← Babylonian (Talmudic) Aramaic
How do you say "us" in Babylonian Aramaic?
The Aramaic of the Babylonian Talmud has no separate word for "us" as English has. It says "us" with a short ending, -an, which joins the word before it. The commonest form of all is לַן (lan), "to us, for us, us": לְ-, "to", with the ending -an. You have met it many times already: מְנָלַן, "from where do we know it?", word for word "from where to us?" (lesson 69, Section F); לָא קָא מִיבַּעְיָא לַן, "it is no question for us" (lesson 69, Section F); לָא הֲוָה לַן נַהֲמָא, "we had no bread", word for word "there was not to us bread" (64.23); and וְלֵית לַן מִידֵּי, "and we have nothing" (lesson 67, Section F). In this lesson the word is the subject itself.
The English learner should notice four things at once.
First, "us" is an ending, not a word. English puts "us" after the verb or the preposition: "with us", "before us". Aramaic fixes -an to the end of the preposition: בַּהֲדַן, "with us" (70.8); קַמַּן, "before us" (70.6); מִינַּן, "from us" (70.10); עֲלַן, "on us" (70.5).
Second, "to us" and "for us" are one form, לַן. Where English says "he said to us", "give us", "he gave us", Aramaic says לַן every time: אֲמַר לַן (70.1), הַב לַן נַהֲמָא (70.2), יְהַב לַן זוּזָא (70.4). The person who receives always takes לְ-, as you learned with יְהַב in lesson 67.
Third, "we" and "us" are different. "We" as the subject is אֲנַן (ʾănan), a word of its own; lesson 29 taught the longer form אֲנַחְנָא, but the Gemara itself mostly says אֲנַן, as in עַנְיֵי אֲנַן, "we are poor men" (lesson 67, Section F). In the participle, "we" is the ending -īnan: יָדְעִינַן, "we know" (70.15), אָזְלִינַן, "we go" (lesson 69). Both "we" and "us" end in -an, so look at what the ending is fixed to: a preposition with -an is "us"; a participle with -īnan is "we".
Fourth, a verb can take -an as its object. The Gemara's prayer רַחֲמָנָא לִיצְּלַן, "may the Merciful One save us" (70.11, Section F), is the verb "may he save" with -an, "us", fixed to its end. This is the form of "us" you will hear in Jewish speech to this day.
The ending -an is the same "us" found across the Aramaic dialects; in Hebrew the matching ending is -nū, as in לָנוּ, "to us". This lesson teaches לַן and its family, and shows "we" beside it in Section D.
In this lesson the romanisation follows a simple academic scheme: ʾ for א, ʿ for ע, ḥ for ח, ṭ for ט, ṣ for צ, q for ק, sh for שׁ, kh for soft כ, v for soft ב, f for soft פ, w for consonantal ו; long vowels are marked with a macron (ā, ē, ī, ō, ū), and ə stands for the short vowel shewa.
- לַן (lan) = "to us, for us, us" - "Us" is the ending -an: קַמַּן "before us", בַּהֲדַן "with us", מִינַּן "from us", עֲלַן "on us", כְּוָותַן "like us", לְגַבַּן "to us, to our place" - A verb takes -an too: רַחֲמָנָא לִיצְּלַן = "may the Merciful One save us" - מְנָלַן = "from where do we know it?"; קָמַשְׁמַע לַן = "it teaches us" - "We" is different: אֲנַן (ʾănan), and the participle ending -īnan: יָדְעִינַן "we know" - חַד מִינַּן = "one of us"
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The sentences of Sections A to C and of the Genre Section are written for this lesson; they are not quotations from the Talmud, except these: 70.3 is the Gemara's question (Chullin 11a), 70.7 is a phrase of the Gemara (Berakhot 2a), 70.11 is the Gemara's prayer (Taanit 9b), and 70.12 and 70.14 are phrases of the Gemara (Chullin 11a), all as in the William Davidson edition on Sefaria.
70.1a אֲמַר he-said לַן to-us
70.1b ʾămar (a-MAR) say-PERF.3M.SG lan (LAN) to-us
70.2a הַב give לַן us נַהֲמָא bread
70.2b hav (HAV) give-IMPV.M.SG lan (LAN) to-us nahămā (na-ha-MAA) bread-M.SG.EMPH
70.3a מְנָלַן from-where-for-us
70.3b mənālan (m'-NAA-lan) from-where-to-us
70.4a יְהַב he-gave לַן us זוּזָא a-zuz
70.4b yəhav (y'-HAV) give-PERF.3M.SG lan (LAN) to-us zūzā (zoo-ZAA) zuz-M.SG.EMPH
