ܐܒܐ

Assyrian Neo-Aramaic

Root
ܐ ܒ ܗ (ˀ b h)
1 term

Etymology

From Aramaic אַבָּא (ʾaḇā), from Proto-Semitic *ʔabw-; compare Arabic أَب (ʔab), Hebrew אָב (áv) and אַבָּא (ába). Doublet of ܒܵܒܵܐ (bābā).

Pronunciation

• (Standard) IPA^(key): [ʔawɑː]
• (Urmia) IPA^(key): [ʔavɑː]

Noun

ܐܲܒ݂ܵܐ • (aḇā) m sg (plural ܐܲܒ݂ܵܗܹ̈ܐ (aḇāhē) or ܐܲܒ݂ܵܗܵܬܹ̈ܐ (aḇāhātē) or ܐ̈ܲܒ݂ܵܬ݂ܵܐ (aḇāṯā), feminine ܝܸܡܵܐ (yimmā))

1. (formal or dated) father (male parent who begets a child)
2. (in the plural) parents
3. (figuratively) forefather, ancestor, progenitor
4. monk, abbot; bishop
5. chief, leader

   Synonym: ܪܹܝܫܵܐ (rēšā)

6. (figuratively) author, originator, founder, inventor

   Synonyms: ܡܵܘܠܕܵܢܵܐ (māwldānā), ܫܲܬܐܸܣܵܢܵܐ (šatˀissānā), ܒܵܪܝܵܢܵܐ (bāryānā)

7. teacher

   Synonym: ܡܲܠܦܵܢܵܐ (malpānā)

Usage notes

• The plural ܐܲܒ݂ܵܗܹ̈ܐ (aḇāhē) is used in literal senses (ie, parents) while the plural ܐܲܒ݂ܵܗܵܬܹ̈ܐ (aḇāhātē) is used in figurative senses (ie. ancestors).

Inflection

Inflection of ܐܲܒ݂ܵܐ

	isolated forms			with possessive pronouns
	state	form		person	singular		plural
					m	f
singular	absolute	ܐܲܒ݂ (aḇ)		1st person	ܐܲܒ݂ܝܼ (aḇī)		ܐܲܒ݂ܘܼܢ (aḇūn)
	construct	ܐܲܒ݂ܘܼ (aḇū)		2nd person	ܐܲܒ݂ܘܼܟ݂ (aḇūḵ)	ܐܲܒ݂ܘܼܟ݂ܝ (aḇūḵ)	ܐܲܒ݂ܵܘܟ݂ܘܿܢ (aḇāwḵōn)
	emphatic	ܐܲܒ݂ܵܐ (aḇā)		3rd person	ܐܲܒ݂ܘܼܗܝ (aḇūh)	ܐܲܒ݂ܘܿܗ̇ (aḇōh)	ܐܲܒ݂ܘܼܗܘܿܢ (aḇūhōn)
plural	absolute	ܐܲܒ݂ܵܗܝܼ̈ܢ (aḇāhīn)		1st person	ܐܲܒ݂ܵܗܝܼ̈ (aḇāhī)		ܐܲܒ݂ܵܗܲܢ̈ (aḇāhan)
	construct	ܐܲܒ݂ܵܗܲܝ̈ (aḇāhay)		2nd person	ܐܲܒ݂ܵܗܘܼ̈ܟ݂ (aḇāhūḵ)	ܐܲܒ݂ܵܗܵܟ݂ܝ̈ (aḇāhāḵ)	ܐܲܒ݂ܵܗܵܘ̈ܟ݂ܘܿܢ (aḇāhāwḵōn)
	emphatic	ܐܲܒ݂ܵܗܹ̈ܐ (aḇāhē)		3rd person	ܐܲܒ݂ܵܗܘܼ̈ܗܝ (aḇāhūh)	ܐܲܒ݂ܵܗ̈ܘܿܗ̇ (aḇāhōh)	ܐܲܒ݂ܵܗܗ̈ܘܿܢ (aḇāhhōn)

