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Loanwords in Classical Syriac entered the language throughout different periods in the history of Mesopotamia . The Alexandrian and Seleucid rule along with interaction with their fellow citizens of the Greco-Roman world of the Fertile Crescent resulted in the adoption of numerous Greek words. The majority of these were nouns relating to Roman administration, such as officials, military, and law.[ 1]
The largest group of loanwords come from Greek and is followed by Iranian loans, although words from Sumerian , Akkadian , and Latin are also passed on in varying degrees.[ 2] Several Hebrew loanwords exist (particularly religious terms). The Islamic Conquests changed the demographics of the empire and resulted in an influx of a new corpus of words from Arabic while life under the Seljuk , Ottoman , and Safavid empires introduced Turkic words to the language. Several loanwords in Classical Syriac are also partly taken or additionally rooted to other Semitic, Iranian, and Indo-European families, being rooted across various languages.
Sumerian
Syriac
Pronunciation
Part of Speech
Meaning
Notes
𒂍𒆳 (E.KUR )
ܐܓܘܪܐ
aggura
noun
"pagan shrine, altar"
𒀀𒂵𒄠 (agam)
ܐܓܡܐ
agma
noun
"meadow, swamp"
[ 5]
𒂍𒋞 (addir)
ܐܓܪܐ
agra
noun
"hire, wages"
[ 6]
𒌑𒊩 (usal)
ܐܘܣܠܐ
aosla
noun
"swamp"
𒄑𒀠𒆷𒈝 (allanum)
ܐܝܠܢܐ
īlānā
noun
"tree, tree trunk"
𒀀𒍪 (azu)
ܐܣܝܐ
asya
noun
"doctor (physician)"
𒀀𒇉𒈦𒄘𒃼 (idigna)
ܕܩܠܬ
deqlāṯ
noun
"Tigris"
𒂍𒃲 (E.GAL )
ܗܝܟܠܐ
haykla
noun
"palace, temple"
𒀀𒇉𒌓𒄒𒉣 (buranun)
ܦܪܬ
prāṯ
noun
"Euphrates"
[ 15]
[ 2] [ 16] [ 17]
Akkadian
Syriac
Part of Speech
Meaning
Notes
𒌚𒉈 (Abum)
ܐܒ
proper noun
"August"
inbu
ܐܒܐ
noun
"fruit"
abūtu
ܐܒܘܬܐ
noun
"rule, plumbline of an architect; goad for scraping plowshares; duct work"
abullu
ܐܒܘܠܐ
noun
"city gate; portico"
agāru
ܐܓܪܐ
noun
"hire, wages"
agurru
ܐܓܘܪܐ
noun
"kiln-fired brick or tile"
Addaru
ܐܕܪ
proper noun
"March"
ummānu
ܐܘܡܬܐ
noun
"nation"
𒌚𒄞 (Ayyaru)
ܐܝܪ
proper noun
"May"
Ulūlu
ܐܝܠܘܠ
proper noun
"September"
arad ekalli
ܐܪܕܟܠܐ
noun
"architect, builder"
arru
ܐܪܐ
noun
"decoy bird"
asītu
ܐܫܝܬܐ
noun
"wall, column"
egubbu
ܓܝܒܐ
noun
"temple courtyard basin"
muršānu
ܘܪܫܢܐ
noun
"wood dove, pigeon"
zīmu
ܙܝܘܐ
noun
"beauty"
ziqtu
ܙܩܬܐ
noun
"goad, rod"
akukītu
ܟܘܟܝܬܐ
noun
"storm, whirlwind"
Kislīmu
ܟܢܘܢ
proper noun
"December; January"
lilītu
ܠܠܝܬܐ
noun
"lilith; female demon"
aban gabî
ܡܓܒܝܐ
noun
"alum"
