ܙܢܐ

Assyrian Neo-Aramaic

Etymology 1

Learned borrowing from Classical Syriac ܙܢܐ, from Old Persian 𐏀𐎴 (zana-); Compare Parthian [Manichaean needed] (zng /⁠zanag⁠/) and Hebrew זַן (zan).

Pronunciation

• (standard) IPA^(key): [zə.nɑː]

Noun

ܙܢܵܐ • (znā) m sg (plural ܙ̈ܢܲܝܵܐ (znayyā))

1. type, kind, sort, form
2. species
3. method, manner, way, style
4. idiom, expression, figure of speech
5. (grammar) mood

   ܙܢܵܐ ܦܘܼܫܵܟ݂ܵܝܵܐ ― znā pūšāḵāyā ― conditional mood

   ܙܢܵܐ ܦܵܩܘܿܕܵܐ ― znā pāqōdā ― imperative mood

   ܙܢܵܐ ܣܵܝܘܿܡܵܐ ― znā sāyōmā ― indicative mood

   ܙܢܵܐ ܠܵܐ ܡܬܲܚܡܵܐ ― znā lā mtaḥmā ― infinitive mood

   ܙܢܵܐ ܬܸܢܘܵܝܵܐ ― znā tinwāyā ― subjunctive mood

Inflection

Inflection of ܙܢܵܐ (znā)

number	isolated forms		with possessive pronouns
	state	form	person	singular		plural
				m	f
singular	absolute	–	1st person	ܙܢܝܼ (znī)		ܙܢܲܢ (znan)
	construct	ܙܸܢ (zin)	2nd person	ܙܢܘܼܟ݂ (znūḵ)	ܙܢܵܟ݂ܝ (znāḵ)	ܙܢܵܘܟ݂ܘܿܢ (znāwḵōn)
	emphatic	ܙܢܵܐ (znā)	3rd person	ܙܢܹܗ (znēh)	ܙܢܘܿܗ̇ (znōh)	ܙܢܗܘܿܢ (znhōn)
plural	absolute	–	1st person	ܙܢܲܝܝܼ̈ (znayī)		ܙܢܲܝܲܢ̈ (znayyan)
	construct	ܙܢܲܝ̈ (znay)	2nd person	ܙܢܲܝܘܼ̈ܟ݂ (znayūḵ)	ܙܢܲܝܵܟ݂ܝ̈ (znayyāḵ)	ܙܢܲܝܵܘ̈ܟ݂ܘܿܢ (znayyāwḵōn)
	emphatic	ܙܢܲܝܹ̈ܐ (znayyē)	3rd person	ܙܢܲܝܘܼ̈ܗܝ (znayūh)	ܙܢܲܝ̈ܘܿܗ̇ (znayyōh)	ܙܢܲܝܗ̈ܘܿܢ (znayhōn)

Derived terms

• ܙܢܵܢܵܝܵܐ (znānāyā, “diverse, special”)
• ܙܢܵܢܵܝܘܼܬܵܐ (znānāyūtā, “diversity”)

Etymology 2

Root
ܙ ܢ ܐ (z n ˀ)
3 terms

From Aramaic זְנָא (zənā); related to Arabic زَنَى (zanā) and Hebrew זָנָה (zaná).

Pronunciation

• (standard) IPA^(key): [zaːneː]

Verb

ܙܵܢܹܐ • (zānē) (present participle ܙܢܵܝܵܐ (znāyā), past participle ܙܸܢܝܵܐ (zinyā))

1. to fornicate, commit adultery
   • Exodus 20:13-16:

     ܠܵܐ ܩܵܛܠܹܬ. ܠܵܐ ܙܵܢܹܝܬ. ܠܵܐ ܓܵܢܒ݂ܹܬ. ܠܵܐ ܝܵܗ݇ܒ݂ܹܬ ܣܵܗܕܘܼܬ݂ܵܐ ܕܲܓܵܠܬܵܐ ܥܲܠ ܫܒܵܒ݂ܘܼܟ݂.

     lā qāṭlēt. lā zānēt. lā gānḇēt. lā yāḇēt sāhdūṯā daggāltā ˁal šbāḇūḵ.

     You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.

