ܒܟܬܐ

Assyrian Neo-Aramaic

Displace the older ܐܲܢ݇ܬܬ݂ܵܐ (atṯā) and of disputed etymology:

Probably derived from *ܒܵܟ݂ܬܵܐ (bāḵtā), the absolute form of *ܒܵܟ݂ܸܬ݂ܬܵܐ (bāḵiṯtā, “spinster, weaving woman”), which already had the meaning of working woman in the 5th century as documented in Classical Syriac.^[1] Found also in Lishana Deni בַּכתָּא (baxta) and Neo-Mandaic [Term?].
Alternatively suggested to be a borrowing from Persian (baxt, “luck”) or Northern Kurdish [script needed] (baxt, “honor”).

ܒܲܟ݂ܬܵܐ • (baḵtā) f (plural ܒܲܟ݂̈ܬܵܬ݂ܵܐ (baḵtāṯā) or ܢܸܫܹ̈ܐ (niššē), masculine ܓܲܒ݂ܪܵܐ (gaḇrā))

woman (adult human female)
- Proverbs 11:16:
  ܒܲܟ݂ܬܵܐ ܡܵܪܲܬ݂ ܛܲܝܒܘܼܬ݂ܵܐ ܟܹܐ ܕܵܒ݂ܩܵܐ ܐܝܼܩܵܪܵܐ، ܐܝܼܢܵܐ ܓܲܒ݂ܪܹ̈ܐ ܥܲܫܝܼ̈ܢܹܐ ܟܹܐ ܕܵܒ݂ܩܝܼ ܥܘܼܬ݂ܪܵܐ.
  baḵtā māraṯ ṭaybūṯā kē dāḇqā īqārā, īnā gaḇrē ˁašīnē kē dāḇqī ˁuṯrā.
  A gracious woman retains honour, But ruthless men retain riches.
- 1 Corinthians 11:11:
  ܡܸܛܠ ܕܵܐܟ݂ܝܼ ܕܒܲܟ݂ܬܵܐ ܐ݇ܬ݂ܹܐ ܠܵܗ̇ ܡ̣ܢ ܓܲܒ݂ܪܵܐ، ܗܵܕܟ݂ܵܐ ܐܵܦ ܓܲܒ݂ܪܵܐ ܗܸܘܝܵܐ ܝܠܹܗ ܡ̣ܢ ܒܲܟ݂ܬܵܐ؛ ܐܝܼܢܵܐ ܟܠ ܡܸܢܕܝܼ ܡ̣ܢ ܐܲܠܵܗܵܐ ܝܠܹܗ.
  miṭṭul dāḵī d-baḵtā ṯē lāh min gaḇrā, hādḵā āp gaḇrā hiwyā ìlēh min baḵtā; īnā kul mindī min allāhā ìlēh.
  For as woman came from man, even so man also comes from woman; but all things are from God.
wife (female spouse)
- Proverbs 18:22:
  ܗ̇ܘ ܕܡܲܫ݇ܟ̰ܸܚ ܒܲܟ݂ܬܵܐ ܟܹܐ ܡܲܫ݇ܟ̰ܸܚ ܛܵܒ݂ܬܵܐ، ܘܟܹܐ ܡܦܲܠܸܛ ܒܵܣܝܼܡܘܼܬ݂ܵܐ ܡ̣ܢ ܡܵܪܝܵܐ.
  awa d-mačiḥ baḵtā kē mačiḥ ṭāḇtā, w-kē mpalliṭ bāsīmūṯā min māryā.
  He who finds a wife finds a good thing, And obtains favour from the Lord.

It is traditionally disrespectful and immodest for a husband to refer to his wife with this word, instead, he will use ܒܪܵܬ ܚܸܡܝܵܢ̈ܝܼ (brāt ḥimyānī, literally “the daughter of my parents-in-law”).
Although this word has displaced the word ܐܲܢ݇ܬܬ݂ܵܐ (atṯā), its plural ܢܸܫܹ̈ܐ (niššē) is still the common plural in some dialects and used in formal context unlike ܒܲܟ݂̈ܬܵܬ݂ܵܐ (baḵtāṯā).