Classical Syriac

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [sɛfrɑ(ʔ)] (singular)
• IPA^(key): [sɛfre(ʔ)] (plural)

Noun

ܣܦܪܐ • ‎(spārā’) m ‎(plural ܣܦܪܐ)

1. writings
2. document, scroll
3. book
4. literature
5. letters, characters
6. speech, language

Inflection

Etymology 2

From the root ܣ-ܦ-ܪ ‎(s-p-r) related to narrating, derived from above. Compare Arabic سَافِر ‎(sāfir) and Hebrew סוֹפֵר ‎(sôᵽēr).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [sɑfrɑ(ʔ)] (singular)
• IPA^(key): [sɑfre(ʔ)] (plural)

Noun

ܣܦܪܐ • ‎(transliteration needed) m ‎(plural ܣܦܪܐ, singular feminine counterpart ܣܦܪܬܐ)

1. scribe, writer
2. clerk
3. lawyer, notary
4. master, schoolmaster, teacher, doctor
5. one learned in sacred scriptures

Inflection

Etymology 3

From the root ܣ-ܦ-ܪ ‎(s-p-r) related to shearing. Compare Hebrew סַפָּר ‎(sappār).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [sappɑrɑ(ʔ)] (singular)
• IPA^(key): [sappɑre(ʔ)] (plural)

Noun

ܣܦܪܐ • ‎(transliteration needed) m ‎(plural ܣܦܪܐ, singular feminine counterpart ܣܦܪܬܐ)

1. shearer, barber

Inflection

Etymology 4

Cognate with ܣܦܬܐ ‎(seᵽ(ə)ṯā(ʾ), “lip; shore”). Compare Hebrew סְפָר ‎(səᵽār).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [s(ə)fɑrɑ(ʔ)] (singular)
• IPA^(key): [s(ə)fɑre(ʔ)] (plural)

Noun

ܣܦܪܐ • ‎(transliteration needed) m ‎(plural ܣܦܪܐ)

1. shore, coast
2. riverbank
3. border
4. edge, margin
5. corner

Inflection

References

• “spr”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–
• Costaz, Louis (2002) Dictionnaire syriaque-français : Syriac–English Dictionary, 3rd edition, Beirut: Dar El-Machreq, pp. 234b-235a
• Payne Smith, Jessie (1903) A Compendious Syriac Dictionary Founded Upon the Thesaurus Syriacus of R. Payne Smith, D.D., Oxford: Clarendon Press, p. 387a-b
• 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. 1035a-b