70.5a מִטְרָא the-rain נָחֵית comes-down עֲלַן on-us
70.5b miṭrā (mit-RAA) rain-M.SG.EMPH nāḥēt (naa-KHAYT) come.down-PTCP.M.SG ʿălan (a-LAN) on-us
70.6a רַב Rav פָּפָּא Pappa יָתֵיב sits קַמַּן before-us
70.6b Rav (RAV) Rav Pāppā (PAP-paa) Pappa yātēv (yaa-TAYV) sit-PTCP.M.SG qamman (KAM-man) before-us
70.7a הָא this קָמַשְׁמַע it-teaches לַן us
70.7b hā (HAA) this qā-mashmaʿ (kaa-mash-MA) PROG-make.hear-PTCP.M.SG lan (LAN) to-us
70.8a תַּלְמִידָא the-student אֲזַל went בַּהֲדַן with-us לְבֵי to-the-house-of מִדְרְשָׁא study
70.8b talmīdā (tal-mee-DAA) student-M.SG.EMPH ʾăzal (a-ZAL) go-PERF.3M.SG bahădan (ba-ha-DAN) with-us lə-vē (l'-VAY) to-house-CONST midrəshā (mid-r'-SHAA) study-M.SG.EMPH
70.9a לָא not הֲוָה there-was לַן to-us נַהֲמָא bread לְמֵיכַל to-eat
70.9b lā (LAA) not hăwā (ha-VAA) be-PERF.3M.SG lan (LAN) to-us nahămā (na-ha-MAA) bread-M.SG.EMPH lə-mēkhal (l'-may-KHAL) to-eat-INF
70.10a טַבָּחָא the-butcher שְׁקַל took זוּזָא a-zuz מִינַּן from-us
70.10b ṭabbāḥā (tab-baa-KHAA) butcher-M.SG.EMPH shəqal (sh'-KAL) take-PERF.3M.SG zūzā (zoo-ZAA) zuz-M.SG.EMPH minnan (MIN-nan) from-us
70.11a רַחֲמָנָא the-Merciful-One לִיצְּלַן may-he-save-us
70.11b raḥămānā (ra-kha-maa-NAA) merciful.one-M.SG.EMPH liṣṣəlan (lits-LAN) save-IMPF.3M.SG-us
70.12a רוּבָּא a-majority דְּאִיתָא that-is קַמַּן before-us
70.12b rubbā (rub-BAA) majority-M.SG.EMPH də-ʾītā (d'-EE-taa) that-exist-it qamman (KAM-man) before-us
70.13a הָנֵי these תַּלְמִידֵי students גָּרְסִי study כְּוָותַן like-us
70.13b hānē (haa-NAY) these talmīdē (tal-mee-DAY) student-M.PL gārsī (gaar-SEE) study-PTCP.M.PL kəwātan (k'-waa-TAN) like-us
70.14a לָא not קָא indeed מִיבַּעְיָא it-is-asked לַן to-us
70.14b lā (LAA) not qā (KAA) PROG mībbaʿyā (meeb-ba-YAA) ask-PASS.PTCP.F.SG lan (LAN) to-us
70.15a אֲנַן we לָא not יָדְעִינַן we-know וְרַב and-Rav פָּפָּא Pappa אֲמַר said לַן to-us
70.15b ʾănan (a-NAN) we lā (LAA) not yādʿīnan (yaad-EE-nan) know-PTCP.1PL wə-Rav (v'-RAV) and-Rav Pāppā (PAP-paa) Pappa ʾămar (a-MAR) say-PERF.3M.SG lan (LAN) to-us
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70.1 אֲמַר לַן. — ʾămar lan. — "He said to us."
70.2 הַב לַן נַהֲמָא. — hav lan nahămā. — "Give us bread."
70.3 מְנָלַן? — mənālan? — "From where do we know it?"
70.4 יְהַב לַן זוּזָא. — yəhav lan zūzā. — "He gave us a zuz."
70.5 מִטְרָא נָחֵית עֲלַן. — miṭrā nāḥēt ʿălan. — "The rain is coming down on us."
70.6 רַב פָּפָּא יָתֵיב קַמַּן. — Rav Pāppā yātēv qamman. — "Rav Pappa is sitting before us."
70.7 הָא קָמַשְׁמַע לַן. — hā qā-mashmaʿ lan. — "This is what it teaches us."
70.8 תַּלְמִידָא אֲזַל בַּהֲדַן לְבֵי מִדְרְשָׁא. — talmīdā ʾăzal bahădan lə-vē midrəshā. — "The student went with us to the study house."
70.9 לָא הֲוָה לַן נַהֲמָא לְמֵיכַל. — lā hăwā lan nahămā lə-mēkhal. — "We had no bread to eat."
70.10 טַבָּחָא שְׁקַל זוּזָא מִינַּן. — ṭabbāḥā shəqal zūzā minnan. — "The butcher took a zuz from us."
70.11 רַחֲמָנָא לִיצְּלַן. — raḥămānā liṣṣəlan. — "May the Merciful One save us."
70.12 רוּבָּא דְּאִיתָא קַמַּן. — rubbā də-ʾītā qamman. — "A majority that is before us."
70.13 הָנֵי תַּלְמִידֵי גָּרְסִי כְּוָותַן. — hānē talmīdē gārsī kəwātan. — "These students study as we do."
70.14 לָא קָא מִיבַּעְיָא לַן. — lā qā mībbaʿyā lan. — "It is no question for us."
70.15 אֲנַן לָא יָדְעִינַן, וְרַב פָּפָּא אֲמַר לַן. — ʾănan lā yādʿīnan, wə-Rav Pāppā ʾămar lan. — "We do not know, and Rav Pappa has told us."
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70.1 אֲמַר לַן.
70.2 הַב לַן נַהֲמָא.
70.3 מְנָלַן?
70.4 יְהַב לַן זוּזָא.
70.5 מִטְרָא נָחֵית עֲלַן.
70.6 רַב פָּפָּא יָתֵיב קַמַּן.
70.7 הָא קָמַשְׁמַע לַן.
70.8 תַּלְמִידָא אֲזַל בַּהֲדַן לְבֵי מִדְרְשָׁא.
70.9 לָא הֲוָה לַן נַהֲמָא לְמֵיכַל.
70.10 טַבָּחָא שְׁקַל זוּזָא מִינַּן.
70.11 רַחֲמָנָא לִיצְּלַן.
70.12 רוּבָּא דְּאִיתָא קַמַּן.
70.13 הָנֵי תַּלְמִידֵי גָּרְסִי כְּוָותַן.
70.14 לָא קָא מִיבַּעְיָא לַן.
70.15 אֲנַן לָא יָדְעִינַן, וְרַב פָּפָּא אֲמַר לַן.
