# Syriac: ܓܪܒܐ



## zaw

Hi,

In the word ܓܪܒܐ the b is spirantized when it means leprosy but not spirantized when it means leper. Why? In both cases it has a non-vowel before it. If there is no vowel, there should be no spirantization either. Right?

Toda raba


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## Abaye

Did you try ܓܪܒܐ - Wiktionary, and Specifically:

*ܓܪܒܐ* • (gar*ə*ḇā) c (_plural_ *ܓܪܒܐ* (gar*ə*ḇē)) leprosy
*ܓܪܒܐ* • (garbā) m (_plural_ *ܓܪܒܐ* (garbē)) leper


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## Ali Smith

And where in the Syriac vocalization is the schwa represented? Both are spelled identically: ܓܰܪܒܳܐ


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## fdb

gareb-ā ‘leprous (fem.)’ > Syr. garbā, but garab-ā ‘leprosy’ > Syr. garḇhā. It is because in open syllables /e/ was elided earlier than /a/.


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## Ali Smith

Got it, but in both cases there was a vowel before the ܒ, wasn’t there?


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## fdb

Ali Smith said:


> Got it, but in both cases there was a vowel before the ܒ, wasn’t there?


Yes, but the /e/ was elided before the lenation rule took effect.


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## Ali Smith

I just read that when ܓܪܒܐ has a spirantized _b_, its base (i.e. its reconstructed Proto-Semitic form) is _qatal_, whereas when the _b_ is not spirantized, its base is _qatl_.


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## Abaye

The equivalent biblical Hebrew word for the Syriac leprosy is גָרָב garab(h).


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## Ali Smith

Oops! I meant "Proto-Semitic". I've changed it.


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## 𒍝𒊑𒈾 𒂵𒉿𒀉

Abaye said:


> The equivalent biblical Hebrew word for the Syriac leprosy is גָרָב garab(h).


Cognate with Arabic جرب?


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## Abaye

𒍝𒊑𒈾 𒂵𒉿𒀉 said:


> Cognate with Arabic جرب?


Indeed. You can see the Syriac, Arabic and Akkadian cognates of the Hebrew word in the Hebrew Wiktionary.



> מן המקרא. מקביל לאכדית: garābu - להצטרע, וכן סורית: ܓܲܪܒ݂ܵܐ (גַרְבָא). ערבית: جَرِبَ (גַ'רִבַּ) - מכוסה בפצעים. חוקרים משערים שבפרוטו שמית היה שורש garab שממנו הסתעפו מילים אלה.


גרב - ויקימילון


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