# Aramaic: the city of Jerusalem



## flockhat

Hi guys,

How would you translate "They (m) are building the city of Jerusalem." into Aramaic?

Is המו בנין קרית ירושלם correct?

Thanks again


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## Ali Smith

No, I don't think that would work. It should be: הִמּוֹ בָּנַיִן יְרוּשְׁלֶם קִרְיְתָא


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## Drink

Can you specify which variety of Aramaic you want? Aramaic is a diverse family of languages that vary quite a bit from each other.

@Ali Smith's answer would be correct in Biblical Aramaic (which is the language of parts of the Books of Daniel and Ezra, and which I'll clarify is not the language of Jesus), but not in other varieties of Aramaic. More specifically, המו is the form used in the Book of Ezra, but not in the Book of Daniel. In the Book of Daniel it would be המון.


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## JAN SHAR

Flockhat's version seems to be fine. Yours is the one that doesn't make that much sense.


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## Drink

JAN SHAR said:


> Flockhat's version seems to be fine. Yours is the one that doesn't make that much sense.


Why is that?


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## JAN SHAR

Because she correctly translated "the city OF Jerusalem" using the construct state. By contrast, Ali Smith's version says "Jerusalem, the city".


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## Drink

"City of Jerusalem" is the English idiomatic way to say it. But it is not so in Aramaic or Hebrew. You don't say "city _of_ Jerusalem" because the city doesn't "belong to Jerusalem", but rather the city _is_ Jerusalem. So an appositive phrase is used.


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