amuriqānu
ܡܪܝܩܢܐ
noun
"jaundice"
𒌚𒁇 (nissanum)
ܢܝܣܢ
proper noun
"April"
Šabāṭu
ܫܒܛ
proper noun
"February"
šaṭāru
ܫܛܪܐ
noun
"deed, document"
Duʾūzu
ܬܡܘܙ
proper noun
"July"
Tašrītu
ܬܫܪܝܢ
proper noun
"October; November"
[ 2] [ 22] [ 16] [ 17]
Ancient North Arabian [ edit ]
Ancient North Arabian
Syriac
Part of Speech
Meaning
Notes
𐪑𐪈𐪔𐪇
ܐܒܓܪ
proper noun
"Abgar " ("lame person")
[ 24]
Ancient North Arabian
Syriac
Part of Speech
Meaning
Notes
𐩥𐩯𐩤
ܘܣܩܐ
noun
"burden, captive, servant"
Arabic
Syriac
Part of Speech
Meaning
Notes
بَغْل
ܒܓܠܐ
noun
"mule"
بَغْلَة
ܒܓܠܬܐ
noun
"mule, hinny"
بُومَة
ܒܘܡܐ
noun
"owl"
بَقَّال
ܒܩܠܐ
noun
"vegetables"
جُمَادَى
ܓܘܡܕܐ
noun
"Jumada ", "Jumada "
"audacity, importunity"
ذُو الْحِجَّة
ܕܘܠܚܓܗ
noun
Dhu al-Hijjah
هَجِين
ܗܓܝܢܐ
adjective
"half-breed", "bastard"
زَعْفَرَان
ܙܥܦܪܢ
noun
"crocus, saffron"
Classical Mandaic
Syriac
Part of Speech
Meaning
Notes
ܩܘܕܐ
noun
"fetter, clog, bond, shackle"
ࡓࡁࡉࡕࡀ
ܪܒܝܬܐ
noun
"ocean, sea"
ࡔࡒࡀࡐ
ܫܩܱܦ
verb
"to strike, to beat; to contuse, to crush"
Hebrew
Syriac
Part of Speech
Meaning
Notes
הוֹשַׁע־נָא
ܐܘܫܥܢܐ
noun; interjection
"hosanna"
אֵל
ܐܝܠ
proper noun
"El, God"
[ 54]
Iranian
Syriac
Part of Speech
Meaning
Notes
ܐܗܡܪܐܓܪ
noun
"accountant"
ustan
ܐܘܣܬܢܐ
noun
"(Persian) court, crown estate"
ezbarka [ a]
ܐܙܒܪܟܐ
noun
"large ox, bull, buffalo"
ܐܣܦܝܕܟܐ
noun
"white lead"
būrak
ܒܘܪܟܐ
noun
"borax"
banda
ܒܢܕܐ
noun
"banner, standard"
barza
ܒܪܙܐ
noun
"sown field"
jôrâb
ܓܘܪܒܐ
noun
"sock, stocking"
ܓܙܐ
noun
"treasure"
gâv-mêš
ܓܡܘܫܐ
noun
"buffalo bull"
garza
ܓܪܣܐ
noun
"crushed grain" or "learning"
daewa
ܕܝܘܐ
noun
"demon, devil"
ܙܝܘܓ
noun
"mercury (element)"
ܙܪܢܝܟܐ
noun
"arsenic"
heshmita
ܚܫܡܝܬܐ
noun
"supper, dinner, banquet"
ܝܘܙܐ
noun
"cheetah, leopard, panther"
qaba
ܩܒܝܬܐ
noun
"man's tunic, uppercoat, overgarment"
ܩܘܒܬܐ
noun
"vault, pavilion"
kūz
ܩܘܙܐ
noun
"weasel, mongoose"
murtak
ܡܪܬܟܐ
noun
"dross of silver, litharge"
ܢܘܗܕܪܐ
noun
"commander"
papa
ܦܦܐ
proper noun
"Papa" (male given name)
or "parrot"
Northwestern Iranian languages [ edit ]
Northwestern Iranian
Syriac
Part of Speech
Meaning
Notes
zanax
ܙܢܩܐ
noun
"chin"
Middle Iranian languages [ edit ]
Middle Iranian
Syriac
Part of Speech
Meaning
Notes
ܐܒܙܪܐ
noun
"attachment (on a device)"
āβzan
ܐܘܙܢܐ
noun
"basin"
ačār-
ܐܨܪܐ
noun
"spices"
ܕܪܓܘܫܬܐ
noun
"litter, bed"
dārṣīnī
ܕܪܨܝܢܝ
noun
"cinnamon"
ܙܢܓܒܝܠ , ܙܢܓܒܝܪ, ܙܝܢܓܒܝܪ, ܙܢܓܒܠܐ, ܙܢܓܝܒܪ, ܙܝܢܓܒܪ
noun
"ginger"
ܟܘܬܐ
noun
"food preserved in vinegar"
