From Aramaic דֵּאבָא (dēʾḇā), from Proto-Semitic *ḏiʔb- (“wolf”); compare Arabic ذِئْب (ḏiʔb), Hebrew זְאֵב (z'év) and Akkadian 𒉡𒌝𒈠 (zībum, “jackall”).
ܕܹܐܒ݂ܵܐ • (dēḇā) m (plural ܕܹܐܒ݂ܹ̈ܐ (dēḇē) or ܕܹܐ̈ܒ݂ܵܒ݂ܹܐ (dēḇāḇē), feminine ܕܹܐܒ݂ܬܵܐ (dēḇtā))
| Inflection of ܕܹܐܒ݂ܵܐ (dēḇā) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| number | isolated forms | with possessive pronouns | ||||||
| state | form | person | singular | plural | ||||
| m | f | |||||||
| singular | absolute | – | 1st person | ܕܹܐܒ݂ܝܼ (dēḇī) |
ܕܹܐܒ݂ܲܢ (dēḇan) | |||
| construct | ܕܹܐܒ݂ (dēḇ) |
2nd person | ܕܹܐܒ݂ܘܼܟ݂ (dēḇūḵ) |
ܕܹܐܒ݂ܵܟ݂ܝ (dēḇāḵ) |
ܕܹܐܒ݂ܵܘܟ݂ܘܿܢ (dēḇāwḵōn) | |||
| emphatic | ܕܹܐܒ݂ܵܐ (dēḇā) |
3rd person | ܕܹܐܒ݂ܹܗ (dēḇēh) |
ܕܹܐܒ݂ܵܗ̇ (dēḇāh) |
ܕܹܐܒ݂ܗܘܿܢ (dēḇhōn) | |||
| plural | absolute | – | 1st person | ܕܹܐܒ݂ܝܼ̈ (dēḇī) |
ܕܹܐܒ݂ܲܢ̈ (dēḇan) | |||
| construct | ܕܹܐܒ݂ܲܝ̈ (dēḇay) |
2nd person | ܕܹܐܒ݂ܘܼ̈ܟ݂ (dēḇūḵ) |
ܕܹܐܒ݂ܵܟ݂ܝ̈ (dēḇāḵ) |
ܕܹܐܒ݂ܵܘ̈ܟ݂ܘܿܢ (dēḇāwḵōn) | |||
| emphatic | ܕܹܐܒ݂ܹ̈ܐ (dēḇē) |
3rd person | ܕܹܐܒ݂ܘܼ̈ܗܝ (dēḇūh) |
ܕܹܐܒ݂̈ܘܿܗ̇ (dēḇōh) |
ܕܹܐܒ݂ܗ̈ܘܿܢ (dēḇhōn) | |||
ܕܹܐܒ݂ܵܐ • (dēḇā) m
From Proto-Semitic *ḏiʔb- (“wolf”).
ܕܐܒܐ • (de’vā) m (plural ܕܐܒܐ, singular feminine counterpart ܕܐܒܬܐ)
While the word is normally considered masculine, it may occasionally be feminine when specifically referring to a female.
| state | singular | plural |
|---|---|---|
| absolute | ܕܐܒ | ܕܐܒܝܢ |
| construct | ܕܐܒ | ܕܐܒܝ |
| emphatic | ܕܐܒܐ | ܕܐܒܐ |
| possessive forms | ||
| 1st c. sg. (my) | ܕܐܒܝ | ܕܐܒܝ |
| 2nd m. sg. (your) | ܕܐܒܟ | ܕܐܒܝܟ |
| 2nd f. sg. (your) | ܕܐܒܟܝ | ܕܐܒܝܟܝ |
| 3rd m. sg. (his) | ܕܐܒܗ | ܕܐܒܘܗܝ |
| 3rd f. sg. (her) | ܕܐܒܗ | ܕܐܒܝܗ |
| 1st c. pl. (our) | ܕܐܒܢ | ܕܐܒܝܢ |
| 2nd m. pl. (your) | ܕܐܒܟܘܢ | ܕܐܒܝܟܘܢ |
| 2nd f. pl. (your) | ܕܐܒܟܝܢ | ܕܐܒܝܟܝܢ |
| 3rd m. pl. (their) | ܕܐܒܗܘܢ | ܕܐܒܝܗܘܢ |
| 3rd f. pl. (their) | ܕܐܒܗܝܢ | ܕܐܒܝܗܝܢ |