Derived terms

• ܐܲܒ݂ܵܗܵܝܵܐ (aḇāhāyā, “parental, fatherly”)
• ܐܲܒ݂ܵܗܘܼܬܵܐ (aḇāhūtā, “parentage, parenthood, paternity, fatherhood”)

Classical Syriac

Etymology 1

From Proto-Semitic *ʔabw-.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ʔăvɑ]

Noun

ܐܒܐ • (ʾăḇāʾ) m (plural ܐܒܗܬܐ or ܐܒܗܐ, singular feminine counterpart ܐܡܐ)

1. father

   Synonym: ܒܒܐ

2. (in the plural) parents
3. (figuratively) forefather, ancestor, progenitor
4. monk, abbot; bishop
5. chief, leader

   Synonym: ܪܝܫܐ

6. (figuratively) author, originator, founder, inventor
7. teacher

   Synonym: ܡܠܦܢܐ

Usage notes

• Usually, the plural ܐܒܗܐ (ʾăḇāhēʾ) is used for literal senses while ܐܒܗܬܐ (ʾăḇāhāṯāʾ) is used for figurative senses.
• The word ܐܒܐ is one of only three nouns in the entire language that have an irregular possessive stem ending in the letter Waw; the other two being ܐܚܐ (ʾăḥāʾ, “brother”) and ܚܡܐ (ḥəmāʾ, “father-in-law”).

Inflection

Inflection of ܐܒܐ

	isolated forms			with possessive pronouns
	state	form		person	singular		plural
					m	f	m	f
singular	absolute	ܐܒ		1st person	ܐܒܝ		ܐܒܘܢ
	construct	ܐܒ		2nd person	ܐܒܘܟ	ܐܒܘܟܝ	ܐܒܘܟܘܢ	ܐܒܘܟܝܢ
	emphatic	ܐܒܐ		3rd person	ܐܒܘܗܝ	ܐܒܘܗ	ܐܒܘܗܘܢ	ܐܒܘܗܝܢ
plural	absolute	ܐܒܗܢ ,ܐܒܗܝܢ		1st person	ܐܒܗܬܝ ,ܐܒܗܝ		ܐܒܗܬܢ ,ܐܒܗܝܢ
	construct	ܐܒܗܬ ,ܐܒܗܝ		2nd person	ܐܒܗܬܟ ,ܐܒܗܝܟ	ܐܒܗܬܟܝ ,ܐܒܗܝܟܝ	ܐܒܗܬܟܘܢ ,ܐܒܗܝܟܘܢ	ܐܒܗܬܟܝܢ ,ܐܒܗܝܟܝܢ
	emphatic	ܐܒܗܬܐ ,ܐܒܗܐ		3rd person	ܐܒܗܬܗ ,ܐܒܗܘܗܝ	ܐܒܗܬܗ ,ܐܒܗܝܗ	ܐܒܗܬܗܘܢ ,ܐܒܗܝܗܘܢ	ܐܒܗܬܗܝܢ ,ܐܒܗܝܗܝܢ

Derived terms

• ܐܒܗܘܬܐ (ʾăḇāhūṯāʾ)
• ܐܒܘܬܐ (ʾăḇūṯāʾ)
• ܐܒܝܐ (ʾăḇāyāʾ)

Descendants

• → Ancient Greek: ἀββα (abba), ἀββά (abbá), ἀββᾶ (abbâ), ἀββᾶς (abbâs)
  • Greek: αββάς (avvás), αβάς (avás)

Etymology 2

Probably from an earlier uncontracted form ܐܢܒܐ (ʾenbāʾ), possibly from Akkadian 𒄧 (inbum). Compare Hebrew אֵב (ʾēḇ).