nôl
ܢܘܠܐ
noun
"weaver's beam"
kond
ܩܘܕܐ , ܩܘܛܐ
noun
"shackle, chain"
šēn
ܫܝܢܐ
noun
"peace", "cultivated land"
šīša
ܫܝܫܬܐ
noun
"vase, bottle"
Parthian
Syriac
Part of Speech
Meaning
Notes
ܒܝܣܦܢܐ
noun
"mounted courier"
ܒܝܣܦܩܐ
noun
"courier's wagon"
ܒܪܙܢܩܐ
noun
"greave, bracelet"
daxš
ܕܚܫܐ
noun
"attendant, lictor"
ward
ܘܪܕܐ
noun
"rose "
ܙܢܩܐ
noun
"long boot"
𐭕𐭓𐭐𐭍𐭎
ܛܪܦܢܣܐ
noun
"corselet, chain mail"
𐫖𐫡𐫃
ܡܪܓܐ
noun
"meadow"
sfsyr
ܣܦܣܝܪܐ
noun
"sword, dagger"
plync
ܦܠܙܐ
noun
"brass, bronze"
𐫢𐫡𐫀𐫄
ܫܪܓܐ
noun
"lamp"
Old Iranian languages [ edit ]
Old Iranian
Syriac
Part of Speech
Meaning
Notes
gawnah
ܓܘܢܐ
noun
"color", "appearance", "species"
zaina
ܙܝܢܐ
noun
"weapons, arms"
Old Persian
Syriac
Part of Speech
Meaning
Notes
ganza-
ܓܙܐ
noun
"treasure"
ganzabarah
ܓܙܒܪܐ , ܓܝܙܒܪܐ
noun
"treasurer"
𐎭𐎼𐎴𐎹 (d-r-n-y)
ܕܪܝܟܘܢܐ , ܕܪܟܘܢܐ
noun
"daric "
𐏀𐎴 (zana-)
ܙܢܐ
noun
"kind, type"
𐎶𐎦𐏁 (maguš )
ܡܓܘܫܐ
noun
"Magi "
nibrāšti-
ܢܒܪܫܬܐ
noun
"candelabrum, lightstand"
𐎴𐎡𐏀𐎣 (naizaka-)
ܢܝܙܟܐ
noun
"spear", "meteor"
ܢܝܫܐ
noun
"sign", "goal"
batak-
ܦܛܩܐ
noun
"bowl, flask"
ܩܛܐ
noun
"plumbline"
Early Greek loans which were administrative in nature became obscure as society changed, although words adopted from translations of Christian and philosophical texts outlived the former and survive to the current day.[ 2] Many loanwords originally from Greek were philosophical and took the plural stem, and the current-day Syriac language remains rich in these loanwords.[ 143]
Greek
Syriac
Part of Speech
Meaning
Notes
ܐܰܢܰܢܩܺܝܐ
adjective
ἀράχνη
ܐܪܟܐܢܐ
noun
"spider"
αἱρετικός
ܗܪܛܝܩܐ
noun
"heretic"
τεταρταίος
ܛܗܛܐܪܛܗܘ ,ܛܗܛܪܛܗܐ ,ܛܗܛܐܪܛܗܐܘܣ
noun
"quartan"
ὀροβάγχη
ܐܘܪܒܟܝܢ
noun
"broomrape"
ἄγνος
ܐܓܢܘܣ
noun
"agnus"
κέγχρος
ܩܢܟܢܘܢ
noun
"a gem"
ܦܪܦܝܪܝܛܝܣ
noun
"porphyrite"
ܣܪܕܘܢ
noun
"sard, a kind of stone"
γαλακτίτης
ܓܠܐܩܛܝܛܝܣ
noun
"a type of milky stone"
ἀπόφασις
ܐܦܘܦܣܝܣ
noun
"judgement"
συλλογισμός
ܣܘܠܘܓܣܡܐ
noun
"syllogism"
ܦܪܘܛܣܝܣ
noun
"premise, proposition, preposition"
ὕπατοι
ܐܘܦܛܝܢ
noun
"highest musical string"
κιθάρα
ܩܝܬܪܐ
noun
"harp, lute"
βάσις
ܒܣܣ
noun
"base, basis"
ܩܘܒܘܣ
noun
"cube'
ἀμμωνιακόν
ܐܡܘܢܝܩܘܢ
noun
"gum ammoniac"
ἀνδροδάμας
ܐܢܕܪܘܕܘܡܘܣ
noun
"arsenical pyrites"
ἄσβεστος
ܐܣܒܣܛܘܢ
noun
"asbestos"
ἀφρόνιτρον
ܐܦܘܢܝܛܪܘܢ
noun
"sodium carbonate"
ἀρσενικόν
ܐܪܣܘܢܝܩܘܢ
noun
"arsenic sulfide, yellow ointment"
ܡܓܢܝܣܝܐ
noun
"magnesium"
μολυβδήνη
mwlbdynˀ
noun
"galena"
μίσυ
mysw
noun
"shoemaker's vitriol"
νίτρων
