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Question for Akhan Steven Caruso - Syriac Shibboleth ? - Printable Version

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Question for Akhan Steven Caruso - Syriac Shibboleth ? - Paul Younan - 01-21-2014

Shlama Akhi Steven,

I was reading 1Peter 4:17 in the Peshitta, and noticed something familiar to modern Neo-Aramaic speakers (since our modern Neo-Aramaic dialects are derived from the classical language of the Peshitta.)

In that verse, the verb for "begin" (in two conjugal forms) is $-r-) (shra). As I'm sure you know, the primary meaning of this root in all Aramaic dialects is "loosen" (with derivative meanings like "free, divorce, break fast" etc.). But in our modern Neo-Aramaic dialect, like the Peshitta, it can be used as a verb to mean "begin".

However, I don't notice any "western" dialects like CPA or Galilean that seem to use it as a verb. I've seen noun and adverb derivatives like "beginning", etc., in the Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon that you've assisted with. But no examples in a strictly verbal sense.

So my question is, do you think this secondary usage as a verb is a "Syriac Shibboleth", and if so ... assuming that Peter spoke "Galilean Aramaic", what do you suppose would have been his original "Galilean Aramaic" choice of verb for "begin"?

b'Shayna w'Shlama,
+Shamasha Paul


Re: Question for Akhan Steven Caruso - Syriac Shibboleth ? - SteveCaruso - 01-21-2014

Akhi Paul,

Despite Sokoloff working directly with the CAL to compile his DJPA and having all early CPA-NT fragments transcribed (although the Lectionary is sadly incomplete), the CAL isn't the best source for Western Aramaic definitions in its lemma listings. More often than not they lack context. Its Western Aramaic listings are still a work in progress as there is so much still yet to be done. <!-- sSmile --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/smile.gif" alt="Smile" title="Smile" /><!-- sSmile -->

In any case, /$ry/ is actually used quite extensively in Galilean Aramaic in the sense of "to begin," on its own (/mn bkwryh dpr(h y$ry/ = "He will begin with Pharaoh's firstborn.") and very often as an auxiliary verb (/w$wrwn dxkyn/ = lit. "And they began laughing" = idiom. "And they began to laugh"). It would be the natural choice.

When you're viewing the lemma listing for /$ry/ click "View a complete KWIC" right above "Derivatives:", select "Jewish Palestinian (Galilean)" and submit. This will return all instances of /$ry/ in the tagged in texts, so you may have to scroll a bit before you find some good examples (look for instances where it's followed by an infinitive, they're easy to spot).

Peace,
-Steve


Re: Question for Akhan Steven Caruso - Syriac Shibboleth ? - Paul Younan - 01-21-2014

Nice, thanks for the confirmation, Akh. A few hours after I posted, I also found reference to a recently-discovered fragment of 1Enoch from the Dead Sea Scrolls. 1 Enoch 7:14 reads "and they began to injure ..." using $-r-y. Interesting attestation in that dialect as well.

What brought my question up was the clear evidence of nouns and adjectives derived from $-r-y in the Western dialects, but no (readily apparent) direct usage as a verb in the lemma summaries (which I found odd, of course, considering almost all of our Aramaic nouns and adjectives are rooted in verbs.)

I shoulda looked harder before bothering you, but I was at work and in a hurry for an answer to a colleague. <!-- sSmile --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/smile.gif" alt="Smile" title="Smile" /><!-- sSmile -->

+Shamasha


Re: Question for Akhan Steven Caruso - Syriac Shibboleth ? - SteveCaruso - 01-22-2014

Paul Younan Wrote:Nice, thanks for the confirmation, Akh. A few hours after I posted, I also found reference to a recently-discovered fragment of 1Enoch from the Dead Sea Scrolls. 1 Enoch 7:14 reads "and they began to injure ..." using $-r-y. Interesting attestation in that dialect as well.

Langlois' recent work? Good find on that one. :-)

Quote:What brought my question up was the clear evidence of nouns and adjectives derived from $-r-y in the Western dialects, but no (readily apparent) direct usage as a verb in the lemma summaries (which I found odd, of course, considering almost all of our Aramaic nouns and adjectives are rooted in verbs.)

Yeah there are a lot of them.

But when it comes to verbs, especially, sometimes the glosses listed as "Com." aren't really common, and more often than not some actual common uses among Western Aramaic dialects or Mandaic aren't properly labeled.

For /$ry/ "to begin" is tucked under pa'el ("D") as the primary gloss and marked common, but since there is only one citation (and the glosses under pe'al ["G"] have over dozen citations) it kinda got lost. But even that is incorrect, as in Western Aramaic dialects, "to begin" is pe'al, not pa'el. :-)

It's a mess.

Quote:I shoulda looked harder before bothering you, but I was at work and in a hurry for an answer to a colleague. <!-- sSmile --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/smile.gif" alt="Smile" title="Smile" /><!-- sSmile -->

+Shamasha

No bother. :-)

Peace,
-Steve