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1. The ending -an. "Us" is not a word but an ending, -an, fixed to a preposition or a verb. It is written ן at the end of the word, with the vowel patach under the letter before it:
- לַן (lan), "to us, for us" (70.1, 70.2 and throughout) - קַמַּן (qamman), "before us, in front of us" (70.6, 70.12) - בַּהֲדַן (bahădan), "with us" (70.8, 70.16, 70.19) - מִינַּן (minnan), "from us"; חַד מִינַּן, "one of us" (70.10, 70.20, 70.21) - עֲלַן (ʿălan), "on us, upon us" (70.5) - כְּוָותַן (kəwātan), "like us, as we do" (70.13); compare כְּוָותַיְיהוּ, "like them" (69.13) - לְגַבַּן (lə-gabban), "to us", word for word "to beside us", used of coming to someone's place (70.26)
2. The family of לְ- with endings. לַן belongs to a set you have now met in full:
- לִי (lī), "to me" - לָךְ (lākh), "to you" (one man) - לֵיהּ (lēh), "to him" - לַהּ (lah), "to her" - לַן (lan), "to us" - לְכוּ (ləkhū), "to you" (more than one) (70.17) - לְהוּ (ləhū), "to them" (lesson 67)
3. "To us" for the receiver. A verb of saying, giving or teaching takes the hearer or the receiver with לְ-, so "us" after such a verb is לַן: אֲמַר לַן, "he said to us" (70.1, 70.15); הַב לַן, "give us" (70.2); יְהַב לַן, "he gave us" (70.4, 70.20, 70.30); קָמַשְׁמַע לַן, "it teaches us" (70.7). The short pronoun comes straight after the verb, before the thing given (lesson 67): הַב לַן נַהֲמָא, "give us bread".
4. "We have" is "there is to us". As in lesson 64, possession is said with "there is" and לְ-: לָא הֲוָה לַן נַהֲמָא, "there was not to us bread", that is, "we had no bread" (70.9); לֵית לַן מִידֵּי, "we have nothing" (lesson 67, Section F).
5. The verb with -an. A verb can take "us" as its object by the same ending. רַחֲמָנָא לִיצְּלַן, "may the Merciful One save us" (70.11, 70.23, 70.24): לִיצַּל is "may he save", from the root n-ṣ-l, and -an is "us". The dot in the צ shows that the n of the root has been absorbed into it. The l- at the beginning is the Babylonian prefix of "may he", where Hebrew and other Aramaic have y-. In this course the object "us" on a verb is met in this prayer; elsewhere the receiver is marked with לַן.
6. The Gemara's "us". The Gemara speaks of itself, the students learning the text, as "us":
- מְנָלַן (mənālan), "from where do we know it?", is מְנָא, "from where", + לַן (70.3) - קָמַשְׁמַע לַן, "it teaches us", word for word "it is making us hear" (70.7): קָא + מַשְׁמַע, the causative of שְׁמַע, "hear", written as one word - לָא קָא מִיבַּעְיָא לַן, "it is not asked by us", that is, "it is no question for us" (70.14) - רוּבָּא דְּאִיתָא קַמַּן, "a majority that is before us", one we can count (70.12, lesson 69)
7. "We" beside "us". The subject "we" has its own word and its own verb ending:
- אֲנַן (ʾănan), "we" (70.15, 70.29); also אֲנַחְנָא (lesson 29) - the participle with -īnan: יָדְעִינַן (yādʿīnan), "we know" (70.15); רָחֲמִינַן (rāḥămīnan), "we love" (70.29); אָזְלִינַן, "we go" (lesson 69)
So אֲנַן לָא יָדְעִינַן, וְרַב פָּפָּא אֲמַר לַן (70.15) has "we" twice, as a word and as an ending, and "us" once, as לַן.
8. "Ours". "Our" and "ours" are said with דְּ- and the same ending: דִּילַן (dīlan), "ours" (lesson 17). The Gemara also says דִּידַן (dīdan), as in תַּנָּא דִּידַן, "our teacher of the Mishnah".
9. "I" in the verb. Two forms of "I" appear in the Genre Section: שְׁמַעִית (shəmaʿīt), "I heard" (70.23), the perfect with -īt, like זְבַנִית in lesson 69; and the participle with -nā: מַקְשֵׁינָא (maqshēnā), "I raise objections" (70.25), גָּמַרְנָא (gāmarnā), "I learn" (70.27).
10. New words in this lesson.
- מִטְרָא (miṭrā), "rain"; נָחֵית (nāḥēt), "comes down" (70.5) - קָמַשְׁמַע (qā-mashmaʿ), "it teaches" (70.7) - רַחֲמָנָא (raḥămānā), "the Merciful One", the Gemara's name for God (70.11, 70.24, 70.30) - לִיצְּלַן (liṣṣəlan), "may he save us" (70.11, 70.23, 70.24) - כְּוָותַן (kəwātan), "like us" (70.13) - יָדְעִינַן (yādʿīnan), "we know" (70.15) - אֵימָא (ʾēmā), "say!"; מִילֵּי (millē), "words, things" (70.17, 70.18) - מַיָּא (mayyā), "water"; מִידֵּי (mīddē), "anything" (70.20) - מַקְשֵׁי (maqshē), "raises objections"; אַקְשִׁי (ʾaqshī), "he raised objections" (70.21, Section F) - נְפַל (nəfal), "fell"; אַפֵּיהּ (ʾappēh), "his face"; כִּיסּוּפָא (kīssūfā), "shame" (70.22, 70.23, Section F) - שְׁתִיקוּתָא (shətīqūtā), "silence"; קַבֵּיל (qabbēl), "took upon himself" (70.25, Section F) - לְמָחָר (lə-māḥār), "the next day, tomorrow" (70.26, 70.28) - גָּמַרְנָא (gāmarnā), "I learn" (70.27) - אַיְיתִי (ʾaytī), "bring!" (70.28) - רָחֵים (rāḥēm), "loves" (70.29) - בְּרִיךְ (bərīkh), "blessed" (70.30)
- Using אֲנַן for "us". ✗ יְהַב אֲנַן זוּזָא → ✓ יְהַב לַן זוּזָא, "he gave us a zuz". אֲנַן is only "we", the subject. - Leaving out לְ- for the receiver. ✗ אֲמַר אֲנַן → ✓ אֲמַר לַן, "he said to us". - Writing "us" as a separate word after a preposition. ✗ קַמֵּי אֲנַן → ✓ קַמַּן, "before us"; ✗ מִן אֲנַן → ✓ מִינַּן, "from us". - Confusing לַן and לָא. לַן (LAN), "to us", ends in ן; לָא (LAA), "not", ends in א. In לָא קָא מִיבַּעְיָא לַן (70.14) both stand in one sentence. - Reading -īnan as "us". יָדְעִינַן is "we know", not "he knows us". The participle ending -īnan is the subject "we"; the "us" of a preposition is -an alone. - Reading רַבָּנַן as "our master". רַבָּנַן (rabbānan) is "the rabbis", a plural noun; its -an is not the ending "us".