   • Revelation 17:2

     ܗ̇ܝ ܕܥܲܡܘܿܗ̇ ܙܢܹܐ ܠܗܘܿܢ ܡܲܠܟܹ̈ܐ ܕܐܲܪܥܵܐ. ܘܪܘܹܐ ܠܗܘܿܢ ܥܵܡܪ̈ܵܢܹܐ ܕܐܲܪܥܵܐ ܡ̣ܢ ܚܲܡܪܵܐ ܕܙܵܢܝܘܼܬܘܿܗ̇.

     aya d-ˁammōh znē lhōn malkē d-arˁā. w-rwē lhōn ˁāmrānē d-arˁā min ḥamrā d-zānyūtōh.

     with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.

Conjugation

Conjugation of ܙܵܢܹܐ (zānē)

		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
past	m	ܙܢܹܐ ܠܝܼ (znē lī)	ܙܢܹܐ ܠܘܼܟ݂ (znē lūḵ)	ܙܢܹܐ ܠܹܗ (znē lēh)	ܙܢܹܐ ܠܲܢ (znē lan)	ܙܢܹܐ ܠܵܘܟ݂ܘܿܢ (znē lāwḵōn)	ܙܢܹܐ ܠܗܘܿܢ (znē lhōn)
	f		ܙܢܹܐ ܠܵܟ݂ܝ (znē lāḵ)	ܙܢܹܐ ܠܵܗ̇ (znē lāh)
non-past	m	ܙܵܢܹܝܢ (zānēn)	ܙܵܢܹܝܬ (zānēt)	ܙܵܢܹܐ (zānē)	ܙܵܢܲܚ (zānaḥ)	ܙܵܢܹܝܬܘܿܢ (zānētōn)	ܙܵܢܝܼ (zānī)
	f	ܙܵܢܝܵܢ (zānyān)	ܙܵܢܝܵܬܝ (zānyāt)	ܙܵܢܝܵܐ (zānyā)
imperative	m		ܙܢܝܼ (znī)			ܙܢܹܝܡܘܼܢ (znēmūn)
	f		ܙܢܹܐ (znē)

Classical Syriac

Etymology

From Old Persian 𐏀𐎴 (zana-). Compare Parthian [Manichaean needed] (zng /⁠zanag⁠/) and Hebrew זַן (zan).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [z(ə)nɑ(ʔ)]

Noun

ܙܢܐ • (transliteration needed) m (plural ܙܢܝܐ)

1. type, kind, sort, form
2. species
3. method, manner, way, style
4. (in the plural) customs, habits
5. reason
6. state, condition
7. quality, qualificative
8. idiom, expression, figure of speech
9. (grammar) mood

Inflection

    declension of ܙܢܐ

state	singular	plural
absolute	ܙܢ	ܙܢܝܢ
construct	ܙܢ	ܙܢܝ
emphatic	ܙܢܐ	ܙܢܝܐ
possessive forms
1st c. sg. (my)	ܙܢܝ	ܙܢܝ
2nd m. sg. (your)	ܙܢܟ	ܙܢܝܟ
2nd f. sg. (your)	ܙܢܟܝ	ܙܢܝܟܝ
3rd m. sg. (his)	ܙܢܗ	ܙܢܘܗܝ
3rd f. sg. (her)	ܙܢܗ	ܙܢܝܗ
1st c. pl. (our)	ܙܢܢ	ܙܢܝܢ
2nd m. pl. (your)	ܙܢܟܘܢ	ܙܢܝܟܘܢ
2nd f. pl. (your)	ܙܢܟܝܢ	ܙܢܝܟܝܢ
3rd m. pl. (their)	ܙܢܗܘܢ	ܙܢܝܗܘܢ
3rd f. pl. (their)	ܙܢܗܝܢ	ܙܢܝܗܝܢ

References

• “zn”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–
• Costaz, Louis (2002) Dictionnaire syriaque-français ∙ Syriac–English Dictionary ∙ قاموس سرياني-عربي, 3rd edition, Beirut: Dar El-Machreq, p. 90a
• Payne Smith, Jessie (1903) A Compendious Syriac Dictionary Founded Upon the Thesaurus Syriacus of R. Payne Smith, D.D., Oxford: Clarendon Press, p. 118a
• Sokoloff, Michael (2009) A Syriac Lexicon: A Translation from the Latin, Correction, Expansion, and Update of C. Brockelmann's Lexicon Syriacum, Winona Lake, Indiana, Piscataway, New Jersey: Eisenbrauns; Gorgias Press, p. 387b