added to gerunds to form the first part of a to-infinitive

   ܦܬܵܚܵܐ (ptāḥā, “opening”) → ܠܸܦܬܵܚܵܐ (liptāḥā, “to close”)

   ܐ݇ܟ݂ܵܠܵܐ (ḵālā, “eating”) → ܠܹܐ݇ܟ݂ܵܠܵܐ (lēḵālā, “to eat”)

   ܗܲܡܙܘܼܡܹܐ (hamzūmē, “speaking”) → ܠܗܲܡܙܘܼܡܹܐ (l-hamzumē, “to speak”)

Usage notes

• ܠܸ- (li-) undergoes changes if the verb starts with the following:
  • In most pāˁēl verbs, the vowel is zlāmā pšīqā (as in ܠܸܦܬܵܚܵܐ (liptāḥā))
  • In pāˁēl verbs starting with ālap, the vowel is zlāmā qišyā (as in ܠܹܐ݇ܟ݂ܵܠܵܐ (lēḵālā))
  • In pāˁēl verbs starting with yod, the vowel is zlāmā qišyā (as in ܠܝܼܬܵܒ݂ܵܐ (lītāḇā))
    • Sometimes the verb stem undergoes metathesis (as in ܠܸܠܝܵܦܵܐ (lilyāpā))
  • In every other verb stem, there is either a schwa or no vowel, and some dialects drop it altogether. (as in ܠܗܲܡܙܘܼܡܹܐ (l-hamzumē))