ܢܘܢܐ

Assyrian Neo-Aramaic

ܢܘܢܐ

Etymology

Inherited from Aramaic נוּנָא (nūnā, “fish”), also in Mandaic ࡍࡅࡍࡀ (nunā, "fish") from or a borrowing akin to Akkadian 𒄩 (nūnum); compare also Hebrew נוּן (nun) and Phoenician 𐤍𐤅𐤍 (nwn) Doublet of ܢܘܼܢ (nūn).

Pronunciation

• (Standard) IPA^(key): [nuːnɑː]

Noun

ܢܘܼܢܵܐ • (nūnā) m (plural ܢܘܼܢܹ̈ܐ (nūnē), feminine ܢܘܼܢܬܵܐ (nuntā))

1. (countable) fish (a typically cold-blooded vertebrate animal that lives in water, moving with the help of fins and breathing with gills)

Inflection

Inflection of ܢܘܼܢܵܐ

	isolated forms			with possessive pronouns
	state	form		person	singular		plural
					m	f
singular	absolute	ܢܘܼܢ (nūn)		1st person	ܢܘܼܢܝܼ (nūnī)		ܢܘܼܢܲܢ (nūnan)
	construct	ܢܘܼܢ (nūn)		2nd person	ܢܘܼܢܘܼܟ݂ (nūnōḵ)	ܢܘܼܢܵܟ݂ܝ (nūnāḵ)	ܢܘܼܢܲܘܟ݂ܘܿܢ (nūnawḵōn)
	emphatic	ܢܘܼܢܵܐ (nūnā)		3rd person	ܢܘܼܢܹܗ (nūnēh)	ܢܘܼܢܵܗ̇ (nūnāh)	ܢܘܼܢܗܘܿܢ (nunhōn)
plural	absolute	ܢܘܼܢܝܼ̈ܢ (nūnīn)		1st person	ܢܘܼܢܝܼ̈ (nūnī)		ܢܘܼܢܲܢ̈ (nūnan)
	construct	ܢܘܼܢܲܝ̈ (nūnay)		2nd person	ܢܘܼܢܘܼ̈ܟ݂ (nūnōḵ)	ܢܘܼܢܵܟ݂ܝ̈ (nūnāḵ)	ܢܘܼܢܲܘ̈ܟ݂ܘܿܢ (nūnawḵōn)
	emphatic	ܢܘܼܢܹ̈ܐ (nūnē)		3rd person	ܢܘܼܢܘܼ̈ܗܝ (nūnūh)	ܢܘܼܢܘܼ̈ܗ̇ (nūnōh)	ܢܘܼܢܲܝ̈ܗܘܿܢ (nūnayhōn)

Derived terms

• ܢܘܼܢ ܟܲܠܒܵܐ (nūn kalbā, “tadpole”)
• ܢܘܼܢ ܣܲܝܦܵܐ (nūn saypā, “swordfish”)
• ܢܘܼܢܵܐ ܪܲܒܵܐ (nūnā rabbā, literally “big fish”)
• ܥܹܝܢ ܢܘܼܢܹ̈ܐ (ˁēn nūnē, “Ein Nune”)
• ܫܵܠܹܐ ܢܘܼܢܹ̈ܐ (šālē nūnē, “kingfisher”)

Proper noun

ܢܘܼܢܹ̈ܐ • (nūnē) m pl

1. (astrology, astronomy, in the plural) Pisces (constellation and zodiac sign)

Coordinate terms

Zodiac signs in Assyrian Neo-Aramaic · ܡܲܠܘܵܫܹ̈ܐ (malwāšē) (layout · text)
ܐܸܡܪܵܐ (imrā)	ܬܲܘܪܵܐ (tawrā)	ܬܐܵܡܹ̈ܐ (tˀāmē)	ܣܲܪܛܵܢܵܐ (sarṭānā)
ܐܲܪܝܵܐ (aryā)	ܒܬ݂ܘܼܠܬܵܐ (bṯultā)	ܡܲܣܵܐ̈ܬ݂ܵܐ (massāṯā)	ܥܵܩܸܪܒ݂ܵܐ (ˁāqirḇā)
ܩܲܫܵܬ݂ܵܐ (qaššāṯā)	ܓܲܕ݂ܝܵܐ (gaḏyā)	ܕܲܘܠܵܐ (dawlā)	ܢܘܼܢܹ̈ܐ (nūnē)

Classical Syriac

Alternative forms

• נונא

Etymology

ܢܘܢ̈ܐ

To Leonid Kogan, due to the unstableness of fish terms in Semitic and rareness of isoglosses between Akkadian and Syriac, the possibility of a borrowing of this from Akkadian 𒄩 (nūnum) is appealing. The same sign as for the Akkadian word is also used with similar sound values in fish names in Sumerian. See also Hebrew נוּן (nūn) and Phoenician 𐤍𐤅𐤍 (nwn).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [nunɑ] (singular)
• IPA^(key): [nune] (plural)

Noun

ܢܘܢܐ • (nūnā) m (plural ܢܘܢܐ)

1. fish

Inflection

Inflection of ܢܘܢܐ

	isolated forms			with possessive pronouns
	state	form		person	singular		plural
					m	f	m	f
singular	absolute	ܢܘܢ		1st person	ܢܘܢܝ		ܢܘܢܢ
	construct	ܢܘܢ		2nd person	ܢܘܢܟ	ܢܘܢܟܝ	ܢܘܢܟܘܢ	ܢܘܢܟܝܢ
	emphatic	ܢܘܢܐ		3rd person	ܢܘܢܗ	ܢܘܢܗ	ܢܘܢܗܘܢ	ܢܘܢܗܝܢ
plural	absolute	ܢܘܢܝܢ		1st person	ܢܘܢܝ		ܢܘܢܝܢ
	construct	ܢܘܢܝ		2nd person	ܢܘܢܝܟ	ܢܘܢܝܟܝ	ܢܘܢܝܟܘܢ	ܢܘܢܝܟܝܢ
	emphatic	ܢܘܢܐ		3rd person	ܢܘܢܘܗܝ	ܢܘܢܝܗ	ܢܘܢܝܗܘܢ	ܢܘܢܝܗܝܢ

Derived terms

• ܢܘܢܘܣܐ

Descendants

• Arabic: نُون (nūn)

Proper noun

ܢܘܢܐ • (nūnē) m

1. (astrology, astronomy, in the plural) Pisces (constellation and zodiac sign)

References

• “nwn”, 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, page 200a
• Kogan, Leonid (2015), Genealogical Classification of Semitic. The Lexical Isoglosses, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, →ISBN, page 274
• Payne Smith, Jessie (1903), A Compendious Syriac Dictionary Founded Upon the Thesaurus Syriacus of R. Payne Smith, D.D., Oxford: Clarendon Press, page 333a
• 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, →ISBN, page 900b
• H5125 in Strong, James (1979), Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible