ܩܛܘ

Assyrian Neo-Aramaic

ܩܛܘ

Etymology

From an indeterminate source. Compare Classical Syriac ܩܛܐ (qaṭṭā), Arabic قِطّ (qiṭṭ), Old Armenian կատու (katu), Byzantine Greek κάττα (kátta), Russian кот (kot), Basque katu and English cat.

Pronunciation

• (standard) IPA^(key): [qɑːtˤoː]

Noun

ܩܵܛܘܿ • (qāṭō) f sg (plural ܩܵܛܘܵܬܹ̈ܐ (qāṭwātē))

1. cat

   Synonym: ܫܘܼܢܵܪܵܐ (šunnārā)

   ܗܘܼܡܙܸܡ ܠܲܢ ܒܘܼܬ ܩܵܛܘܿ، ܘܐ݇ܬܹܐ ܠܵܗ̇ ― humzim lan būt qāṭō, w-tē lāh ― speak of the devil (literally, “we spoke about the cat and she came”)

   ܐܙܝܼܠܬܵܐ ܝܠܵܗ̇ ܩܵܛܘܿ، ܘܒܸܬ ܪܵܩܕܝܼ ܥܲܩܘܼܒܪܹ̈ܐ ― zīltā ìlāh qāṭō, w-bit rāqdī ˁaqubrē ― when the cat’s away, the mice will play

   ܫܒ݂ܘܿܩ ܚܕܵܐ ܩܵܛܘܿ ܚܵܠܒ݂ܵܐ ܠܘܼܟ݂، ܠܵܐ ܚܕܵܐ ܡܵܬ݂ܵܐ ܝܵܗ݇ܒ݂ܵܐ ܠܘܼܟ݂

   šḇōq ḥdā qāṭō ḥālḇā lūḵ, lā ḥdā māṯā yāḇā lūḵ

   it is always better to live with what you have instead of depending on others

   (literally, “let a cat provide you with milk, not a village give it to you”)

Usage notes

While the word is normally considered feminine, it may occasionally be masculine when specifically referring to a male.

Inflection

Inflection of ܩܵܛܘܿ (qāṭō)

number	isolated forms		with possessive pronouns
	state	form	person	singular		plural
				m	f
singular	absolute	–	1st person	ܩܵܛܝܼ (qāṭī)		ܩܵܛܘܲܢ (qāṭwan)
	construct	–	2nd person	ܩܵܛܘܼܟ݂ (qāṭūḵ)	ܩܵܛܵܟ݂ܝ (qāṭāḵ)	ܩܵܛܵܘܟ݂ܘܿܢ (qāṭāwḵōn)
	emphatic	ܩܵܛܘܿ (qāṭō)	3rd person	ܩܵܛܘܼܗܝ (qāṭūh)	ܩܵܛܘܿܗ̇ (qāṭōh)	ܩܵܛܗܘܿܢ (qāṭhōn)
plural	absolute	–	1st person	ܩܵܛܘܵܬܝܼ̈ (qāṭwātī)		ܩܵܛܘܵܬܲܢ̈ (qāṭwātan)
	construct	–	2nd person	ܩܵܛܘܵܬܘܼ̈ܟ݂ (qāṭwātūḵ)	ܩܵܛܘܵܬܵܟ݂ܝ̈ (qāṭwātāḵ)	ܩܵܛܘܵܬܵܘ̈ܟ݂ܘܿܢ (qāṭwātāwḵōn)
	emphatic	ܩܵܛܘܵܬܹ̈ܐ (qāṭwātē)	3rd person	ܩܵܛܘܵܬܘܼ̈ܗܝ (qāṭwātūh)	ܩܵܛܘܵܬ̈ܘܿܗ̇ (qāṭwātōh)	ܩܵܛܘܵܬܗ̈ܘܿܢ (qāṭwāthōn)

Synonyms

• ܫܘܼܢܵܪܵܐ (šunnārā) (rare, formal)

Derived terms

• ܩܵܛܘܿܢܵܐ (qāṭōnā, “kitten”)

Classical Syriac

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [qatˤtˤu]

Noun

ܩܛܘ • (transliteration needed) c (plural ܩܛܘܬܐ or ܩܛܐ)

1. Alternative form of ܩܛܐ