Lesson 4

Kap (ܟـ), Lamdadh (ܠ), Meem (ܡـ), Noon (ܢـ)

ܟـ
Kap (k)
The eleventh letter of the alap-beth, kap is pronounced identically to the English "K," such as in the word "keep." Kap continues the writing line to the following letter.
ܠ
Lamadh (l)
The twelfth letter of the alap-beth, lamadh is pronounced identically to the English "L," such as in the word "light." Lamadh continues the writing line to the following letter.
ܡـ
Meem (m)
The thirteenth letter of the alap-beth, meem is pronounced identically to the English "M," such as in the word "make." Meem continues the writing line to the following letter.
ܢـ
Noon (n)
The fourteenth letter of the alap-beth, noon is pronounced identically to the English "N," such as in the word "night." Noon continues the writing line to the following letter.

Note On Ending Forms

Three letters in Chaldean Neo-Aramaic (kap, meem, and noon) have special ending forms when they are the last letters in a word. When meem is the last letter in a word, it is written as ـܡ. When meem is anywhere else in a word, it is written as ܡـ.

 

Kap and noon have two ending forms based on if the letter before it continues the writing line to the following letter or not. If it does continue the writing line, then kap is written is ـܟ, if it does not continue the writing line, then kap is written as ܟ. Noon is written is ـܢ if the letter continues the writing line, and as ܢ if the previous letter does not continue the writing line. Anywhere else in a word, kap is written as ܟـ, and noon is written as ܢـ.

Practice

A. Read the following aloud to practice the sounds of consonants and vowels, check the English transliteration at the bottom of the page for the answers.

ܐ.ܟ، ܟ، ܟ، ܟܝܼ، ܟܝܼ، ܟܝܼ، ܟܸ، ܟܸ ܟܸ

ܒ. ܠ، ܠ، ܠ، ܠܲ، ܠܲ، ܠܲ، ܠܹ، ܠܹ، ܠܹ

ܓ. ܡ، ܡ، ܡ، ܡܘܼ، ܡܘܼ، ܡܘܼ، ܡܝܼ، ܡܝܼ، ܡܝܼ

ܕ. ܢ، ܢ، ܢ، ܢܘܿ، ܢܘܿ، ܢܘܿ، ܢܵ، ܢܵ، ܢܵ

B. Read the following aloud to practice reading real words in Chaldean, check the English transliteration at the bottom of
the page for the answers.

ܐ. ܡܸـ ـܢ: ܡܸܢ

ܒ. ܡܲܠ ܟܵܐ: ܡܲܠܟܵܐ

ܓ. ܛܵ ܒܸܠ: ܛܵܒܸܠ

ܕ. ܟܲܠ ܒܵܐ: ܟܲܠܒܵܐ

ܗ. ܐܵ ܢܵܐ: ܐܵܢܵܐ

Answers

A. 

  1. k, k, k, kee, kee, kee, ki, ki, ki
  2. l, l, l, la, la, la, le, le, le
  3. m, m, m, moo, moo, moo, mee, mee, mee
  4. n, n, n, no, no, no, na, na, na

B. 

  1. mi n: min (from)
  2. mal ka: malka (king)
  3. ta bil: tabil (drum)
  4. kal ba: kalba (male dog)
  5. a na: ana (I)