The Neo-Aramaic Dialect of Bohtan

189 Pages·2016·0.93 MB·English

by  Fox S.E.

The Neo-Aramaic Dialect of
Bohtan
Gorgias Neo-Aramaic Studies
9
Series Editors
Geoffrey Khan
Hezy Mutzafi
The purpose of the Neo-Aramaic Studies series is to publish
volumesrelatingtothemoderndialectsofAramaicortheliterature
of the Christian and Jewish speakers of these dialects. The volumes
will include linguistic studies relating to any of the dialects or to
groups of dialects.
The Neo-Aramaic Dialect of
Bohtan
Samuel Ethan Fox
9
34
2009
Gorgias Press LLC, 180 Centennial Ave., Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
www.gorgiaspress.com
Copyright © 2 0 0 9 by Gorgias Press LLC
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright
Conventions. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise without the
prior written permission of Gorgias Press LLC.
2009 ܐܒ 9
ISBN 978-1-60724-133-1 ISSN 1935-4428
Printed in the United States of America
In Memory of Beverly Fried Fox
הכרבל הנורכז

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................... V

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .................................................................................. IX

ABBREVIATIONS........................................................................................... XI

INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................1

0.1. Original Homeland of Speakers ....................................................... 1

0.2. Outline of the Period 1915-2000 ..................................................... 3

0.3. Current Location, Situation, and Numbers ...................................... 4

0.4. Other Languages Spoken by Bohtan Speakers ................................. 4

0.5. Bohtan within NENA .......................................................................5

1. PHONOLOGY ..........................................................................................7

1.1. Consonants .......................................................................................7

1.1.1. Chart .............................................................................................7

1.1.2. Realization ....................................................................................7

1.2. bgdkpt ..............................................................................................8

1.2.1. Regular..........................................................................................8

1.2.2. Occasional f ..................................................................................9

1.2.3. Borrowed and Native č .................................................................9

1.2.4 Reflexes of ġ, ḥ, ʿ, and ʾ ................................................................1 0

1.3. Vowels ...........................................................................................1 0

1.3.1. Nature of long / short alternation ..............................................1 0

1.3.2. Long vowels ................................................................................1 2

1.3.3. Short Vowels ...............................................................................1 3

1.3.4. Vowel Minimal Pairs ...................................................................1 4

1.3.5. Diphthongs ..................................................................................1 6

1.3 6. Acoustic Analysis of Vowels .......................................................1 7

1.3.7. Problem of Overlap .....................................................................1 8

1.4. Stress ..............................................................................................1 8

1.4.1. General Remarks .........................................................................1 8

1.4.2. Verbal Constructions ...................................................................1 9

1.4.3. Nouns with Suffixes ....................................................................1 9

1.5. Emphasis ........................................................................................2 0
VI TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.6. Historical Changes ......................................................................... 20

1.6.1. a > o .......................................................................................... 20

1.6.2. ay > a ........................................................................................ 22

1.7. Variability ...................................................................................... 23

1.7.1. oyV / owV / ohV ......................................................................... 23

1.7.2. The Alternation k / c .................................................................. 23

1.7.3. The Alternation u / ü ................................................................. 23

1.7.4. The Alternation i / ü .................................................................. 24

1.8. Consonant Clusters ........................................................................ 24

1.9. Gemination .................................................................................... 26

2. MORPHOLOGY ..................................................................................... 29

2.1. The Verb ........................................................................................ 29

2.1.1. Historical Origins of the System ................................................. 29

2.1.2. Stems .......................................................................................... 31

2.1.3. Classes ........................................................................................ 31

2.1.4. Weak Verbs ................................................................................. 39

2.1.5. Irregular Verbs ........................................................................... 45

2.1.6. Subject Marking ......................................................................... 51

2.1.7. Tense Formation and Meaning ................................................... 55

2.1.8. Negation ..................................................................................... 57

2.1.9. Special Negative Forms .............................................................. 59

2.1.10. Object Marking ......................................................................... 60

2.1.11. Summary of Subject and Object Marking ................................. 60

2.1.12. Copula ...................................................................................... 61

2.1.13. Verbal Paradigms ..................................................................... 68

2.2. Pronouns ........................................................................................ 74

2.2.1. Independent ................................................................................ 74

2.2.2. Pronominal Suffixes.................................................................... 75

2.2.3. Independent Possessive Pronouns .............................................. 76

2.2.4. Reflexive ..................................................................................... 77

2.2.5. Reciprocal ................................................................................... 78

2.2.6. Demonstratives ........................................................................... 78

2.2.7. Interrogatives ............................................................................. 80

2.3. The Noun ....................................................................................... 82

2.3.1. General ....................................................................................... 82

2.3.2. Common Noun Patterns ............................................................. 83

2.3.3. Gender ........................................................................................ 86

2.3.4. Derivational Suffixes .................................................................. 87

2.3.5. Plural Formation ........................................................................ 88

2.3.6. Iḍafa Formation .......................................................................... 92
TABLE OF CONTENTS VII

2.4. The Adjective .................................................................................9 3

2.4.1. General .......................................................................................9 3

2.4.2. Adjectives with Limited Agreement ............................................9 4

2.4.3 Invariable adjectives ....................................................................9 5

2.4.4. Comparison .................................................................................9 5

2.5. Adverbs ..........................................................................................9 5

2.5.1. Adverbs of Time ..........................................................................9 5

2.5.2. Adverbs of Direction ...................................................................9 6

2.5.3. Adverbs of Place .........................................................................9 6

2.5.4. Adverbs of Manner .....................................................................9 6

2.5.5. Adverbs of Quantity ....................................................................9 6

2.5.6. Others .........................................................................................9 6

2.6. Pre- and Postpositions ....................................................................9 7

2.6.1. Prepositions ................................................................................9 7

2.6.2. Postposition –lal ........................................................................101

2.7. Conjunctions ................................................................................102

2.8. Numbers .......................................................................................103

3. SYNTAX ..............................................................................................105

3.1. Clauses .........................................................................................105

3.1.1. Copular Clause Elements and Sequence ...................................105

3.1.2. īt Clause ....................................................................................106

3.1.3. Possession .................................................................................106

3.1.4. Verbal Clause Constituents .......................................................107

3.1.5. Interrogatives ............................................................................109

3.2. Clause Sequences .........................................................................110

3.3. Subordinate Clauses .....................................................................110

3.3.1. Relative Clauses ........................................................................110

3.3.2. Conditionals ..............................................................................111

3.3.3. Complements ............................................................................112

3.4. Noun Phrases ...............................................................................112

3.4.1. Definiteness ...............................................................................112

3.4.2. Numbers ....................................................................................114

4. TEXTS .................................................................................................116

4.1. Jambali ........................................................................................116

4.2. Anecdote: The Brides ...................................................................132

4.3. Anecdote: The Grooms .................................................................134

5. GLOSSARY ..........................................................................................139

BIBLIOGRAPHY ...........................................................................................173