Peculiarities of the Malabar Pronunciation of East Syriac

Work in progress. These notes are incomplete and will be revised.

These notes collect the main points where the East Syrians of Malabar differ from (or selectively apply) the Classical East Syriac pronunciation used in the Middle East, following Rev. Fr. Thomas Arayathinal’s Aramaic (Syriac) Grammar, Vol. 1. Page references are to that volume. Each example gives Syriac, academic transliteration, Malayalam, and a short gloss.

1. Short reading of ptaha and zlama pšiqa

Vol. 1, p. 9

The East Syrians of Malabar do not pronounce the ptaha and zlama pšiqa vowels long in the following positions, as the Middle Easterners do - they read them as written:

when they are on the penultimate, or
in monosyllabic words followed by a single non-vocalised consonant

ܡܵܪܲܢ māran മാറൻ - our Lord
ܠܲܢ lan ലൻ‌ - to us
ܡܲܢ man മൻ‌ - who
ܩܪܸܒ݂ qrew ക്രെവ് - draw near

Exception:

ܟܸܢ kēn കേൻ‌ - then
ܒܵܬܲܪܟܸܢ bāṯarkēn ബാസർകേൻ - afterwards

2. Short vowels in closed syllables

All vowels are supposed to be pronounced short when they stand at the beginning of a closed syllable except the final, or when they terminate a word (general rule in East Syriac).

ܒܵܝܫܵܐ bayšā ബയ്ശാ - evil
ܪܵܚܡܵܐ raḥmā റഹ്‌മാ - mercy
ܣܵܘܦܵܐ sawpā സൗപാ - end

However, the East Syrians of Malabar do not stick hard and fast to this rule with regard to the zqapha, except for a few words like:

ܡܵܪܝܵܐ maryā മർയാ - the Lord
ܥܵܠܡܵܐ almā അൽമാ - world

3. Doubling after a short vowel

Vol. 1, p. 11

Doubling happens for vocalized letters immediately followed by a short vowel:

ܩܲܛܸܠ qaṭṭel കത്തെൽ‌ - kill
ܙܲܟܵܝܵܐ sakkāyā സക്കായാ - righteous
ܚܸܟܵܐ ḥekkā ഹെക്കാ - palate

Doubling does not happen in the following cases:

Gutturals and resh

When a short vowel is followed by a guttural or ܪ, no doubling happens - the short vowel is lengthened instead.

ܫܲܪܝܼ šārī ശാറീ - begin
ܚܲܪܲܪ ḥārar ഹാറർ - set free
ܪܲܚܸܡ rāḥem റാഹെം - have mercy
ܐܲܚܸܒ݂ āḥew ആഹെവ് - love
ܪܲܥܝܼ rāʿī റാഈ - shepherd

Initial alap with ptaha or zlama

When the vocalized letter follows an initial alap with ܐܲ or ܐܸ which (vowels) other letters in such a position do not admit.

ܐܲܠܵܗܵܐ ālāhā ആലാഹാ - God
ܐܲܒ݂ܵܐ āwā ആവാ - father
ܐܲܕܘܿܡ ādōm ആദോം - Adam
ܐܸܒܲܕ ēwad ഏവദ് - he perished
ܐܸܡܲܪ ēmar ഏമർ - he said (?)

Waw after a short vowel

When the vocalised letter following a short vowel (especially ptaha ܐܲ) is waw (ܘ), the East Syrians even change ܐܲ into ܐܵ before ܘ.

In writing (pronunciation unchanged):

ܚܵܘܝܼ for ܚܲܘܝܼ ḥawi ഹവി - show (?)
ܫܵܘܝܼ for ܫܲܘܝܼ šawi ശവി - make equal

They indiscriminately make this change of ܐܲ into ܐܵ (in writing, not in pronouncing) even when ܘ is not vocalised:

ܚܵܘܒܵܐ for ܚܲܘܒܵܐ ḥawbā ഹവ്ബാ - debt
ܪܵܘܡܵܐ for ܪܲܘܡܵܐ rawmā റവ്മാ - height

Analogy of form

There takes place no doubling if the vowel on the consonant following the short vowel is not due to it according to the analogy of words of the same form.

