ܒܟܬܐ

Displace the older ܐܲܢ݇ܬܬ݂ܵܐ (atṯā). This form is already found in the early eleventh century al-Kitab al-Musta’īnī by Ibn Baklarish as /baxta/, translating the word for woman. Of disputed etymology:

• Probably derived from *ܒܵܟ݂ܬܵܐ (bāḵtā), the absolute form of *ܒܵܟ݂ܸܬ݂ܬܵܐ (bāḵiṯtā, “spinster, weaving woman”), which already had the meaning of working woman in the 5th century as documented in Classical Syriac.^[1] Found also in Lishana Deni בַּכתָּא (baxta) and Neo-Mandaic [Term?].
• Alternatively suggested to be a borrowing from Persian بخت (baxt, “luck”) or Northern Kurdish [script needed] (baxt, “honor”).

• (Standard) IPA^(key): [bax.tɑː]

ܒܲܟ݂ܬܵܐ • (baḵtā) f (plural ܒܲܟ݂̈ܬܵܬ݂ܵܐ (baḵtāṯā) or ܢܸܫܹ̈ܐ (niššē), masculine ܓܲܒ݂ܪܵܐ (gaḇrā))

1. woman (adult human female)
   • c. 2014, ܕܝܬܩܐ ܚܕܬܐ ܕܡܪܢ ܝܫܘܥ ܡܫܝܚܐ ܘܡܙܡܘܪ̈ܐ ܒܠܫܢܐ ܐܬܘܪܝܐ, Aramaic Bible Translation, Inc., Proverbs 11:16:

     ܒܲܟ݂ܬܵܐ ܡܵܪܲܬ݂ ܛܲܝܒܘܼܬ݂ܵܐ ܟܹܐ ܕܵܒ݂ܩܵܐ ܐܝܼܩܵܪܵܐ، ܐܝܼܢܵܐ ܓܲܒ݂ܪܹ̈ܐ ܥܲܫܝܼ̈ܢܹܐ ܟܹܐ ܕܵܒ݂ܩܝܼ ܥܘܼܬ݂ܪܵܐ.

     baḵtā māraṯ ṭaybūṯā kē dāḇqā īqārā, īnā gaḇrē ˁašīnē kē dāḇqī ˁuṯrā.

     A gracious woman retains honour, But ruthless men retain riches.

   • c. 2014, ܕܝܬܩܐ ܚܕܬܐ ܕܡܪܢ ܝܫܘܥ ܡܫܝܚܐ ܘܡܙܡܘܪ̈ܐ ܒܠܫܢܐ ܐܬܘܪܝܐ, Aramaic Bible Translation, Inc., 1 Corinthians 11:11:

     ܡܸܛܠ ܕܵܐܟ݂ܝܼ ܕܒܲܟ݂ܬܵܐ ܐ݇ܬ݂ܹܐ ܠܵܗ̇ ܡܸܢ ܓܲܒ݂ܪܵܐ، ܗܵܕܟ݂ܵܐ ܐܵܦ ܓܲܒ݂ܪܵܐ ܗܸܘܝܵܐ ܝܠܹܗ ܡܸܢ ܒܲܟ݂ܬܵܐ؛ ܐܝܼܢܵܐ ܟܠ ܡܸܢܕܝܼ ܡܸܢ ܐܲܠܵܗܵܐ ܝܠܹܗ.

     miṭṭul dāḵī d-baḵtā ṯē lāh min gaḇrā, hādḵā āp gaḇrā hiwyā ìlēh min baḵtā; īnā kul mindī min allāhā ìlēh.

     For as woman came from man, even so man also comes from woman; but all things are from God.

2. wife (female spouse)
   • c. 2014, ܕܝܬܩܐ ܚܕܬܐ ܕܡܪܢ ܝܫܘܥ ܡܫܝܚܐ ܘܡܙܡܘܪ̈ܐ ܒܠܫܢܐ ܐܬܘܪܝܐ, Aramaic Bible Translation, Inc., Proverbs 18:22:

     ܗ̇ܘ ܕܡܲܫ݇ܟ̰ܸܚ ܒܲܟ݂ܬܵܐ ܟܹܐ ܡܲܫ݇ܟ̰ܸܚ ܛܵܒ݂ܬܵܐ، ܘܟܹܐ ܡܦܲܠܸܛ ܒܲܣܝܼܡܘܼܬ݂ܵܐ ܡܸܢ ܡܵܪܝܵܐ.

     awa d-mačiḥ baḵtā kē mačiḥ ṭāḇtā, w-kē mpalliṭ basīmūṯā min māryā.

     He who finds a wife finds a good thing, And obtains favour from the Lord.

• It is traditionally disrespectful and immodest for a husband to refer to his wife with this word, instead, he will use ܡܵܪ̈ܘܵܬ݂ܝܼ (mārwāṯī) or ܒܪܵܬ ܚܸܡܝܵܢܝܼ̈ (brāt ḥimyānī, literally “the daughter of my parents-in-law”) or ܝܸܡܵܐ ܕܝܲܠܘܼܕ݂ܝܼ (yimmā dyalūḏī, literally “the mother of my child(ren)”)
• Although this word has displaced the word ܐܲܢ݇ܬܬ݂ܵܐ (atṯā), its plural ܢܸܫܹ̈ܐ (niššē) is still the common plural in some dialects and used in formal context unlike ܒܲܟ݂̈ܬܵܬ݂ܵܐ (baḵtāṯā).
• Some dialects may reserve the plural ܒܲܟ݂̈ܬܵܬ݂ܵܐ (baḵtāṯā) for the sense of wives, and ܢܸܫܹ̈ܐ (niššē) for the sense of women.

• (sex, martial status): ܓܲܒ݂ܪܵܐ (gaḇrā)
• (age): ܝܲܠܕܬܵܐ (yaldtā), ܒܪܵܬܵܐ (brātā)