← Babylonian (Talmudic) Aramaic
How do you say "why" in Babylonian Aramaic?
The Aramaic of the Babylonian Talmud says "why" with one short word, אַמַּאי (ʾammay). It asks for the cause of an act or the reason for a ruling, as English "why" does: אַמַּאי אֲתוֹ רַבָּנַן?, "why have the rabbis come?" (Taanit 23b; 71.10, Section F); אַמַּאי קָא בָּכֵית?, "why are you weeping?" (Berakhot 5b; 71.5). You have met it twice already: כֵּיוָן דְּיָדְעַתְּ אַמַּאי לָא אֲמַרְתְּ, "since you knew, why did you not say?" (15.28), and אַמַּאי לָא אָזֵיל אַתְּ?, "why are you not going?" (45.10). In this lesson the word is the subject itself.
The English learner should notice four things at once.
First, אַמַּאי is "on what?" The word is built from עַל, "on, upon, for", and מַאי, "what". The dictionaries of Jastrow and Klein both give it so: עַל מַאי became אַמַּאי, the ע weakening to א and the ל being absorbed into the מ, which is therefore doubled. Aramaic asks "on what account?" where English asks "why?". The same joining is found in Section F: אַמִּיטְרָא, "for the rain", is עַל + מִיטְרָא.
Second, there is a longer "why": מַאי טַעְמָא. מַאי טַעְמָא (may ṭaʿmā), "what is the reason?", is the Gemara's commonest way of asking the reason for a law, and the rabbis of Taanit 23b ask Abba Ḥilkiyah one מַאי טַעְמָא after another (Section F). You know טַעְמָא, "reason", from lesson 7 and מַאי טַעְמָא from lessons 21 and 29. אַמַּאי asks "why?" of a deed; מַאי טַעְמָא asks "what is the reason?" of a deed or a ruling. Both are answered the same way.
Third, the answer is מִשּׁוּם דְּ-, "because". מִשּׁוּם (mishshūm) is "on account of"; with דְּ-, "that", it introduces a clause: מִשּׁוּם דְּמִטְרָא נָחֵית, "because the rain is coming down" (71.9). מִשּׁוּם הָכִי, "on account of this", is "therefore" (71.22, 71.30).
Fourth, "why not?" is אַמַּאי לָא, with the negative straight after the question word: אַמַּאי לָא אֲמַרְתְּ לַן?, "why did you not tell us?" (71.11). The Gemara often asks אַמַּאי? alone, as an objection, and follows it at once with וְהָא, "but surely…": the argument it is about to bring against the ruling (71.12).
The Hebrew of the Mishnah says לָמָּה or מִפְּנֵי מָה for "why"; when the Gemara turns to Aramaic, it says אַמַּאי and מַאי טַעְמָא. This lesson teaches אַמַּאי and its family, and the answer מִשּׁוּם דְּ-.
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, s for שׂ, 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.
- אַמַּאי (ʾammay) = "why?", from עַל מַאי, "on what?" - אַמַּאי לָא = "why not?" - מַאי טַעְמָא (may ṭaʿmā) = "what is the reason?", "why?" - מַאי שְׁנָא = "what is different?", "why the difference?" - מִשּׁוּם דְּ- = "because"; מִשּׁוּם הָכִי = "therefore" - אַמַּאי? וְהָא … = "Why? But surely …", the Gemara's objection
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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: 71.4 is the Gemara's question (Taanit 23b and throughout the Talmud), 71.5 is Rabbi Yoḥanan's question (Berakhot 5b), and 71.10 is Abba Ḥilkiyah's question (Taanit 23b), all as in the William Davidson edition on Sefaria.