ܚܲܕܘܼܬ݂ܵܐ for ܚܲܕܘ̱ܬ݂ܵܐ ḥādūsā ഹാദൂസാ - joy
ܐܸܬ݂ܝܼܠܸܕ for ܐܸܬ݂ܝ̱ܠܸܕ esīled എസീലെദ് - he was born

4. Nasal affection of duplicated beth, gamal, dalath

Vol. 1, p. 12

The East Syrians of Malabar give a nasal sound to the letters ܒ ܓ ܕ when duplicated:

ܩܲܕܝܼܫܵܐ qandīšā കന്ദീശാ - holy
ܐܲܒ݁ܝܼܕܵܐ ambīdā അമ്പീദാ - lost
ܣܲܓ݁ܝܼܐܵܐ sangīā സങ്കീആ - many

5. After ḥbaṣa or rbaṣa of waw

The vocalized letter following ܘܼ or ܘܿ is not doubled; but it may be pronounced hard or soft according to its etymological nature.

Soft or plain (no nasal)

ܩܘܼܒܵܠܵܐ qūbālā കൂബാലാ - reception
ܣܘܼܬܵܪܵܐ sūtārā സൂതാറാ - protection
ܟܪܘܼܒ݂ܵܐ krōwā ക്റോവാ - cherub
ܟܘܼܒܹܐ kūbē കുവേ - thorn
ܩܘܼܒܵܠܛܲܝܒ݁ܘܼܬ݂ܵܐ qūwālṭaybūṯā കൂവാൽതയ്ബൂസാ - thanksgiving

Exceptions (nasal or doubled)

ܚܘܼܒܵܐ ḥumbā ഹുമ്പാ - love
ܥܘܼܒܵܐ umbā ഉമ്പാ - bosom
ܐܸܣܦܘܼܓܵܐ espungā എസ്പുങ്കാ - sponge
ܛܪܘܼܓܵܐ ṭrungā ത്രുങ്കാ - citron
ܟܠܵܐ kollā കൊല്ലാ - all
ܟܘܿܬ݁ܝܼܢܵܐ kottīnā കൊത്തീനാ - tunic

6. Loss of vowel on a duplicated letter

When the duplicated letter, in the course of inflexion, loses its vowel, it remains hard, having only šwa without doubling and nasal affection.

ܡܠܲܒ݁ܒ݂ܵܐ mlabwā മ്‌ലബ്‌വാ‌ - encouraged (from ܡܠܲܒܸ݁ܒ݂ mlambew മ്‌ലമ്പെവ് - encourage)
ܠܸܒ̇ܗܘܿܢ lebhōn ലെബ്‌ഹോൻ - their heart (from ܠܸܒܵܐ lembā ലെമ്പാ - heart)
ܡܩܲܕܫܝܼܢ mqadšīn മ്കദ്‌ശീൻ‌ - they sanctify (from ܡܩܲܕܸܫ mqandeš മ്കന്ദെശ് - he sanctifies)

However, the East Syrians of Malabar retain the nasal together with the hard aspirate if no syllable comes after it:

ܠܹܒ݁ܝ lēmb ലേമ്പ് - my heart
ܚܘܼܒ݁ܝ ḥumb ഹുമ്പ് - my love

Counter example:

ܠܸܒ݁ܟ݂ܘܿܢ lebḵōn - your (pl.) heart (?)

Special cases

Words still under closer consideration:

ܓܵܘܵܐ gāwā - inside
ܚܵܘܵܐ ḥawwā ഹവ്വാ - Eve (traditionally pronounced with doubled w)
ܐܵܕܵܡ ādam ആദം - Adam (traditional Malabar form)
ܓܵܘܵܝܵܐ gāwāyā - inner (supposedly said gawwaya)
ܚܲܕܝܼ ḥādī - rejoice (written with ptaha; long by the lengthening rule. Fr. Thelly, Fr. Kattakayam, and Malpan Fr. Mathew Vellanickal sometimes say handi in recordings.)
ܣܸܓܕܬ݂ܵܐ segdṯā സെഗ്‌ദ്സാ - worship
ܗܘ̤ܝܼ hawī ഹവീ - be (ܗ is not silent; and not read as ഹ്വീ)

References

Thomas Arayathinal, Aramaic (Syriac) Grammar, Vol. 1, St. Joseph’s Press, Mannanam, 1957.