# Syriac: spirantization of bgdkpt



## S1234

Hi everyone

Why is the last consonant of ܡܰܠܟܳܐ and ܕܰܗܒܳܐ spirantized? There is no vowel before them.

Thanks


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## Ali Smith

You are mistaken about ܡܲܠܟܵܐ; the ܟ is _not_ spirantized. See the attached picture (taken from Thackston).
But I agree that the ܒ in ܕܲܗܒܵܐ should not be spirantized but is. I have no idea why.


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## radagasty

There was a historic short vowel preceding the ܒ in ܕܲܗܒܵܐ, _cf._ Heb. זָהָב and Arab. ذَهَب‎, whence its spirantisation, which was retained following the reduction/deletion of the vowel.


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## Ali Smith

One of the exceptions to the general rule for the spirantization of bgdkpt letters is the feminine termination _-ṯā_, which is always spirantized (see attachment). However, the following seems to be an exception to this exception: ܡܵܪܬ݁ܝ (feminine of ܡܵܪܝ, which is the title of a bishop of male saint). Am I correct?


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## Ali Smith

How come ܓܘܼܕ݁ܵܦܵܐ 'blasphemy' has a plosive ܕ in Coakley?


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## radagasty

The ܕ is geminated in ܓܘܕܦܐ.


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## Ali Smith

Thanks! I had another question: why is the ת in כָּתִבְתָא (active participle Pe'al f.s. emphatic כתב) spirantized despite being preceded by a שוא?


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