Loanwords in Assyrian Neo-Aramaic came about mostly due to the contact between Assyrian people and Arabs, Persians, Kurds and Turks in modern history, and can also be found in the other dialects spoken by the Assyrian people such as Turoyo.Yildiz, Efrem (2000), The Aramaic Language and Its Classification, Journal of Assyrian Academic Studies 14:1 Assyrian is one of the few languages where most of its foreign words come from a different language family (in this case, Indo-European).Odisho, Edward Y. (2002). „The role of aspiration in the translation of loanwords in Aramaic and Arabic“, W. Arnold and H. Bobzin (ed.): Sprich doch mit deinen Knechten aramäisch, wir verstehen es! 60 Beiträge zur Semitistik. Festschrift für Otto Jastrow zum 60 Geburtstag, Wiesbaden, 489-502.
Unlike other Neo-Aramaic languages, Assyrian has an extensive number of latterly introduced Iranian loanwords.Younansardaroud, Helen, Synharmonism in the Särdä:rïd Dialect, Journal of Assyrian Academic Studies 12:1 (1998): 77-82. Depending on the dialect, Arabic loanwords are also reasonably present.The Neo-Aramaic Dialect of Barwar, Geoffrey Khan, Boston, 2008 Some Turkish loanwords are Turkified words that are of Arabic origin.Yamauchi, Edwin M., Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic or Syriac? A Critique of the Claims of G.M. Lamsa for the Syriac Peshitta, Bibliotheca Sacra 131 (1974): 320-331. To note, some of the loanwords are revised (or "Assyrianized") and therefore would sound somewhat different to the original word.Yohannan, Abraham, Some Remarks Regarding the Pronunciation of Modern Syriac, Journal of the American Oriental Society 25 (1904) Furthermore, some loanwords may also have a slightly different meaning from the original language.Younansardaroud, Helen (1999). „The influence of Modern Persian on the Särdä:rïd dialect“, Journal of Assyrian Academic Studies, XIII:65-68.
List
Below is a list of loanwords in Assyrian Neo-Aramaic, separated into sections based on the source language.
Notes: The source language itself may have borrowed the word from another language. These are noted in the "notes" sections. Vowels are typically "long" in an open syllable and "short" in a closed syllable; exceptions are noted by macrons on long syllables and breves on short ones. Stress typically falls on the penultimate syllable (exceptions are noted by acute accents). Monosyllabic words are also typically stressed. Geminated consonants are represented by a doubled letter. On transliteration: ʾ represents a plain glottal stop: . ʿ represents a pharyngealized glottal stop: . ḥ represents a voiceless pharyngeal fricative: . ġ represents a voiced velar fricative: . x represents a voiceless velar fricative: or a voiceless uvular fricative: . q represents a voiceless uvular stop: . ḳ represents an unaspirated voiceless velar stop: . ṗ represents an unaspirated voiceless bilabial stop: . ṣ represents a pharyngealized voiceless alveolar fricative: . š represents a voiceless postalveolar fricative: . ž represents a voiced postalveolar fricative: . ṯ represents a voiceless dental fricative: . ṭ represents a pharyngealized voiceless alveolar plosive: . j represents a voiced postalveolar affricate: . č represents a plain voiceless postalveolar affricate: . č̣ represents a pharyngealized voiceless postalveolar affricate: .