Alternative forms

• ܐܒܒܐ

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ʔɛbbɑ], [ʔabbɑ] (singular)
• IPA^(key): [ʔɛbbe], [ʔabbe], [ʔɛbbɑne], [ʔabbɑne] (plural)

Noun

ܐܒܐ • (ʾebbāʾ, ʾabbāʾ) m (plural ܐܒܢܐ or ܐܒܐ)

1. produce, fruit, vegetable

Inflection

Inflection of ܐܒܐ

	isolated forms			with possessive pronouns
	state	form		person	singular		plural
					m	f	m	f
singular	absolute	ܐܒ		1st person	ܐܒܝ		ܐܒܢ
	construct	ܐܒ		2nd person	ܐܒܟ	ܐܒܟܝ	ܐܒܟܘܢ	ܐܒܟܝܢ
	emphatic	ܐܒܐ		3rd person	ܐܒܗ	ܐܒܗ	ܐܒܗܘܢ	ܐܒܗܝܢ
plural	absolute	ܐܒܢܝܢ ,ܐܒܝܢ		1st person	ܐܒܢܝ ,ܐܒܝ		ܐܒܢܝܢ ,ܐܒܝܢ
	construct	ܐܒܢܝ ,ܐܒܝ		2nd person	ܐܒܢܝܟ ,ܐܒܝܟ	ܐܒܢܝܟܝ ,ܐܒܝܟܝ	ܐܒܢܝܟܘܢ ,ܐܒܝܟܘܢ	ܐܒܢܝܟܝܢ ,ܐܒܝܟܝܢ
	emphatic	ܐܒܢܐ ,ܐܒܐ		3rd person	ܐܒܢܘܗܝ ,ܐܒܘܗܝ	ܐܒܢܝܗ ,ܐܒܝܗ	ܐܒܢܝܗܘܢ ,ܐܒܝܗܘܢ	ܐܒܢܝܗܝܢ ,ܐܒܝܗܝܢ

Synonyms

• ܝܘܪܩܐ
• ܝܪܩܐ

Etymology 3

A dialect variation of ܥܒܐ (/⁠ʿabbā⁠/, “spiny-tailed lizard”), from Proto-Semitic *ṣ́abb- (“a type of lizard or reptile; creature that cleaves to the ground”). Compare Arabic ضَبّ (ḍabb, “spiny-tailed lizard”) and Hebrew צַב (ṣaḇ, “turtle”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ʔabbɑ] (singular)
• IPA^(key): [ʔabbe] (plural)

Noun

ܐܒܐ • (ʾabbāʾ) m (plural ܐܒܐ)

1. crocodile

Inflection

Inflection of ܐܒܐ

	isolated forms			with possessive pronouns
	state	form		person	singular		plural
					m	f	m	f
singular	absolute	ܐܒ		1st person	ܐܒܝ		ܐܒܢ
	construct	ܐܒ		2nd person	ܐܒܟ	ܐܒܟܝ	ܐܒܟܘܢ	ܐܒܟܝܢ
	emphatic	ܐܒܐ		3rd person	ܐܒܗ	ܐܒܗ	ܐܒܗܘܢ	ܐܒܗܝܢ
plural	absolute	ܐܒܝܢ		1st person	ܐܒܝ		ܐܒܝܢ
	construct	ܐܒܝ		2nd person	ܐܒܝܟ	ܐܒܝܟܝ	ܐܒܝܟܘܢ	ܐܒܝܟܝܢ
	emphatic	ܐܒܐ		3rd person	ܐܒܘܗܝ	ܐܒܝܗ	ܐܒܝܗܘܢ	ܐܒܝܗܝܢ

Synonyms

• ܝܪܠܐ

References

• “ˀb”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–, retrieved 2008-11-10
• Costaz, Louis (2002) Dictionnaire syriaque-français ∙ Syriac–English Dictionary ∙ قاموس سرياني-عربي, 3rd edition, Beirut: Dar El-Machreq, p. 1a
• Payne Smith, Jessie (1903) A Compendious Syriac Dictionary Founded Upon the Thesaurus Syriacus of R. Payne Smith, D.D., Oxford: Clarendon Press, p. 1b-2a
• 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, p. 1