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The Gemara is written as a discussion among students, and the students are "us". Its questions are asked in the first person plural: מְנָלַן, "from where do we know it?"; לָא קָא מִיבַּעְיָא לַן, "it is no question for us"; and its answers are given to the same "us": הָא קָמַשְׁמַע לַן, "this is what it teaches us" (Berakhot 2a). The reader who learns these three phrases has the voice of the Gemara: a group sitting together, asking and being taught. Every learner who opens the page is included in that לַן.
רַחֲמָנָא לִיצְּלַן is a prayer the Gemara puts in the mouth of its rabbis when something dangerous or shameful is mentioned: in Taanit 9b Rav Pappa says it of the shame his student's questions might bring him (Section F), and in Shabbat 84b it is said of an opinion one would not wish to hold. The phrase lived on in Jewish speech: in Hebrew and Yiddish, raḥmana litzlan is still said, as English speakers say "Heaven forbid", when a misfortune is named. Many who use it do not know that its last syllable is the Aramaic "us".
The Gemara values the student who argues with his teacher. In Taanit 7a, Rabbi Ḥanina says in Hebrew that he learned much from his teachers, more from his companions, and most from his students. Taanit 9b, two pages on, tells the other side: a student whose objections were so sharp that his teacher prayed to be spared shame. The Genre Section joins the two stories.
At the end of each chapter of the printed Talmud stands the formula הֲדַרַן עֲלָךְ, "we have returned to you", a promise to come back to the chapter. There the -an is the subject "we" on a perfect verb, not "us"; but it is the same first person plural, and the same sound, with which the Gemara speaks for all who study it.
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The Babylonian Talmud, Taanit 9b, text as in the William Davidson (Vilna-based, vocalised) edition on Sefaria; checked word by word against the unvocalised Wikisource text of the Talmud on Sefaria, which has the same words. The punctuation is the Sefaria edition's. The passage is chosen because it holds the Gemara's best-known "us", the prayer רַחֲמָנָא לִיצְּלַן, inside a short, complete story of a teacher and a student.
F.1a רַב Rav שִׁימִי Shimi בַּר son-of אָשֵׁי Ashi הֲוָה was שְׁכִיחַ often-found קַמֵּיהּ before דְּרַב Rav פָּפָּא Pappa
F.1b Rav (RAV) Rav Shīmī (SHEE-mee) Shimi bar (BAR) son ʾĀshē (AA-shay) Ashi hăwā (ha-VAA) be-PERF.3M.SG shəkhīaḥ (sh'-KHEE-akh) find-PASS.PTCP.M.SG qammēh (kam-MAYH) before-him də-Rav (d'-RAV) of-Rav Pāppā (PAP-paa) Pappa
F.2a הֲוָה he-was מַקְשֵׁי raising-objections לֵיהּ to-him טוּבָא much
F.2b hăwā (ha-VAA) be-PERF.3M.SG maqshē (mak-SHAY) raise.objection-PTCP.M.SG lēh (LAYH) to-him ṭūvā (too-VAA) much
F.3a יוֹמָא day חַד one חַזְיֵיהּ he-saw-him דִּנְפַל that-he-fell עַל on אַפֵּיהּ his-face
F.3b yōmā (yoh-MAA) day-M.SG.EMPH ḥad (KHAD) one-M ḥazyēh (khaz-YAYH) see-PERF.3M.SG-him di-nfal (din-FAL) that-fall-PERF.3M.SG ʿal (AL) on ʾappēh (ap-PAYH) face-his
F.4a שַׁמְעֵיהּ he-heard-him דְּאָמַר that-he-says רַחֲמָנָא the-Merciful-One לִיצְּלַן may-he-save-us מִכִּיסּוּפָא from-the-shame דְשִׁימִי of-Shimi
F.4b shamʿēh (sham-AYH) hear-PERF.3M.SG-him də-ʾāmar (d'-aa-MAR) that-say-PTCP.M.SG raḥămānā (ra-kha-maa-NAA) merciful.one-M.SG.EMPH liṣṣəlan (lits-LAN) save-IMPF.3M.SG-us mik-kīssūfā (mik-kis-soo-FAA) from-shame-M.SG.EMPH də-Shīmī (d'-SHEE-mee) of-Shimi
F.5a קַבֵּיל he-took עֲלֵיהּ upon-himself שְׁתִיקוּתָא silence וְתוּ and-again לָא not אַקְשִׁי he-raised-objections לֵיהּ to-him
F.5b qabbēl (kab-BAYL) accept-PERF.3M.SG ʿălēh (a-LAYH) on-him shətīqūtā (sh'-tee-koo-TAA) silence-F.SG.EMPH wə-tū (v'-TOO) and-more lā (LAA) not ʾaqshī (ak-SHEE) raise.objection-PERF.3M.SG lēh (LAYH) to-him
רַב שִׁימִי בַּר אָשֵׁי הֲוָה שְׁכִיחַ קַמֵּיהּ דְּרַב פָּפָּא, הֲוָה מַקְשֵׁי לֵיהּ טוּבָא. יוֹמָא חַד חַזְיֵיהּ דִּנְפַל עַל אַפֵּיהּ, שַׁמְעֵיהּ דְּאָמַר: רַחֲמָנָא לִיצְּלַן מִכִּיסּוּפָא דְשִׁימִי. קַבֵּיל עֲלֵיהּ שְׁתִיקוּתָא, וְתוּ לָא אַקְשִׁי לֵיהּ.
Rav Shimi bar Ashi was often found before Rav Pappa, and he used to raise many objections to him. One day he saw him fall on his face in prayer, and heard him say: "May the Merciful One save us from the shame of Shimi." He took silence upon himself, and raised no more objections to him.