Arabic Assyrian WordOriginal WordPart of SpeechMeaningNotesClassical Syriac equivalentTransliterationSpellingʿáskariعَسْكَرِيّnounsoldierMiddle Persian loanword.pālḥāܦܠܚܐʿaskariyaعَسْكَرِيَّةmilitarygaysāܓܝܣܐʾalasásعَلَى الأَسَاسadverbas if; basically; allegedlySome speakers.šəʾīlāʾīṯܫܐܝܠܐܝܬbasبسconjunction; adverbbut; onlyPersian loanword. Some speakers.ʾellāܐܠܐburiبُورِيnounwater pipeColloquial Iraqi Arabic.zamrūrāܙܡܪܘܪܐdunye, dunyaدُنْيَاworldʿālmāܥܠܡܐfundiqفُنْدُقhotelAncient Greek loanword.puttəqāܦܘܬܩܐġarī́bغريبadjectivestrangeSome speakers.nūḵrāyāܢܘܟܪܝܐġassalaغَسَّالَةnounwashing machineḥukma, xukmaحُكُومَةgovernmentməḏabbərānūṯāܡܕܒܪܢܘܬܐʾishā́lإِسْهَالdiarrheaSome speakers.šərāytāܫܪܝܬܐjizdán(a)جزدانwallettarmālāܬܪܡܠܐmajburمُجْبَرadjectiveforced, obligedrəḇīṣāܪܒܝܨܐmaymunمَيْمُونnounmonkeyqōp̄āܩܘܦܐmŭḥamiمُحَامِيlawyerSome speakers.sāfrāܣܦܪܐmustašfaمُسْتَشْفًىhospitalbêṯ kərīhēܒܝܬ ܟܪ̈ܝܗܐqăṣittقَصْدstory, taleCf. Kurdish qesd.tūnnāyāܬܘܢܝܐqiṣṣaforeheadbêṯ gəḇīnēܒܝܬ ܓܒܝܢ̈ܐṣādraصَدْرchest (anatomy)ḥaḏyāܚܕܝܐṣāḥ, ṣāxصِحَّةhealthḥūlmānāܚܘܠܡܢܐṣāḥḥiصِحِّيّadjectivehealthyḥūlmānāyāܚܘܠܡܢܝܐsijinسِجْنnounjail; prisonSome speakers.bêṯ ʾăsīrēܒܝܬ ܐܣܝܪ̈ܐṯallajaثَلَّاجَةrefrigeratorṭiyaraطَيَّارَةaeroplaneʾuticlothes ironTurkic loanword.yāllaيااللهinterjectionhurry up; let's go, come onSome speakers.baʿəḡalܒܥܓܠ
Persian Assyrian WordOriginal WordPart of SpeechMeaningNotesClassical Syriac equivalentTransliterationSpellingbiš, bušبیشadverbmoreyattīrܝܬܝܪčamčaچمچهnounspoontarwāḏāܬܪܘܕܐčangalچنگالforkmašləyāܡܫܠܝܐčanta, jantaچنتهpurse; backpackkīsāܟܝܣܐčarikkچارکquarter, fourthrūḇʿāܪܘܒܥܐdardeدردsorrow, painkēḇāܟܐܒܐdarmanaدرمانmedicine, drugAlso borrowed into Classical Syriac.sammā, darmānāܕܪܡܢܐ, ܣܡܐʾerzanارزانadjectivecheap, inexpensivezəʿōr dəmayyāܙܥܘܪ ܕܡܝܐgĕran, gran, ʾagranگرانexpensivesaggī dəmayyāܣܓܝ ܕܡܝܐhalbatte, halbatالبتهinterjection; adverbof course; naturallyhamهمadverbalsoʾāp̄ܐܦhičهیچdeterminerno, none; nothinglā; lā meddemܠܐ; ܠܐ ܡܕܡmēsمیزnountablepāṯūrāܦܬܘܪܐpardaپردهcurtainprāsā, pirsāܦܪܣܐpenjar(a)پنجرهwindowkawwəṯāܟܘܬܐrang(a)رنگcolourṣeḇʿāܨܒܥܐraziراضیadjectivesatisfied, contentArabic loanword.raʿyāܪܥܝܐsababسببnoun; conjunctionreason; becauseArabic loanword.ʿelləṯāܥܠܬܐsanā́y, ʾasanā́y, hasanā́yآسانadjectiveeasypəšīqāܦܫܝܩܐtambalتنبلlazyḥəḇannānāܚܒܢܢܐxyaraخیارnouncucumberAlso borrowed into Classical Syriac.ḵəyārāܟܝܪܐzahmat, zamitزحمتnoun; adjectivetrouble, difficulty; troublesome, difficultArabic loanword.qašyāܩܫܝܐzardaزردyellow; yellowishSome speakers.šāʿūṯā; šāʿūṯānāyāܫܥܘܬܐ; ܫܥܘܬܢܝܐ
Kurdish Assyrian WordOriginal WordPart of SpeechMeaningNotesClassical Syriac equivalentTransliterationSpellingč̣aṗṗe, č̣aṗleçepnounleftsemmālāܣܡܠܐčŭçuhdeterminerno; notSome speakers.lāܠܐhawarhewarnounaidʿūḏrānāܥܘܕܪܢܐhiwihêvîhopesaḇrāܣܒܪܐjamikkacêmiktwinCognate with Latin geminus, French jumeau, Portuguese gêmeo.tāmāܬܐܡܐḳuṗṗalakopalstaff, caneCf. Persian کوپال.šaḇṭāܫܒܛܐmra(z)zoleverblecturing, scoldingArabic loanword.gəʿarܓܥܪqonyanoundrain; wellbālōʿtā; bērāܒܠܘܥܬܐ; ܒܐܪܐzărazernoun; adjectiveyellow; yellowishSome speakers.šāʿūṯā; šāʿūṯānāyāܫܥܘܬܐ; ܫܥܘܬܢܝܐ
