ܐܠܐ

Assyrian Neo-Aramaic

Etymology

A contraction of ܐܸܢ (in, “if”) +‎ ܠܵܐ (lā, “not”); cognate with Hebrew אֶלָּא (elá), Arabic إِلَّا (ʔillā), Ge'ez አላ (ʾälla).

Pronunciation

• (standard) IPA^(key): [ʔɪllaː]

Conjunction

ܐܸܠܵܐ • (illā)

1. used to indicate a sole option; necessity; only, must, have to, must be, etc.

   ܐܸܠܵܐ ܗ̇ܘ ܟܹܐ ܒܵܥܹܝܢ! ― illā awa kē bāˁēn! ― It is only him who I want!

   ܐܸܠܵܐ ܝܠܹܗ ܗ̇ܘ ܓܢܝܼܒ݂ܵܗ̇! ― illā ìlēh awa gnīḇāh! ― It must be that he has robbed her!

   ܐܸܠܵܐ ܐܵܡܪܵܬܝ ܠܹܗ؟ ― illā āmrāt lēh? ― Do you have to tell him?; Is it necessary you have to tell him?

   ܐܸܠܵܐ ܗ̇ܝ ܐ݇ܬ݂ܹܐ ܠܵܗ̇ ܐܸܠܲܢ؟ ― illā aya ṯē lāh illan? ― Did it have to be her who came? (asked rhetorically)

   ܐܸܠܵܐ ܗ̇ܝ ܐ݇ܬ݂ܹܐ ܠܵܗ̇ ܐܸܠܲܢ. ― illā aya ṯē lāh illan. ― It just had to be her who came.

   ܐܸܠܵܐ ܥܵܒ݂ܕ݂ܹܬ ܠܹܗ ― illā ˁāḇḏēt lēh ― You must do it.

   ܐܸܠܵܐ ܕܥܵܒ݂ܕ݂ܹܬ ܠܹܗ ― illā dˁāḇḏēt lēh ― Not unless you do it.

2. but rather, instead, but, except

   ܠܲܝܬ ܗ݇ܘܵܐ ܠܲܢ ܓܸܒ݂ܝܵܐ ܐܸܠܵܐ ܕܡܲܚܒܸܪܲܚ ܠܹܗ ܫܘܼܪܛܵܐ.

   layt wā lan giḇyā illā d-maḥbirraḥ lēh šurṭā.

   We had no choice but to call the police.

   ܗ̇ܝ ܠܹܐ ܝܠܵܗ̇ ܒܲܠܚܘܿܕ ܥܲܠ ܬܵܘܕܝܼܬܵܐ ܐܸܠܵܐ ܡܲܪܕܘܼܬܵܐ ܘܬܲܫܥܝܼܬܵܐ

   aya lē ìlāh balḥōd ˁal tāwdītā illā mardūtā w-tašˁītā

   This isn’t only about religion but culture and history.

   • Matthew 6:13:

     ܠܵܐ ܡܲܥܒ݂ܸܪܸܬ ܠܲܢ ܒܢܸܣܝܘܿܢܵܐ، ܐܸܠܵܐ ܦܲܨܝܼ ܠܲܢ ܡ̣ܢ ܒܝܼܫܵܐ

     lā maˁḇirrit lan b-nisyōnā, illā paṣī lan min bīšā

     Do not lead us into temptation, but (rather) deliver us from evil.

3. unless

   ܠܵܐ ܟܹܐ ܝܵܗ݇ܒ݂ܹܢ ܠܹܗ ܠܵܗ̇ ܐܸܠܵܐ ܕܐܵܡܹܪ ܠܝܼ ܒܒܵܥܘܼ

   lā kē yāḇēn lēh lāh illā d-āmēr lī bbāˁū

   I won’t give it to him unless he says please.

4. or else, otherwise

   ܙܹܠ݇ ܐܵܕܝܼܵܐ، ܐܸܠܵܐ ܒܸܬ ܗܵܘܹܝܬ ܡܫܵܘܚܪܵܐ ܩܵܐ ܬܦܵܩܬܵܐ.

   zē ādīyā, illā bit hāwēt mšāwḥrā qā tpāqtā.

   Go now, or else you will be late for the meeting.

5. and so

   ܡܛܹܐ ܠܝܼ ܠܡܵܬ݂ܵܐ. ܐܸܠܵܐ ܥܒ݂ܝܼܪ ܠܝܼ ܘܟܸܡ ܚܵܙܹܝܢ ܠܹܗ

   mṭē lī l-māṯā. illā ˁḇīr lī w-kim ḥāzēn lēh

   I reached the village. And so I entered and then I saw him.

6. but then

   ܝܼܘܸܢ ܗ݇ܘܵܐ ܙܲܒ݂ܵܢܹܗ، ܐܸܠܵܐ ܚܙܹܐ ܠܝܼ ܟܡܵܐ ܣܲܓܝܼ ܕ̈ܡܲܝܵܐ ܝܠܹܗ!

   īwen wā zaḇānēh, illā ḥzē lī kmā sagī dmayyā ìlēh!

   I was going to buy it, but then I saw how expensive it is!

7. so, then

   ܐܸܠܵܐ ܠܵܐ ܥܵܒ݂ܕܸܬ ܗܵܕܲܟ݂ ― illā lā ˁāḇdit hādaḵ ― So don’t do that!

8. used to express sympathy or resolution after a resolution

   ܐܸܠܵܐ، ܠܵܐ ܟܸܡ ܐܵܡܪܵܢ ܠܵܟ݂ܝ ܠܵܐ ܥܵܒ݂ܕ݂ܵܬܝ ܗܵܕܲܟ݂؟ ― illā, lā kim āmrān lāḵ lā ˁāḇḏāt hādaḵ? ― Illa, didn’t I tell you to not do this?

   ܐܸܠܵܐ، ܠܵܐ ܝܠܹܗ ܗܵܕܲܟ݂؟ ― illā, lā ìlēh hādaḵ? ― Illa, isn’t it so?

Derived terms

• ܐܸܠܵܐ ܕ- (illā d-, “not unless, only if”)

Classical Syriac

Etymology

A contraction of ܐܢ (ʾen, “if”) +‎ ܠܐ (lā, “not”); cognate with Hebrew אֶלָּא (ʾellâ), Arabic إِلَّا (ʔillā), Ge'ez አላ (ʾälla).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Edessan) IPA^(key): [ˈʔɛl.lɑ]
• (Eastern Syriac) IPA^(key): [ˈʔɪl.lɑ]
• (Western Syriac) IPA^(key): [ˈʔe.lo]

Conjunction

ܐܠܐ • (ʾellā)

1. if not, unless, except, but, however, although, only, yet

Derived terms

• ܐܠܐ ܐܢ (ʾellā ʾen)
• -ܐܠܐ ܕ (ʾellā ḏə-)
• -ܐܠܐ ܘ (ʾellā wə-)
• -ܐܠܐ ܠ (ʾellā lə-)
• ܘܐܠܐ (wə-ʾellā)

 

References

• “ˀlˀ”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–, retrieved 2021-07-04
• Costaz, Louis (2002) Dictionnaire syriaque-français ∙ Syriac–English Dictionary ∙ قاموس سرياني-عربي, 3rd edition, Beirut: Dar El-Machreq, page 10a
• Payne Smith, Jessie (1903) A Compendious Syriac Dictionary Founded Upon the Thesaurus Syriacus of R. Payne Smith, D.D., Oxford: Clarendon Press, page 17a
• 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 46b