nyṭrwn
noun
"nitre"
σηρικόν
sryqwn
noun
"red ink, red lead"
ψιμύθιον
psymtyn
noun
"white lead"
κιννάβαρις
ܩܝܢܒܪܝܣ
noun
"cinnabar"
ܩܠܡܝܐ
noun
"cadmia (ore of zinc)"
κρήτη
ܩܪܝܛ
noun
"chalk"
ῥητίνη
ܪܛܝܢܐ
noun
"resin"
όξεῖα
ܐܘܟܣܝܐ
noun
"sharp things (grammatical)"
σχῆμα
ܐܣܟܡܐ
noun
"character, shape, form"
ἄρθρον
ܐܪܬܪܘܢ
noun
"particle"
ζεῦγος
ܙܘܓܐ
noun
"pair, conjugation, name of an accent"
τάξις
ܛܟܣܐ
noun
"order, military company, apparatus"
ἄργολας
ܐܪܓܘܠܐ
noun
"a type of snake"
Ancient Greek
Syriac
Part of Speech
Meaning
Notes
γένος
ܓܢܣܐ
noun
genus
[ 143]
Byzantine Greek
Syriac
Part of Speech
Meaning
Notes
σπεκουλάτωρ
ܐܣܦܘܩܠܛܪܐ
noun
"speculator, "bodyguard",
"lictor, executioner"
κούπα
ܟܘܒܐ
noun
"cup, goblet, vessel"
σκάλα
ܣܩܠܐ
noun
"ladder", "stirrup"
σακελλάριος
ܣܩܠܪܐ , ܣܩܠܐܪܐ
noun
"treasurer, bursar"
Koine Greek
Syriac
Part of Speech
Meaning
Notes
Σολομών
ܫܠܝܡܘܢ
proper noun
"Solomon "
Latin loans appear to have been largely transmitted to Syriac via Greek. This is evident based on the Syriac orthography which demonstrates it was borrowed from the Greek form.[ 2]
Latin
Syriac
Part of Speech
Meaning
Notes
arena
ܐܪܐܢܐ
noun
"arena"
comitatus
ܩܝܡܛܛܘܢ
noun
"retinue"
curopalata
ܩܘܪܐܦܠܛܝܣ
noun
"prefect of the palace"
caldarium
ܩܪܕܠܐ
noun
"pot"
candela
ܩܢܕܝܠܐ
noun
"lamp, torch"
carrarius
ܩܪܪܐ
noun
"driver"
carruca
ܩܪܘܟܐ
noun
"chariot"
cella
ܩܠܐ
noun
"cell"
dinarius
ܕܝܢܪܐ
noun
"gold dinarius"
numerus
ܢܘܡܪܐ
noun
"number"
pāgānus
ܦܓܐܢܐ
noun
"villager, commoner"
palatium
ܦܠܛܝܢ
noun
"palace"
sacra
ܣܩܪܐ
noun
"letter, report"
tālāre
ܛܠܪܐ ,ܛܐܠܪܐ
noun
"sandal"
vēlum
ܘܝܠܐ
noun
"veil, curtain, cover"
Old Armenian
Syriac
Part of Speech
Meaning
Notes
կատապան
ܩܛܐܒܢ
noun
"governor of the Armenians "
թագաւոր
ܬܟܘܘܪ
noun
"king of the Armenians"
Turkic
Syriac
Part of Speech
Meaning
Notes
qan
ܟܐܢ
noun
"khan, ruler, emperor"
*šāw
ܫܐܘ
noun
"bill, banknote, paper money"
yarliǵ
ܝܪܠܝܟ
noun
"decree, mandate, yarligh "
Ottoman Turkish
Syriac
Part of Speech
Meaning
Notes
زورنا
ܙܘܪܢܐ
noun
"pipe, flute, zurna "
توتون
ܬܬܘܢ
noun
"tobacco"
Old Georgian
Syriac
Part of Speech
Meaning
Notes
შოლტი
ܫܘܛܐ
noun
"whip, lash, scourge"
Portuguese
Syriac
Part of Speech
Meaning
Notes
commodore
ܟܘܡܕܘܪ
noun
"commander"
Chinese
Syriac
Part of Speech
Meaning
Notes
牌子
ܦܝܙܐ
noun
"paiza, gerege"
^ The word is likely combined with the Old Armenian զուարակ, but details of its origin are uncertain
^ Also borrowed from Arabic خَنْجَر