ܣܦܪܐ

Classical Syriac

Etymology 1

Likely borrowed from Akkadian 𒅆𒅁𒀸 (šiprum, “message, report”). Compare Arabic سِفْر (sifr) and Hebrew סֵפֶר (sḗp̄er).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [sɛfrɑ(ʔ)] (singular)
• IPA^(key): [sɛfre(ʔ)] (plural)

Noun

ܣܦܪܐ • (sefrā) m (plural ܣܦܪܐ)

1. writings
2. document, scroll
3. book
4. literature
5. letters, characters
6. speech, language

Inflection

    inflection of ܣܦܪܐ

state	singular	plural
absolute	ܣܦܪ	ܣܦܪܝܢ
construct	ܣܦܪ	ܣܦܪܝ
emphatic	ܣܦܪܐ	ܣܦܪܐ
possessive forms
1st c. sg. (my)	ܣܦܪܝ	ܣܦܪܝ
2nd m. sg. (your)	ܣܦܪܟ	ܣܦܪܝܟ
2nd f. sg. (your)	ܣܦܪܟܝ	ܣܦܪܝܟܝ
3rd m. sg. (his)	ܣܦܪܗ	ܣܦܪܘܗܝ
3rd f. sg. (her)	ܣܦܪܗ	ܣܦܪܝܗ
1st c. pl. (our)	ܣܦܪܢ	ܣܦܪܝܢ
2nd m. pl. (your)	ܣܦܪܟܘܢ	ܣܦܪܝܟܘܢ
2nd f. pl. (your)	ܣܦܪܟܝܢ	ܣܦܪܝܟܝܢ
3rd m. pl. (their)	ܣܦܪܗܘܢ	ܣܦܪܝܗܘܢ
3rd f. pl. (their)	ܣܦܪܗܝܢ	ܣܦܪܝܗܝܢ

Synonyms

• (letters) ܐܬܘܬܐ
• (book, writing) ܟܬܒܐ, ܨܘܪܬܐ
• (language, tongue) ܠܫܢܐ, ܠܥܙܐ

Etymology 2

From the root ܣ-ܦ-ܪ (s-p-r) related to narrating, derived from above. Compare Arabic سَافِر (sāfir) and Hebrew סוֹפֵר (sōp̄ēr).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [sɑfrɑ(ʔ)] (singular)
• IPA^(key): [sɑfre(ʔ)] (plural)

Noun

ܣܦܪܐ • (transliteration needed) m (plural ܣܦܪܐ, singular feminine counterpart ܣܦܪܬܐ)

1. scribe, writer
2. clerk
3. lawyer, notary
4. master, schoolmaster, teacher, doctor
5. one learned in sacred scriptures

Inflection

    inflection of ܣܦܪܐ

state	singular	plural
absolute	ܣܦܪ	ܣܦܪܝܢ
construct	ܣܦܪ	ܣܦܪܝ
emphatic	ܣܦܪܐ	ܣܦܪܐ
possessive forms
1st c. sg. (my)	ܣܦܪܝ	ܣܦܪܝ
2nd m. sg. (your)	ܣܦܪܟ	ܣܦܪܝܟ
2nd f. sg. (your)	ܣܦܪܟܝ	ܣܦܪܝܟܝ
3rd m. sg. (his)	ܣܦܪܗ	ܣܦܪܘܗܝ
3rd f. sg. (her)	ܣܦܪܗ	ܣܦܪܝܗ
1st c. pl. (our)	ܣܦܪܢ	ܣܦܪܝܢ
2nd m. pl. (your)	ܣܦܪܟܘܢ	ܣܦܪܝܟܘܢ
2nd f. pl. (your)	ܣܦܪܟܝܢ	ܣܦܪܝܟܝܢ
3rd m. pl. (their)	ܣܦܪܗܘܢ	ܣܦܪܝܗܘܢ
3rd f. pl. (their)	ܣܦܪܗܝܢ	ܣܦܪܝܗܝܢ

