Syriac Language - Grammar

Grammar

Many Syriac words, like those in other Semitic languages, are built out of triliteral roots, collations of three Syriac consonants with variable vowel sets as a "glue". For example, the root ܫܩܠ, ŠQL, has the basic meaning of taking, and so we have the following words that can be formed from this root:

  • ܫܩܠ – šqal: "he took"
  • ܢܫܩܘܠ – nešqōl: "he will take"
  • ܫܩܠ – šāqel: "he takes, he is taking"
  • ܫܩܠ – šaqqel: "he has lifted/raised"
  • ܐܫܩܠ – ašqel: "he has set out"
  • ܫܩܠܐ – šqālâ: "a taking, burden, recension, portion or syllable"
  • ܫܩ̈ܠܐ – šeqlē: "takings, profits, taxes"
  • ܫܩܠܘܬܐ – šaqlûṯā: "a beast of burden"
  • ܫܘܩܠܐ – šûqālâ: "arrogance"

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