רַב שִׁימִי בַּר אָשֵׁי הֲוָה שְׁכִיחַ קַמֵּיהּ דְּרַב פָּפָּא, הֲוָה מַקְשֵׁי לֵיהּ טוּבָא. יוֹמָא חַד חַזְיֵיהּ דִּנְפַל עַל אַפֵּיהּ, שַׁמְעֵיהּ דְּאָמַר: רַחֲמָנָא לִיצְּלַן מִכִּיסּוּפָא דְשִׁימִי. קַבֵּיל עֲלֵיהּ שְׁתִיקוּתָא, וְתוּ לָא אַקְשִׁי לֵיהּ.
- רַחֲמָנָא לִיצְּלַן, "may the Merciful One save us". The heart of the passage and of this lesson: the verb לִיצַּל, "may he save", with -an, "us" (rule 5). Rav Pappa prays for himself, yet says "us", as a speaker in many languages modestly does; the Sefaria translation renders it "save me". Read the Aramaic as it stands: "us". - שְׁכִיחַ קַמֵּיהּ דְּרַב פָּפָּא, "often found before Rav Pappa". שְׁכִיחַ is "found, frequent"; to be "before" a rabbi is to be his student. קַמֵּיהּ דְּ-, "before him, of", points ahead to the name, as לְקַמֵּיהּ דְּרַבֵּיהּ did in 69.21; with the ending -an the same word is קַמַּן, "before us" (70.6). - הֲוָה מַקְשֵׁי לֵיהּ טוּבָא, "he used to raise many objections to him". הֲוָה with the participle for what happened again and again in the past (lesson 67, rule 2). The person questioned takes לְ-: מַקְשֵׁי לֵיהּ, and in 70.21 מַקְשֵׁי לֵיהּ again; with "us" it would be מַקְשֵׁי לַן. - חַזְיֵיהּ … שַׁמְעֵיהּ, "he saw him … he heard him". Here the verb takes the ending -ēh, "him", as לִיצְּלַן takes -an, "us": the same way of joining the object to the verb. - דִּנְפַל עַל אַפֵּיהּ, "that he fell on his face". The posture of supplication after the prayer. The sentence does not name who fell; the Sefaria translation takes it, with the sense of the story, as Rav Pappa. - מִכִּיסּוּפָא דְשִׁימִי, "from the shame of Shimi". The shame Shimi's questions might bring on the teacher who cannot answer them. מִן, "from", joins the noun as מִ- and doubles its first letter, as in מִכּוּלְּהוּ (69.15). - קַבֵּיל עֲלֵיהּ שְׁתִיקוּתָא, "he took silence upon himself". עֲלֵיהּ, "upon himself", is the third-person form of the preposition whose "us" form is עֲלַן (70.5). וְתוּ לָא, "and no more", closes the story in four words.
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A dialogue in the language of the Gemara, written for this lesson on the story of Taanit 9b: a student of Rav Pappa tells his father what happened at the study house. It is not a quotation from the Talmud, except Rav Pappa's prayer in 70.23 and the words of 70.25, which take up Section F; 70.27 echoes, in Aramaic, Rabbi Ḥanina's Hebrew saying in Taanit 7a.
70.16a יוֹמָא day חַד one אֲמַר said תַּלְמִידָא a-student לַאֲבוּהּ to-his-father רַב Rav פָּפָּא Pappa הֲוָה was בַּהֲדַן with-us כּוּלֵּהּ all יוֹמָא day
70.16b yōmā (yoh-MAA) day-M.SG.EMPH ḥad (KHAD) one-M ʾămar (a-MAR) say-PERF.3M.SG talmīdā (tal-mee-DAA) student-M.SG.EMPH la-ʾăvūh (la-a-VOOH) to-father-his Rav (RAV) Rav Pāppā (PAP-paa) Pappa hăwā (ha-VAA) be-PERF.3M.SG bahădan (ba-ha-DAN) with-us kullēh (kul-LAYH) all-of-it yōmā (yoh-MAA) day-M.SG.EMPH
70.17a אֲמַר said לֵיהּ to-him אֲבוּהּ his-father אֵימָא say לַן to-us מַאי what אֲמַר did-he-say לְכוּ to-you
70.17b ʾămar (a-MAR) say-PERF.3M.SG lēh (LAYH) to-him ʾăvūh (a-VOOH) father-his ʾēmā (AY-maa) say-IMPV.M.SG lan (LAN) to-us may (MAI) what ʾămar (a-MAR) say-PERF.3M.SG ləkhū (l'-KHOO) to-you-PL
70.18a אֲמַר he-said לֵיהּ to-him הֲוָה he-was יָתֵיב sitting קַמַּן before-us וַאֲמַר and-said לַן to-us מִילֵּי things טוּבָא many
70.18b ʾămar (a-MAR) say-PERF.3M.SG lēh (LAYH) to-him hăwā (ha-VAA) be-PERF.3M.SG yātēv (yaa-TAYV) sit-PTCP.M.SG qamman (KAM-man) before-us wa-ʾămar (va-a-MAR) and-say-PERF.3M.SG lan (LAN) to-us millē (mil-LAY) word-F.PL ṭūvā (too-VAA) much
70.19a וְרוּבָּא and-the-majority דְּתַלְמִידֵי of-the-students הֲווֹ were יָתְבִי sitting בַּהֲדַן with-us
70.19b wə-rubbā (v'-rub-BAA) and-majority-M.SG.EMPH də-talmīdē (d'-tal-mee-DAY) of-student-M.PL hăwō (ha-VOH) be-PERF.3M.PL yātvī (yaat-VEE) sit-PTCP.M.PL bahădan (ba-ha-DAN) with-us
70.20a וִיהַב and-he-gave לַן us נַהֲמָא bread וּמַיָּא and-water וְלָא and-not שְׁקַל he-took מִינַּן from-us מִידֵּי anything
