08-23-2004, 11:28 PM
Zechariah14 Wrote:Mr. Roth, There seems to be a difference between the word you use in your article on the Gowra scenario, and the word that appears in the Peshitta interlinear. Can you explain the difference? (hope the font comes out right)
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The font came out fine Akhi Zechariah. Sorry it took me so long to respond as I just noticed this tonight. The answer to your questin is that the basic lexical form of the word is GOWRA. As it appears in the Peshitta it is in a conjugated stated, third person femine, which drops the aleph and puts in a heh, hence the reading HER GOWRA, meaning Mary's protector-guardian.
To be technical, this is called the CONSTRUCT state. You see, GOWRA appears as spelled in the regular lexical state of the noun, or EMPHATIC. If you want to establish a possesive situation in the emphatic, you need a DALET to function as "of", so:
miltha d'Alaha = Word of God
In the CONSTRUCT state the last letter of the first word, alap, is "knocked down" to make way for a heh that is "nailed on". Then the dalet, whcih was "of", is "cleared away", at least, that's how I remember it as "construct". The end result:
miltheh Alaha = God's word
Grammar techicalities though are not my strength so I defer to Akhi Paul if I did not explain this right.
Next question...
The lexicon seems to say this should be pronounced Gabrah or Gabroh depending on the dialect. How does this become Gowra?
AGR:
In most cases the BEYT (B) is pronounced as "B", hence, GAHB-RA. However, in a few cases the BEYT can be turned into a "V" or a "W" sound. This is true with John's father. In the Greek he is called ZEBDAIOS, because they assume the BEYT is "B" and add -aios. The Peshitta dialect however turns that BEYT into a W (see Akhan Paul's interlinear), so John's father is ZAWDI (less of course the Greek "aios" whcih it would not have in Aramaic).
Same thing with GOWRA, the BEYT takes on the WAW property. As to why the lexicon says what it does, I don't know. Akhi Paul might have some insight as to why Dr. Kiraz did that, although it is worth noting that Kiraz does nto speak the Eastern Aramaic dialect of the Peshitta.
Hope this helps and again sorry for not seeing your question earlier.
Thank you for you time and your ministry,
In Messiah,
Wayne Ingalls
AGR:
My pleasure. And by the way, check what I say against the best Aramaci grammar on the web: <!-- w --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.assyrianlanguage.com">http://www.assyrianlanguage.com</a><!-- w -->, which you can also access from the links section at the left. Good luck!
Shlama w'burkate
Andrew Gabriel Roth
Andrew Gabriel Roth