List of symbols
Estrangelo | Serto | Eastern | Name | Transcription |
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DIACRITICAL SIGNS
- Letter-vowels
middle a, ā/ō, ē, i (es:
, ṭallō;
, sānīn/West. pron. sōnīn;
, pēran/West. pron. pīran;
, kīnūṯō);
final: Ä/Å, Ä“, Ä« (es:
,mā/West.pron.mō;
, ṭallā/West.pron. tallō;
, mamšē;
, nī);
medium or final: u, ū, o (es:
, purqōnō;
, nuhrō;
, qūm);
medium or final: i, ē, ī (es:
, bayt;
, bīšō;
, dēn).
- Dot-vowel. The system dates back to the 4th century.
Dot above: ā/ō, es:
,
(pron. malḵō, hōy);
dot below: e/i/Ø, es:
,
,
(pron. melkō, hī, ‘ōḇḏō);
The absence of the dot could be sometimes equal to a dot below.
- Greek vowels. The system was used in the Western-Syriian context as early as the 8th century.
ba
be
bi
bo
bu
- Chaldaic vowels. The system was used in the Eastern-Syriian context as early as the 8th century.
ba
bā ( = bō West.pron.)
be
bē
bī
bū
bō
- Plural sign (syōme)
kṯōḇō – kṯōḇe (book – books)
- Hiding line
pron. mḏīṯō (city)
- Abbreviating line
On the last consonant of an incomplete word, e.g.:
(šūḇḥō, glory)
- Vocalizing line
It is written below the first of two consecutive non-vocalized consonants, in order to make clear that it must be vocalized by a short /e/, e.g.:
((deḥelṯō, fear). The short vowel will be an /a/ before guttural consonant (
).
- Accelerating line
It is written above the first of two consecutive non-vocalized consonants, in order to make clear that it must not be vocalized, e.g.:
(mšamlyō, accomplishing).
- Interjection/conjuction distinctive line
Its specific function is to distinguish the interjection "oh",
(’ō), from the homograph conjunction "or",
(’aw).
(Examples taken from Costaz 2003, p. 7-12 and 219).