70.20b wī-hav (vee-HAV) and-give-PERF.3M.SG lan (LAN) to-us nahămā (na-ha-MAA) bread-M.SG.EMPH ū-mayyā (oo-mai-YAA) and-water-M.PL.EMPH wə-lā (v'-LAA) and-not shəqal (sh'-KAL) take-PERF.3M.SG minnan (MIN-nan) from-us mīddē (meed-DAY) anything
70.21a וְחַד and-one מִינַּן of-us הֲוָה was מַקְשֵׁי raising-objections לֵיהּ to-him טוּבָא much
70.21b wə-ḥad (v'-KHAD) and-one-M minnan (MIN-nan) from-us hăwā (ha-VAA) be-PERF.3M.SG maqshē (mak-SHAY) raise.objection-PTCP.M.SG lēh (LAYH) to-him ṭūvā (too-VAA) much
70.22a וּלְבַסּוֹף and-in-the-end נְפַל fell רַב Rav פָּפָּא Pappa עַל on אַפֵּיהּ his-face קַמַּן before-us
70.22b ū-lə-vassōf (oo-l'-vas-SOHF) and-to-end nəfal (n'-FAL) fall-PERF.3M.SG Rav (RAV) Rav Pāppā (PAP-paa) Pappa ʿal (AL) on ʾappēh (ap-PAYH) face-his qamman (KAM-man) before-us
70.23a וּשְׁמַעִית and-I-heard דְּאָמַר that-he-says רַחֲמָנָא the-Merciful-One לִיצְּלַן may-he-save-us מִכִּיסּוּפָא from-shame
70.23b ū-shəmaʿīt (oo-sh'-ma-EET) and-hear-PERF.1SG də-ʾāmar (d'-aa-MAR) that-say-PTCP.M.SG raḥămānā (ra-kha-maa-NAA) merciful.one-M.SG.EMPH liṣṣəlan (lits-LAN) save-IMPF.3M.SG-us mik-kīssūfā (mik-kis-soo-FAA) from-shame-M.SG.EMPH
70.24a אֲמַר said לֵיהּ to-him אֲבוּהּ his-father רַחֲמָנָא the-Merciful-One לִיצְּלַן may-he-save-us וְהַהוּא and-that תַּלְמִידָא student מַאי what עֲבַד did-he-do
70.24b ʾămar (a-MAR) say-PERF.3M.SG lēh (LAYH) to-him ʾăvūh (a-VOOH) father-his raḥămānā (ra-kha-maa-NAA) merciful.one-M.SG.EMPH liṣṣəlan (lits-LAN) save-IMPF.3M.SG-us wə-hahū (v'-ha-HOO) and-that talmīdā (tal-mee-DAA) student-M.SG.EMPH may (MAI) what ʿăvad (a-VAD) do-PERF.3M.SG
70.25a אֲמַר he-said לֵיהּ to-him קַבֵּיל he-took עֲלֵיהּ upon-himself שְׁתִיקוּתָא silence וַאֲמַר and-said לַן to-us תּוּ again לָא not מַקְשֵׁינָא I-raise-objections לֵיהּ to-him
70.25b ʾămar (a-MAR) say-PERF.3M.SG lēh (LAYH) to-him qabbēl (kab-BAYL) accept-PERF.3M.SG ʿălēh (a-LAYH) on-him shətīqūtā (sh'-tee-koo-TAA) silence-F.SG.EMPH wa-ʾămar (va-a-MAR) and-say-PERF.3M.SG lan (LAN) to-us tū (TOO) more lā (LAA) not maqshēnā (mak-SHAY-naa) raise.objection-PTCP.1SG lēh (LAYH) to-him
70.26a לְמָחָר the-next-day אֲתָא came רַב Rav פָּפָּא Pappa לְגַבַּן to-us
70.26b lə-māḥār (l'-maa-KHAAR) to-tomorrow ʾătā (a-TAA) come-PERF.3M.SG Rav (RAV) Rav Pāppā (PAP-paa) Pappa lə-gabban (l'-gab-BAN) to-beside-us
70.27a וַאֲמַר and-he-said לַן to-us מִתַּלְמִידַי from-my-students גָּמַרְנָא I-learn טְפֵי more מִכּוּלְּהוּ than-from-all-of-them
70.27b wa-ʾămar (va-a-MAR) and-say-PERF.3M.SG lan (LAN) to-us mit-talmīday (mit-tal-mee-DAI) from-student-PL-my gāmarnā (gaa-MAR-naa) learn-PTCP.1SG ṭəfē (t'-FAY) more mik-kulləhū (mik-kul-l'-HOO) from-all-of-them
70.28a אֲמַר said לֵיהּ to-him אֲבוּהּ his-father לְמָחָר tomorrow זִיל go וְאַיְיתִי and-bring לַן us מִילְּתָא a-teaching חֲדָא one
70.28b ʾămar (a-MAR) say-PERF.3M.SG lēh (LAYH) to-him ʾăvūh (a-VOOH) father-his lə-māḥār (l'-maa-KHAAR) to-tomorrow zīl (ZEEL) go-IMPV.M.SG wə-ʾaytī (v'-ai-TEE) and-bring-IMPV.M.SG lan (LAN) to-us millətā (mil-l'-TAA) matter-F.SG.EMPH ḥădā (kha-DAA) one-F
70.29a אֲמַר he-said לֵיהּ to-him אִין yes רַב Rav פָּפָּא Pappa רָחֵים loves לַן us וַאֲנַן and-we רָחֲמִינַן we-love לֵיהּ him
70.29b ʾămar (a-MAR) say-PERF.3M.SG lēh (LAYH) to-him ʾīn (EEN) yes Rav (RAV) Rav Pāppā (PAP-paa) Pappa rāḥēm (raa-KHAYM) love-PTCP.M.SG lan (LAN) to-us wa-ʾănan (va-a-NAN) and-we rāḥămīnan (raa-kha-MEE-nan) love-PTCP.1PL lēh (LAYH) to-him
70.30a אֲמַר said לֵיהּ to-him אֲבוּהּ his-father בְּרִיךְ blessed רַחֲמָנָא the-Merciful-One דִּיהַב who-gave לַן us רַב a-master כִּי like הַאי this
70.30b ʾămar (a-MAR) say-PERF.3M.SG lēh (LAYH) to-him ʾăvūh (a-VOOH) father-his bərīkh (b'-REEKH) bless-PASS.PTCP.M.SG raḥămānā (ra-kha-maa-NAA) merciful.one-M.SG.EMPH dī-hav (dee-HAV) that-give-PERF.3M.SG lan (LAN) to-us rav (RAV) master-M.SG kī (KEE) like hay (HAI) this
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70.16 יוֹמָא חַד אֲמַר תַּלְמִידָא לַאֲבוּהּ: רַב פָּפָּא הֲוָה בַּהֲדַן כּוּלֵּהּ יוֹמָא. — yōmā ḥad ʾămar talmīdā la-ʾăvūh: Rav Pāppā hăwā bahădan kullēh yōmā. — "One day a student said to his father: Rav Pappa was with us all day."