Turkish Assyrian WordOriginal WordPart of SpeechMeaningNotesClassical Syriac equivalentModernOttomanTransliterationSpellingbelki, balkitbelkiبلکهadverbmaybeFrom Persian balke (بلکه, "but").kəḇarܟܒܪčakučçekiçچكیچnounhammerFrom Persian čakoš (چکش, "hammer").marzap̄tā, ʾarzap̄tāܡܪܙܦܬܐ, ܐܪܙܦܬܐdabanjatabancaطبانجهpistol, gundūs, dusdüzدوزadjectivestraight, flat; correcttərīṣāܬܪܝܨܐgamigeminounboat, shipʾelpā, səp̄ī[n]tāܐܠܦܐ, ܣܦܝܢܬܐhazirhazırحاضرadjectivereadyFrom Arabic ḥāḍir (حَاضِر, "present").ʿəṯīḏāܥܬܝܕܐkismetkısmetقسمتnounfateFrom Arabic qisma (قِسْمَة, "division").gaddāܓܕܐpežgirpeşkirپیشگیرtowelFrom Persian pišgir (پیشگیر).šūšippā, šōšippāܫܘܫܦܐrahatrahatراحتadjectivecomfortableFrom Arabic rāḥa (رَاحَة, "relaxation").šalyāܫܠܝܐtammiz, tammistemizتمیزclean, tidyFrom Arabic tamyīz (تَمْيِيز, "refinement").daḵyāܕܟܝܐtōs, tawstozتوزnoundustʾaḇqāܐܒܩܐzenginzenginزنگينadjectiverich, wealthyFrom Persian sangin (سنگين, "heavy").ʿattīrāܥܬܝܪܐ
Other These foreign words are borrowed from European languages: Assyrian WordOriginal WordPart of SpeechMeaningNotesClassical Syriac equivalentTransliterationSpellingʾatmabel, ʾatnabelEnglish, French: automobilenounautomobile, carClassical Syriac equivalent is a neologism.rāḏāytāܪܕܝܬܐbenzin, benzilGerman: Benzinpetrol/gasolinebatriFrench: batterie, English: batterybatterybaṭrīṯāܒܛܪܝܬܐbāyEnglish: byeinterjectionbyepōš ba-šəlāmāܦܘܫ ܒܫܠܡܐbiraItalian: birra, from Latin: biberenounbeerpezzāܦܙܐbombaEnglish: bomb, French: bombebombFrom Ancient Greek bómbos (βόμβος).glāsEnglish: glasscup (not necessarily made of glass)kāsāܟܣܐha(l)loEnglish: hellointerjectionhello, greetingsšəlāmāܫܠܡܐloriEnglish: lorrynounlorry/truckmašinaRussian: mašína (маши́на)train; automobileMeaning differs depending on the speaker, dialect and/or context. Ultimately from Ancient Greek mēkhanḗ (μηχανή).qṭārāܩܛܪܐmčayyokeEnglish: checkverbchecking, inspectingThe noun Old French eschec, from medieval Latin scaccus, via Arabic from Persian šāh (شاه, "king").bəḏaqܒܕܩpakit(a)English: packetnounpacketstōpEnglish: stovestove; heatertəp̄ayyā, təp̄āyāܬܦܝܐstumka, ʾisṭumkaAncient Greek: stómakhos (στόμαχος)stomachAlso borrowed into Classical Syriac. Cognate with English stomach.karsā, ʾesṭōmkaܟܪܣܐ, ܐܣܛܘܡܟܐtĭlifónEnglish: telephonetelephoneCoined from Ancient Greek têle (τῆλε, “afar”) and phōnḗ (φωνή, “voice, sound”).rūḥqqālāܪܘܚܩܩܠܐtilvizyónEnglish: televisiontelevisionCoined from Ancient Greek têle (τῆλε, “afar”) and Latin vīsiō ("vision, seeing"). Classical Syriac equivalent is a neologism.pərās ḥezwāܦܪܣ ܚܙܘܐ
See also Chaldean Neo-Aramaic, a language (also considered a dialect of Assyrian) which also uses some of these loanwords. List of English words of Semitic origin List of loanwords in Classical Syriac Hybrid word Morphology Romanization of Syriac
References