Gender, Number, Definiteness
Nouns have gender (m/f), number (sg/pl), and three states: determined ("ָא" suffix: מַלְכָּא = the king), absolute (מַלֵךְ), and construct (מַלְכוּת ד… = "kingdom of…").
| Number | Determined | Absolute | Construct |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sg. | מַלְכָּא | מַלֵךְ | מַלְכוּת |
| Pl. | מַלְכַיָּא | מַלְכִין | מַלְכֵי |
Noun Patterns & Word Formation
Most sugya nouns are built on a handful of recurring patterns. Recognising the pattern saves a dictionary lookup: once you see that a word is an action noun or an instrument noun, you have already guessed its sense.
| Pattern | Function | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| קְטָלָא | Action noun | שְׁמָעָא · טַעֲמָא |
| ־וּתָא | Abstract noun | מַלְכוּתָא · רְשׁוּתָא |
| ־תָא | Determined feminine | מִילְתָא · שַׁעְתָּא |
| ־נָא | Instrument / agent | לִישָׁנָא · דַּיָּינָא |
| ־אֵי | Determined plural | רַבָּנַן · מִילֵּי |
Pronominal Suffixes on Nouns & Prepositions
Possessive suffixes attach to determined nouns (free pronouns are independent words). The same suffixes attach to prepositions and to verbs (as direct object).
| Person | On noun (horse) | On prep. "to" |
|---|---|---|
| 1s | סוּסִי | לִי |
| 2ms | סוּסָךְ | לָךְ |
| 2fs | סוּסִיךְ | לִיךְ |
| 3ms | סוּסֵיהּ | לֵיהּ |
| 3fs | סוּסַהּ | לַהּ |
| 1p | סוּסַן | לַן |
| 2mp | סוּסַיְכוּ | לְכוּ |
| 3mp | סוּסַיְהוּ | לְהוּ |
| 3fp | סוּסַיְהֵין | לְהֵין |
Adjectives & Agreement
Adjectives agree with the noun in gender, number, and state. The noun precedes the adjective: גַּבְרָא רַבָּא ("a great man"), מִילְּתָא זוּטַרְתָּא ("a small matter").
| Gender/Number | Example |
|---|---|
| m. sg. | רַבָּא · זוּטָא · טָבָא |
| f. sg. | רַבְּתָא · זוּטַרְתָּא · טַבְתָא |
| m. pl. | רַבְרְבֵי · זוּטְרֵי · טָבֵי |
| f. pl. | רַבְרְבָתָא · זוּטַרְתָּתָא · טָבָתָא |
Pronouns
Free pronouns: אֲנָא (I), אַתְּ (you-m), הוּא, הִיא; plurals אֲנַן, אַתּוּן, אִינּוּן, אִינִּין. Short suffix forms attach to verbs and determined nouns.
| Person | Free | Suffix |
|---|---|---|
| 1s | אֲנָא | ־י / ־ני |
| 2ms | אַתְּ | ־ךְ |
| 3ms | הוּא | ־יה |
| 3fs | הִיא | ־ה |
| 1p | אֲנַן | ־ן / ־נן |
| 3mp | אִינּוּן | ־הון |
Numbers, Time & Measures
Numerals and measures recur in every sugya dealing with money or time, and they are often precisely the words that stall a reading.
| Category | Forms |
|---|---|
| Numerals 1–5 | חַד · תְּרֵי · תְּלָת · אַרְבַּע · חֲמֵשׁ |
| Ordinals | קַמָּא · בָּתְרָא · מְצִיעָא |
| Time | יוֹמָא · שַׁתָּא · שַׁעְתָּא · לְאַלְתַּר · לְבָתַר |
| Measures & currency | זוּזָא · מָנֵי · גַּרְמִידֵי · תַּרְקַבָּא |