70.17 אֲמַר לֵיהּ אֲבוּהּ: אֵימָא לַן, מַאי אֲמַר לְכוּ? — ʾămar lēh ʾăvūh: ʾēmā lan, may ʾămar ləkhū? — "His father said to him: Tell us, what did he say to you?"
70.18 אֲמַר לֵיהּ: הֲוָה יָתֵיב קַמַּן, וַאֲמַר לַן מִילֵּי טוּבָא. — ʾămar lēh: hăwā yātēv qamman, wa-ʾămar lan millē ṭūvā. — "He said to him: He sat before us, and told us many things."
70.19 וְרוּבָּא דְּתַלְמִידֵי הֲווֹ יָתְבִי בַּהֲדַן. — wə-rubbā də-talmīdē hăwō yātvī bahădan. — "And most of the students were sitting with us."
70.20 וִיהַב לַן נַהֲמָא וּמַיָּא, וְלָא שְׁקַל מִינַּן מִידֵּי. — wī-hav lan nahămā ū-mayyā, wə-lā shəqal minnan mīddē. — "And he gave us bread and water, and took nothing from us."
70.21 וְחַד מִינַּן הֲוָה מַקְשֵׁי לֵיהּ טוּבָא. — wə-ḥad minnan hăwā maqshē lēh ṭūvā. — "And one of us kept raising objections to him."
70.22 וּלְבַסּוֹף נְפַל רַב פָּפָּא עַל אַפֵּיהּ קַמַּן. — ū-lə-vassōf nəfal Rav Pāppā ʿal ʾappēh qamman. — "And in the end Rav Pappa fell on his face in prayer before us."
70.23 וּשְׁמַעִית דְּאָמַר: רַחֲמָנָא לִיצְּלַן מִכִּיסּוּפָא. — ū-shəmaʿīt də-ʾāmar: raḥămānā liṣṣəlan mik-kīssūfā. — "And I heard him say: May the Merciful One save us from shame."
70.24 אֲמַר לֵיהּ אֲבוּהּ: רַחֲמָנָא לִיצְּלַן! וְהַהוּא תַּלְמִידָא מַאי עֲבַד? — ʾămar lēh ʾăvūh: raḥămānā liṣṣəlan! wə-hahū talmīdā may ʿăvad? — "His father said to him: Heaven save us! And that student, what did he do?"
70.25 אֲמַר לֵיהּ: קַבֵּיל עֲלֵיהּ שְׁתִיקוּתָא, וַאֲמַר לַן: תּוּ לָא מַקְשֵׁינָא לֵיהּ. — ʾămar lēh: qabbēl ʿălēh shətīqūtā, wa-ʾămar lan: tū lā maqshēnā lēh. — "He said to him: He took silence upon himself, and said to us: I will raise no more objections to him."
70.26 לְמָחָר אֲתָא רַב פָּפָּא לְגַבַּן. — lə-māḥār ʾătā Rav Pāppā lə-gabban. — "The next day Rav Pappa came to us."
70.27 וַאֲמַר לַן: מִתַּלְמִידַי גָּמַרְנָא טְפֵי מִכּוּלְּהוּ. — wa-ʾămar lan: mit-talmīday gāmarnā ṭəfē mik-kulləhū. — "And he said to us: From my students I learn more than from anyone."
70.28 אֲמַר לֵיהּ אֲבוּהּ: לְמָחָר זִיל, וְאַיְיתִי לַן מִילְּתָא חֲדָא. — ʾămar lēh ʾăvūh: lə-māḥār zīl, wə-ʾaytī lan millətā ḥădā. — "His father said to him: Tomorrow go, and bring us back one teaching."
70.29 אֲמַר לֵיהּ: אִין. רַב פָּפָּא רָחֵים לַן, וַאֲנַן רָחֲמִינַן לֵיהּ. — ʾămar lēh: ʾīn. Rav Pāppā rāḥēm lan, wa-ʾănan rāḥămīnan lēh. — "He said to him: Yes. Rav Pappa loves us, and we love him."
70.30 אֲמַר לֵיהּ אֲבוּהּ: בְּרִיךְ רַחֲמָנָא דִּיהַב לַן רַב כִּי הַאי. — ʾămar lēh ʾăvūh: bərīkh raḥămānā dī-hav lan rav kī hay. — "His father said to him: Blessed is the Merciful One, who gave us a master like this."
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70.16 יוֹמָא חַד אֲמַר תַּלְמִידָא לַאֲבוּהּ: רַב פָּפָּא הֲוָה בַּהֲדַן כּוּלֵּהּ יוֹמָא.
70.17 אֲמַר לֵיהּ אֲבוּהּ: אֵימָא לַן, מַאי אֲמַר לְכוּ?
70.18 אֲמַר לֵיהּ: הֲוָה יָתֵיב קַמַּן, וַאֲמַר לַן מִילֵּי טוּבָא.
70.19 וְרוּבָּא דְּתַלְמִידֵי הֲווֹ יָתְבִי בַּהֲדַן.
70.20 וִיהַב לַן נַהֲמָא וּמַיָּא, וְלָא שְׁקַל מִינַּן מִידֵּי.
70.21 וְחַד מִינַּן הֲוָה מַקְשֵׁי לֵיהּ טוּבָא.
70.22 וּלְבַסּוֹף נְפַל רַב פָּפָּא עַל אַפֵּיהּ קַמַּן.
70.23 וּשְׁמַעִית דְּאָמַר: רַחֲמָנָא לִיצְּלַן מִכִּיסּוּפָא.
70.24 אֲמַר לֵיהּ אֲבוּהּ: רַחֲמָנָא לִיצְּלַן! וְהַהוּא תַּלְמִידָא מַאי עֲבַד?
