ܨܝܢܐܝܬ

Assyrian Neo-Aramaic

Alternative forms

• ܟ̰ܝܼܢܵܐܝܼܬ (čīnāˀīt)

Etymology

From ܨܝܼܢܵܝܵܐ (ṣīnāyā, “Chinese”) +‎ -ܐܝܼܬ݂ (-ʾīṯ, the language suffix)

Pronunciation

• (standard) IPA^(key): [sˤiːnɑːʔiθː]

Proper noun

ܨܝܼܢܵܐܝܼܬ݂ • (ṣīnāˀīṯ) m

1. Chinese, the Chinese languages taken collectively.

   ܠܸܫܵܢܵܐ ܝܲܬܝܼܪ ܥܲܡܡܵܝܵܐ ܬܹܒ݂ܹܝܠܵܐܝܼܬ݂ ܝܼܠܹܗ ܨܝܼܢܵܐܝܼܬ݂ ܥܲܡ ܝܲܬܝܼܪ ܡ̣ܢ ܡܸܠܝܵܪܕ݇ ܡܲܠܵܠܹ̈ܐ.

   liššānā yatīr ˁammāyā tēḇēlāˀīṯ īlēh ṣīnāˀīṯ ˁam yatīr min milyār mallālē.

   The most widely spoken language globally is Chinese with over a billion speakers.

Usage notes

Although ܟ̰ܝܼܢܵܐܝܼܬ݂ (čīnāˀīṯ) is the most common form in the spoken language, there is a push for ܨܝܼܢܵܐܝܼܬ݂ (ṣīnāˀīṯ) to be used more often, especially in writing. Due to it being ambiguous with ܟܝܵܢܵܐܝܼܬ݂ (kyānāˀīṯ, “naturally”) in unvocalised writing.