Etymology 3

From the root ܣ-ܦ-ܪ (s-p-r) related to shearing. Compare Hebrew סַפָּר (sappār).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [sappɑrɑ(ʔ)] (singular)
• IPA^(key): [sappɑre(ʔ)] (plural)

Noun

ܣܦܪܐ • (transliteration needed) m (plural ܣܦܪܐ, singular feminine counterpart ܣܦܪܬܐ)

1. shearer, barber

Inflection

    inflection of ܣܦܪܐ

state	singular	plural
absolute	ܣܦܪ	ܣܦܪܝܢ
construct	ܣܦܪ	ܣܦܪܝ
emphatic	ܣܦܪܐ	ܣܦܪܐ
possessive forms
1st c. sg. (my)	ܣܦܪܝ	ܣܦܪܝ
2nd m. sg. (your)	ܣܦܪܟ	ܣܦܪܝܟ
2nd f. sg. (your)	ܣܦܪܟܝ	ܣܦܪܝܟܝ
3rd m. sg. (his)	ܣܦܪܗ	ܣܦܪܘܗܝ
3rd f. sg. (her)	ܣܦܪܗ	ܣܦܪܝܗ
1st c. pl. (our)	ܣܦܪܢ	ܣܦܪܝܢ
2nd m. pl. (your)	ܣܦܪܟܘܢ	ܣܦܪܝܟܘܢ
2nd f. pl. (your)	ܣܦܪܟܝܢ	ܣܦܪܝܟܝܢ
3rd m. pl. (their)	ܣܦܪܗܘܢ	ܣܦܪܝܗܘܢ
3rd f. pl. (their)	ܣܦܪܗܝܢ	ܣܦܪܝܗܝܢ

Etymology 4

Cognate with ܣܦܬܐ (sep̄ṯā, “lip; shore”). Compare Hebrew סְפָר (səp̄ār).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [s(ə)fɑrɑ(ʔ)] (singular)
• IPA^(key): [s(ə)fɑre(ʔ)] (plural)

Noun

ܣܦܪܐ • (transliteration needed) m (plural ܣܦܪܐ)

1. shore, coast
2. riverbank
3. border
4. edge, margin
5. corner

Inflection

    inflection of ܣܦܪܐ

state	singular	plural
absolute	ܣܦܪ	ܣܦܪܝܢ
construct	ܣܦܪ	ܣܦܪܝ
emphatic	ܣܦܪܐ	ܣܦܪܐ
possessive forms
1st c. sg. (my)	ܣܦܪܝ	ܣܦܪܝ
2nd m. sg. (your)	ܣܦܪܟ	ܣܦܪܝܟ
2nd f. sg. (your)	ܣܦܪܟܝ	ܣܦܪܝܟܝ
3rd m. sg. (his)	ܣܦܪܗ	ܣܦܪܘܗܝ
3rd f. sg. (her)	ܣܦܪܗ	ܣܦܪܝܗ
1st c. pl. (our)	ܣܦܪܢ	ܣܦܪܝܢ
2nd m. pl. (your)	ܣܦܪܟܘܢ	ܣܦܪܝܟܘܢ
2nd f. pl. (your)	ܣܦܪܟܝܢ	ܣܦܪܝܟܝܢ
3rd m. pl. (their)	ܣܦܪܗܘܢ	ܣܦܪܝܗܘܢ
3rd f. pl. (their)	ܣܦܪܗܝܢ	ܣܦܪܝܗܝܢ

References

• “spr”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–
• Costaz, Louis (2002) Dictionnaire syriaque-français ∙ Syriac–English Dictionary ∙ قاموس سرياني-عربي, 3rd edition, Beirut: Dar El-Machreq, pp. 234b-235a
• Payne Smith, Jessie (1903) A Compendious Syriac Dictionary Founded Upon the Thesaurus Syriacus of R. Payne Smith, D.D., Oxford: Clarendon Press, p. 387a-b
• 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. 1035a-b