Greek-isms???????

[Paul Younan]

This might be a bit off topic, but here goes anyway! Regarding Aramaic words for "computer" and "internet", I have actually come across words for these. However, I don't know how widely used/accepted they are.

Computer is khashuwa which I believe is from the root kheth-shin-beth, which has the meaning to a) count, number, ... b) to enumerate, recount.

Internet is prass nawla, which must have been made up out of the roots peh-resh-semkath to spread out, extend and nun-waw-lamad which has the meaning of web.

Shlama,
Lars

Shlama lakh Akhan Lars,

How are you? I miss seeing you guys on Sundays! I pray all is well in Sweden.

Your point is well taken. For decades we've had a word in Neo-Aramaic for "television", prass khizwa (from khza,
to behold) .... unfortunately, in most households you'll still hear the English loan-word "telefizion." Ditto for Radio, which should be "prass qala", etc.

The problem primarily stems from the lack of a central language authority, schools and of course the status of a national language.

It's much easier for someone to transliterate a foreign word into Aramaic than to actually try and think of cognate roots that can be constructed from the native tongue to convey the same idea.

Sometimes, like in my Mother's case - "Garson" is just how she preferred to say "waiter" instead of the more appropriate Aramaic "Shaqya" ("cup-bearer")

Once a loan-word takes hold in a language, it's very difficult to remove.

Nevertheless, the mere presence of loan words in a text is a very weak evidence for determining the original language of that text. That goes for Aramaic loan-words in the Greek manuscripts as well. Far more convincing are examples that are derived from Syntax or Idiom.

+Shamasha Paul