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Middle Semitic/Morphophonology
- Three numbers: singular and plural, with duals only for body parts, glasses, pants. The dual is frozen, and not productive.
- SVO word order, though others are possible with clefting or in questions.
- No case marking
- Two genders
- Two states - regular and construct. Construct is frozen, not productive. The genitive clitic (cp. English ‘’of’’) is dal - ܕܠ[1]
- Definiteness can only be achieved through proper nouns or the definite article ܗܠ (hal)[2]. No indefinite article.
- ܗ (ha) is the sentence initial, polar question particle[3]
- No pausal forms
- Adjectives
- Agree in number, gender, (and state) with their head
- Elatives are uninflected
- No agreement for copulative clause
- Only one, uninflecting relative pronoun ܠܝܕ (lîd) [4]
Notice that we do not maintain the gender distinction in the second person plural.
Nouns
Nouns come in three declensions:
- masculine,
- true feminine (f2 below), and
- feminine-appearing-masculine-in-the-singular (f1 below).
| singular | dual | plural | |
|---|---|---|---|
| masculine | ܡܰܠܟܰܐ MvLKâ ܡܠܟܐ | ܡܰܠܟܺܝܡ MvLKîm ܡܠܟܝܡ | ܡܰܠܟܽܝܢ MvLKîn ܡܠܟܝܢ |
| construct | ܡܰܠܱܟ MvLaK ܡܠܟ | ܡܰܠܟܺܝ MvLKî ܡܠܟܝ | |
| crypto-feminine | ܡܰܠܟܰܐ MvLKâ ܡܠܟܐ | ܡܰܠܟܺܝܡ MvLKîm ܡܠܟܝܡ | ܡܰܠܟܽܬ MvLKût ܡܠܟܘܬ |
| construct | ܡܰܠܟܰܬ MvLKat ܡܠܟܬ | ܡܰܠܟܽܘ MvLKû ܡܠܟܘ | |
| (true) feminine | ܡܰܠܟܰܬܱܐ MvLKaTâ ܡܠܟܬܐ | ܡܰܠܟܺܝܡ MvLKîm ܡܠܟܝܡ | ܡܰܠܟܽܘܬ MvLKût ܡܠܟܘܬ |
| construct | ܡܰܠܟܰܬ MvLKat ܡܠܟܬ | ܡܰܠܟܽܘ MvLKû ܡܠܟܘ | |
M-L-K is the triliteral root. v might be u, or a, or i (or e or o in foreign-based words). For example, king is malkâ, malkin (construct malak, malkî) and queen is malkatâ, malkut (construct malkat, malkû). earth is ʾarṣâ, ʾarṣut (construct ʾarṣat, ʾarṣû). eye/spring is f1 and exists in the dual: ʿenâ, ʿenim, ʿenut (construct ʿenat, ʿenû)
Adjectives
Unlike nouns, adjectives don't have multiple declensions.
| sg. | pl. | |
|---|---|---|
| M | -â | - în |
| F | -tâ | ût |
Technically, there are construct forms of all of these, but they are not productive.
| sg. | pl. | |
|---|---|---|
| M | -ø | -î |
| F | -(a)t | û |
Pronouns
| sg. | pl. | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | -nî -ܢܝ | -nû -ܢܘ |
| 2 | -kâ m -ܟܐ -kî f -ܟܝ | -kûm -ܟܘܡ |
| 3 | -hû m -ܗܘ -hâ f -ܗܐ | -hûm -ܗܘܡ |
| sg. | pl. | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ܐܢܐ 'anâ | ܐܢܚܢܘ 'anaħnû |
| 2 | ܐܢܬܐ 'antâ m, ܐܢܬܝ 'antîf | ܐܢܬܘܡ 'antûm |
| 3 | ܗܘܐ huwâ m, ܗܝܐ hiyâ f | ܗܘܡ hûm |
The pronouns may seem strange for Indo-Europeans, but are utterly normal for Semitic speakers. There are independent forms which can only serve as the subject of a clause. Another set of forms serves two functions: they attach to verbs to mark direct objects, or they attach to nouns to indicate genitival possession.
Verbs
| Sing. | Pl. | |
|---|---|---|
| 3m | ܡܰܠܱܟ MaLaK ܡܠܟ | ܡܰܠܟܽܘ MaLKû ܡܠܟܘ |
| 3f | ܡܰܠܱܟܰܬ MaLaKat ܡܠܟܬ | |
| 2m | ܡܰܠܱܟܬܱܐ MaLaKtâ ܡܠܟܬܐ | ܡܰܠܱܟܬܾܘܡ MaLaKtûm |
| 2f | ܡܰܠܱܟܬܻܝ MaLaKtî ܡܠܟܬܝ | |
| 1c | ܡܰܠܱܟܬܾܘ MaLaKtû ܡܠܟܬܘ | ܡܰܠܱܟܢܰܐ MaLaKnâ ܡܠܟܢܐ |
| Sing. | Pl. | |
|---|---|---|
| 3m | ܝܰܡܠܱܟ yaMLaK ܝܡܠܟ | ܝܰܡܠܱܟܽܘܢ yaMLaKûn ܝܡܠܟܘܢ |
| 3f | ܬܱܡܠܱܟ taMLaK ܬܡܠܟ | |
| 2m | ܬܱܡܠܱܟܢܰܐ taMLaKnâ ܬܡܠܟܢܐ | |
| 2f | ܬܱܡܠܱܟܺܝ taMLaKî ܬܡܠܟܝ | |
| 1c | ܐܰܡܠܱܟ 'aMLaK ܐܡܠܟ | ܢܰܡܠܱܟ naMLaK ܢܡܠܟ |
- Part. maMLaK- ܡܡܠܟ
- Inf. laMLaK ܠܡܠܟ
- Imp. ܡܠܟ
Only indicative and imperative moods
no productive causative
Notes
- ^ a combination of Aramaic '’d-, and Western Arabics dyal’’
- ^ Graciously lifted from Semitish - http://palisra.com - by Nizar Habash, with permission
- ^ From Hebrew הַ, האם; Egyptian هل (hal) ; MSA أَ
- ^ From Maltese li, Aramaic ܕ, Levantine/Egyptian اللي, MSA ٱلَّذِي
