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Middle Semitic
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| Middle Semitic | |
|---|---|
| ܫܡܥ ܡܪܟܙ | |
 | |
| Writing | w:Syriac alphabet |
| Region: | w:Arab world |
| Genders: | 2 |
| Cases: | 0 |
| Alignment | Nominative-Accusative |
| Proto-language: | w:Proto-Semitic language |
| Typology: | Fusional |
| Word-Order | SVO |
| Languages: | w:Maghrebi Arabic, |
| Population: | 290 million |
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Africa: SEDES • Middle Semitic • Kintu • Guosa Central Asia: Jalpi • Caucas • Zens • Dravindian • Neo-Sanskrit Europe: Intralingua • Folksprak • Interslavic • Balkan • Samboka Far East: Dan'a'yo • IM • MSEAL | |
Anthropology
Jews, Muslims, and Christians get an equal vote, though most aspects are created logically, and not derivationally. Whenever possible, the many dialects of Arabic are consulted, as well as modern Israeli.
Phonology
22 consonant, 5 vowels. The sounds, n IPA, with spirantization listed as allophones: a, b~β, d~ð, e, g~ɣ, h, ħ, i, j, k~x, l, m, n, o, p~ɸ, q, r, s, s', ʃ, t, t', u, w, z, ʔ, ʕ
Orthography
There is not an exact middle between all the languages. A compromise position is needed at every turn. Neo-Aramaic is the best "middle ground". (RTL) ʾalap, bet, gamal, dalat, he, wo, zen, ḥe, ṭet, yod, kap, lamad, mim, nun, samkat, ʿe, pe, ṣade, qop, reš, šin, to.
Morphophonology
Pronouns comes in full and cliticized forms. Verbs conjugate for person, number, gender, mood, voice, and stem. The dual is only used in certain cases. Adjectives inflect for number, state, and gender.
Morphosyntax
Word-order is SVO and without case, this is rather strictly enforced. Pro-drop is common due to verbal inflection.
Copula
As in all Semitic languages, copulas very mixed. The shortest summary is this table:
| Past | Non-Past | |
|---|---|---|
| Existence | ܗܘ hô (copula) | ܝܫ (particle) |
| Equality | ܟܘܢ kôn (copula) | ܗܘܐ or ܗܝܐ or ܗܘܡ (pronouns) |
Prepositions
There are eight "small" prepositions which "conjugate". All other 'prepositions' are actually nouns in the construct state.
| 1cs | 2ms | 2fs | 3ms | 3fs | 1cp | 2cp | 3cp | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ܦ/fi | ܦܢܝ in me | ܦܟܐ in you | ܦܟܝ in you | ܦܗܘ in him | ܦܗܐ in her | ܦܢܘ in us | ܦܟܡ in y'all | ܦܗܡ in them |
| ܒ/bi | ܒܢܝ on me | ܒܟܐ on you | ܒܟܝ on you | ܒܗܘ on him | ܒܗܐ on her | ܒܢܘ on us | ܒܟܡ on y'all | ܒܗܡ on them |
| ܠ/li | ܠܢܝ for me | ܠܟܐ for you | ܠܟܝ for you | ܠܗܘ for him | ܠܗܐ for her | ܠܢܘ for us | ܠܟܡ for y'all | ܠܗܡ for them |
| ܥܠ/`al | ܥܠܢܝ upon me | ܥܠܟܐ upon you | ܥܠܟܝ upon you | ܥܠܗܘ upon him | ܥܠܗܐ upon her | ܥܠܢܘ upon us | ܥܠܟܡ upon y'all | ܥܠܗܡ upon them |
| ܥܡ/`im | ܥܡܢܝ with me | ܥܡܟܐ with you | ܥܡܟܝ with you | ܥܡܗܘ with him | ܥܡܗܐ with her | ܥܡܢܘ with us | ܥܡܟܡ with y'all | ܥܡܗܡ with them |
| ܡܢ/min | ܡܢܢܝ from me | ܡܢܟܐ from you | ܡܢܟܝ from you | ܡܢܗܘ from him | ܡܢܗܐ from her | ܡܢܢܘ from us | ܡܢܟܡ from y'all | ܡܢܗܡ from them |
| ܟ/ki | ܟܢܝ like me | ܟܟܐ like you | ܟܟܝ like you | ܟܗܘ like him | ܟܗܐ like her | ܟܢܘ like us | ܟܟܡ like y'all | ܟܗܡ like them |
| ܒܝܢ/bên | ܒܝܢܢܝ between me | ܒܝܢܟܐ between you | ܒܝܢܟܝ between you | ܒܝܢܗܘ between him | ܒܝܢܗܐ between her | ܒܝܢܢܘ between us | ܒܝܢܟܡ between y'all | ܒܝܢܗܡ between them |
Lexicography
For a comparative Swadesh list see Middle Semitic/Swadesh
Google Sheet of current lexicon
Texts
Shahada
| Arabic | Middle Semitic |
|---|---|
| أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّٰهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ ٱللَّٰهِ | ܐܫܗܕ ܐܢ ܠܐ ܝܫ ܐܝܠܗܐ ܐܝܠܠܐ ܗܠ ܐܠܠܗ، ܘܐܫܗܕ ܐܢ ܡܚܡܡܕ ܗܘ ܪܣܘܠ ܗܠ ܐܠܠܗ |
| aš-ha-du ʾan lā ʾi-lā-ha ʾil-lā ʾal-lāh wa-ʾaš-ha-du ʾan-na mu-ḥam-ma-dan ra-sū-lul-lāh | aš-had an la yiš el-ha el-la hal al-lah, waš-had an mu-ḥam-mad ho ra-sul hal al-lah |
| I testify that there is no god except Allah, and I testify that Mohammad is the messenger of Allah. | |
Shema
| Hebrew | Middle Semitic |
|---|---|
| שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ יְהוָה אֶחָד | ܣܡܥ ܐܘ ܐܣܪܐܝܠ ܐܕܘܢܝ ܗܘ ܐܝܠܗܐܢܘ، ܐܕܘܢܝ ܗܘ ܘܚܕ |
| šəmaʿ Yisrāʾēl Adonai ʾĕlōhênû Adonai ʾeḥād | smaʿ ô isrâ'êl, adônî hô êlhanû, adônî hô waḥad |
Jesus Prayer
| Greek | Middle Semitic |
|---|---|
| Κύριε Ἰησοῦ Χριστέ, Υἱὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἐλέησόν με τὸν ἁμαρτωλόν. | ܪܒܒܐ ܝܣܘܥ ܡܣܝܚ، ܒܝܢ ܗܠ ܐܝܠܗܐ، ܪܚܡ ܥܠܢܝ ܗܠ ܚܛܝܐܢܐ |
| Kýrie Iēsoû Christé, Huie toû Theoû, eléēson me tòn hamartōlón. | rabbâ yisûʿ masîḥ, bên hal 'êlha, rḥam ʿalnî hal ḥaṭiyânâ. |
| Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, be merciful to me, a sinner. | |
Bibliography
