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 (aḇā)
number	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

    declension of ܐܒܐ

state	singular	plural
absolute	ܐܒ	ܐܒܗܢ ,ܐܒܗܝܢ
construct	ܐܒ	ܐܒܗܬ ,ܐܒܗܝ
emphatic	ܐܒܐ	ܐܒܗܬܐ ,ܐܒܗܐ
possessive forms
1st c. sg. (my)	ܐܒܝ	ܐܒܗܬܝ ,ܐܒܗܝ
2nd m. sg. (your)	ܐܒܘܟ	ܐܒܗܬܟ ,ܐܒܗܝܟ
2nd f. sg. (your)	ܐܒܘܟܝ	ܐܒܗܬܟܝ ,ܐܒܗܝܟܝ
3rd m. sg. (his)	ܐܒܘܗܝ	ܐܒܗܬܗ ,ܐܒܗܘܗܝ
3rd f. sg. (her)	ܐܒܘܗ	ܐܒܗܬܗ ,ܐܒܗܝܗ
1st c. pl. (our)	ܐܒܘܢ	ܐܒܗܬܢ ,ܐܒܗܝܢ
2nd m. pl. (your)	ܐܒܘܟܘܢ	ܐܒܗܬܟܘܢ ,ܐܒܗܝܟܘܢ
2nd f. pl. (your)	ܐܒܘܟܝܢ	ܐܒܗܬܟܝܢ ,ܐܒܗܝܟܝܢ
3rd m. pl. (their)	ܐܒܘܗܘܢ	ܐܒܗܬܗܘܢ ,ܐܒܗܝܗܘܢ
3rd f. pl. (their)	ܐܒܘܗܝܢ	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

    declension of ܐܒܐ

state	singular	plural
absolute	ܐܒ	ܐܒܢܝܢ ,ܐܒܝܢ
construct	ܐܒ	ܐܒܢܝ ,ܐܒܝ
emphatic	ܐܒܐ	ܐܒܢܐ ,ܐܒܐ
possessive forms
1st c. sg. (my)	ܐܒܝ	ܐܒܢܝ ,ܐܒܝ
2nd m. sg. (your)	ܐܒܟ	ܐܒܢܝܟ ,ܐܒܝܟ
2nd f. sg. (your)	ܐܒܟܝ	ܐܒܢܝܟܝ ,ܐܒܝܟܝ
3rd m. sg. (his)	ܐܒܗ	ܐܒܢܘܗܝ ,ܐܒܘܗܝ
3rd f. sg. (her)	ܐܒܗ	ܐܒܢܝܗ ,ܐܒܝܗ
1st c. pl. (our)	ܐܒܢ	ܐܒܢܝܢ ,ܐܒܝܢ
2nd m. pl. (your)	ܐܒܟܘܢ	ܐܒܢܝܟܘܢ ,ܐܒܝܟܘܢ
2nd f. pl. (your)	ܐܒܟܝܢ	ܐܒܢܝܟܝܢ ,ܐܒܝܟܝܢ
3rd m. pl. (their)	ܐܒܗܘܢ	ܐܒܢܝܗܘܢ ,ܐܒܝܗܘܢ
3rd f. pl. (their)	ܐܒܗܝܢ	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

state	singular	plural
absolute	ܐܒ	ܐܒܝܢ
construct	ܐܒ	ܐܒܝ
emphatic	ܐܒܐ	ܐܒܐ
possessive forms
1st c. sg. (my)	ܐܒܝ	ܐܒܝ
2nd m. sg. (your)	ܐܒܟ	ܐܒܝܟ
2nd f. sg. (your)	ܐܒܟܝ	ܐܒܝܟܝ
3rd m. sg. (his)	ܐܒܗ	ܐܒܘܗܝ
3rd f. sg. (her)	ܐܒܗ	ܐܒܝܗ
1st c. pl. (our)	ܐܒܢ	ܐܒܝܢ
2nd m. pl. (your)	ܐܒܟܘܢ	ܐܒܝܟܘܢ
2nd f. pl. (your)	ܐܒܟܝܢ	ܐܒܝܟܝܢ
3rd m. pl. (their)	ܐܒܗܘܢ	ܐܒܝܗܘܢ
3rd f. pl. (their)	ܐܒܗܝܢ	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