70.25 אֲמַר לֵיהּ: קַבֵּיל עֲלֵיהּ שְׁתִיקוּתָא, וַאֲמַר לַן: תּוּ לָא מַקְשֵׁינָא לֵיהּ.
70.26 לְמָחָר אֲתָא רַב פָּפָּא לְגַבַּן.
70.27 וַאֲמַר לַן: מִתַּלְמִידַי גָּמַרְנָא טְפֵי מִכּוּלְּהוּ.
70.28 אֲמַר לֵיהּ אֲבוּהּ: לְמָחָר זִיל, וְאַיְיתִי לַן מִילְּתָא חֲדָא.
70.29 אֲמַר לֵיהּ: אִין. רַב פָּפָּא רָחֵים לַן, וַאֲנַן רָחֲמִינַן לֵיהּ.
70.30 אֲמַר לֵיהּ אֲבוּהּ: בְּרִיךְ רַחֲמָנָא דִּיהַב לַן רַב כִּי הַאי.
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- "Us" on every line. The dialogue uses each form of rule 1: בַּהֲדַן (70.16, 70.19), לַן (70.17, 70.18 and on), קַמַּן (70.18, 70.22), מִינַּן (70.20, 70.21), לְגַבַּן (70.26), and the verb ending in לִיצְּלַן (70.23, 70.24). - "Us" for the household. The father says אֵימָא לַן, "tell us" (70.17), and אַיְיתִי לַן, "bring us" (70.28): the "us" is the family at home, as the son's "us" is the students at the study house. - "One of us". חַד מִינַּן (70.21): "one" with מִן, "from", as in תִּשְׁעָה מִנַּיְיהוּ, "nine of them" (69.18). The story never names him; the reader of Section F knows him as Rav Shimi bar Ashi. - "Tell us", "what did he say to you?" אֵימָא (70.17) is the command "say!" of the verb אֲמַר; the Gemara also uses it for "I might say". לְכוּ, "to you", is plural, because the father asks about all the students (rule 2). - "Heaven save us!" In 70.23 the son repeats Rav Pappa's prayer; in 70.24 the father says it himself, as people say it on hearing bad news (Section E). - The student's promise. תּוּ לָא מַקְשֵׁינָא לֵיהּ (70.25) puts Section F's ending, וְתוּ לָא אַקְשִׁי לֵיהּ, into the student's own mouth: the narrator's perfect אַקְשִׁי, "he raised objections", becomes the participle with -nā, "I raise objections" (rule 9). - The turn. Rav Pappa's answer, מִתַּלְמִידַי גָּמַרְנָא טְפֵי מִכּוּלְּהוּ (70.27), is invented for this dialogue: it puts into Aramaic Rabbi Ḥanina's Hebrew saying in Taanit 7a, that he learned most from his students. טְפֵי מִכּוּלְּהוּ is the superlative of lesson 69, rule 7. -ay in מִתַּלְמִידַי is "my" on a plural noun. - We and us in one sentence. רַב פָּפָּא רָחֵים לַן, וַאֲנַן רָחֲמִינַן לֵיהּ (70.29): the master loves "us", לַן; "we", אֲנַן, love him, with the participle ending -īnan (rule 7). The verb רָחֵים, "loves", takes its object with לְ-. - The blessing. בְּרִיךְ רַחֲמָנָא דְּ-, "blessed is the Merciful One who …" (70.30), is a formula of the Gemara for thanking God; דִּיהַב is דְּ- + יְהַב, "who gave", the י taking the vowel, as in וִיהַב (70.20; lesson 67).
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- IPA: /lan/ - ל (lamed) = l, as in English. - ַ (patach) = a short a, as in father said quickly. - ן (final nun) = n. Nun takes this long form at the end of a word; inside a word it is נ. - One syllable: LAN. Do not lengthen the vowel: לָא, "not", is LAA.
- In קַמַּן (KAM-man), בַּהֲדַן (ba-ha-DAN), מִינַּן (MIN-nan), עֲלַן (a-LAN), כְּוָותַן (k'-waa-TAN), לְגַבַּן (l'-gab-BAN): always a short a followed by n. - In קַמַּן and מִינַּן the dot in the מ and the נ (dagesh) doubles the consonant: hold it a moment, kam-man, min-nan.
- IPA: /lisˤːəˈlan/ - lits-LAN: the dot in the צ doubles it; the shewa after it is very short or silent. - צ (ṣade) = ts, as in English cats; originally an emphatic sound.
- IPA: /raħămaːˈnaː/ - ra-kha-maa-NAA: the ח is the throat sound (below); the ֲ (chataf patach) under it is a very short a.
- ח (ḥet) in רַחֲמָנָא, נָחֵית, טַבָּחָא, חַד, שְׁכִיחַ, חַזְיֵיהּ, לְמָחָר, רָחֵים, רָחֲמִינַן, חֲדָא: a rasping sound in the throat, like the ch of Scottish loch. Written kh in the respellings. - ע (ʿayin) in עֲלַן, יָדְעִינַן, מִיבַּעְיָא, קָמַשְׁמַע, שַׁמְעֵיהּ, שְׁמַעִית, עַל, עֲבַד, עֲלֵיהּ: a voiced sound in the throat, in most modern readings silent or a slight catch. - ט (ṭet) in מִטְרָא, טַבָּחָא, טוּבָא, טְפֵי: originally an emphatic t; most readers today say a plain t. - ק (qof) in קַמַּן, קָא, קָמַשְׁמַע, שְׁקַל, מַקְשֵׁי, קַבֵּיל, שְׁתִיקוּתָא: originally a k made further back in the throat; most readers today say a plain k. - The mappiq ה in לֵיהּ, קַמֵּיהּ, אַפֵּיהּ, חַזְיֵיהּ, שַׁמְעֵיהּ, עֲלֵיהּ, כּוּלֵּהּ, אֲבוּהּ, לַאֲבוּהּ: the final h is really breathed out.
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Course Index: [latinum.substack.com/p/index](https://latinum.substack.com/p/index)