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. Found also in Lishana Deni בַּכתָּא (baxta) and Neo-Mandaic .
• Alternatively suggested to be a borrowing from Persian بخت (baxt, “luck”) or Northern Kurdish (baxt, “honor”).

• (Standard) IPA^(key):

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 ܒܪܵܬ ܚܸܡܝܵܢܝܼ̈ (brāt ḥimyānī, literally “the daughter of my parents-in-law”).
• 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)