71.1a אַמַּאי why
71.1b ʾammay (am-MAI) why
71.2a אַמַּאי why לָא not
71.2b ʾammay (am-MAI) why lā (LAA) not
71.3a אַמַּאי why אֲתֵית have-you-come
71.3b ʾammay (am-MAI) why ʾătēt (a-TAYT) come-PERF.2M.SG
71.4a מַאי what טַעְמָא reason
71.4b may (MAI) what ṭaʿmā (ta-MAA) reason-M.SG.EMPH
71.5a אַמַּאי why קָא indeed בָּכֵית you-weep
71.5b ʾammay (am-MAI) why qā (KAA) PROG bākhēt (baa-KHAYT) weep-PTCP.M.SG+you
71.6a אַמַּאי why לָא not אֲכַלְתְּ you-ate נַהֲמָא bread
71.6b ʾammay (am-MAI) why lā (LAA) not ʾăkhalt (a-KHALT) eat-PERF.2M.SG nahămā (na-ha-MAA) bread-M.SG.EMPH
71.7a אַמַּאי why שְׁקַל took טַבָּחָא the-butcher זוּזָא a-zuz מִינַּן from-us
71.7b ʾammay (am-MAI) why shəqal (sh'-KAL) take-PERF.3M.SG ṭabbāḥā (tab-baa-KHAA) butcher-M.SG.EMPH zūzā (zoo-ZAA) zuz-M.SG.EMPH minnan (MIN-nan) from-us
71.8a מַאי what טַעְמָא reason לָא not אֲתָא came רַב Rav פָּפָּא Pappa לְבֵי to-the-house-of מִדְרְשָׁא study
71.8b may (MAI) what ṭaʿmā (ta-MAA) reason-M.SG.EMPH lā (LAA) not ʾătā (a-TAA) come-PERF.3M.SG Rav (RAV) Rav Pāppā (PAP-paa) Pappa lə-vē (l'-VAY) to-house-CONST midrəshā (mid-r'-SHAA) study-M.SG.EMPH
71.9a אַמַּאי why מִשּׁוּם because דְּמִטְרָא that-the-rain נָחֵית is-coming-down
71.9b ʾammay (am-MAI) why mishshūm (mish-SHOOM) because.of də-miṭrā (d'-mit-RAA) that-rain-M.SG.EMPH nāḥēt (naa-KHAYT) come.down-PTCP.M.SG
71.10a אַמַּאי why אֲתוֹ have-come רַבָּנַן the-rabbis
71.10b ʾammay (am-MAI) why ʾătō (a-TOH) come-PERF.3M.PL rabbānan (rab-baa-NAN) rabbi-M.PL
71.11a אַמַּאי why לָא not אֲמַרְתְּ you-said לַן to-us
71.11b ʾammay (am-MAI) why lā (LAA) not ʾămart (a-MART) say-PERF.2M.SG lan (LAN) to-us
71.12a אַמַּאי why וְהָא but-surely יְהַב he-gave לַן us זוּזָא a-zuz
71.12b ʾammay (am-MAI) why wə-hā (v'-HAA) and-surely yəhav (y'-HAV) give-PERF.3M.SG lan (LAN) to-us zūzā (zoo-ZAA) zuz-M.SG.EMPH
71.13a מַאי what שְׁנָא is-different הָכָא here וּמַאי and-what שְׁנָא is-different הָתָם there
71.13b may (MAI) what shənā (sh'-NAA) differ-PERF.3M.SG hākhā (haa-KHAA) here ū-may (oo-MAI) and-what shənā (sh'-NAA) differ-PERF.3M.SG hātām (haa-TAAM) there
71.14a אַמַּאי why קָא indeed מַקְשֵׁית you-raise-objections לֵיהּ to-him לְרַבָּךְ to-your-master טוּבָא much
71.14b ʾammay (am-MAI) why qā (KAA) PROG maqshēt (mak-SHAYT) raise.objection-PTCP.M.SG+you lēh (LAYH) to-him lə-rabbākh (l'-rab-BAAKH) to-master-your ṭūvā (too-VAA) much
71.15a אַמַּאי why לָא not אֲתֵית you-came בַּהֲדַן with-us מִשּׁוּם because דְּלָא that-not הֲוָה there-was לִי to-me זוּזָא a-zuz
71.15b ʾammay (am-MAI) why lā (LAA) not ʾătēt (a-TAYT) come-PERF.2M.SG bahădan (ba-ha-DAN) with-us mishshūm (mish-SHOOM) because.of də-lā (d'-LAA) that-not hăwā (ha-VAA) be-PERF.3M.SG lī (LEE) to-me zūzā (zoo-ZAA) zuz-M.SG.EMPH
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71.1 אַמַּאי? — ʾammay? — "Why?"
71.2 אַמַּאי לָא? — ʾammay lā? — "Why not?"
71.3 אַמַּאי אֲתֵית? — ʾammay ʾătēt? — "Why have you come?"
71.4 מַאי טַעְמָא? — may ṭaʿmā? — "What is the reason?"
71.5 אַמַּאי קָא בָּכֵית? — ʾammay qā bākhēt? — "Why are you weeping?"
71.6 אַמַּאי לָא אֲכַלְתְּ נַהֲמָא? — ʾammay lā ʾăkhalt nahămā? — "Why did you not eat bread?"
71.7 אַמַּאי שְׁקַל טַבָּחָא זוּזָא מִינַּן? — ʾammay shəqal ṭabbāḥā zūzā minnan? — "Why did the butcher take a zuz from us?"
71.8 מַאי טַעְמָא לָא אֲתָא רַב פָּפָּא לְבֵי מִדְרְשָׁא? — may ṭaʿmā lā ʾătā Rav Pāppā lə-vē midrəshā? — "Why did Rav Pappa not come to the study house?"
71.9 אַמַּאי? מִשּׁוּם דְּמִטְרָא נָחֵית. — ʾammay? mishshūm də-miṭrā nāḥēt. — "Why? Because the rain is coming down."
71.10 אַמַּאי אֲתוֹ רַבָּנַן? — ʾammay ʾătō rabbānan? — "Why have the rabbis come?"
71.11 אַמַּאי לָא אֲמַרְתְּ לַן? — ʾammay lā ʾămart lan? — "Why did you not tell us?"
71.12 אַמַּאי? וְהָא יְהַב לַן זוּזָא! — ʾammay? wə-hā yəhav lan zūzā! — "Why? But surely he gave us a zuz!"
71.13 מַאי שְׁנָא הָכָא וּמַאי שְׁנָא הָתָם? — may shənā hākhā ū-may shənā hātām? — "Why is it one way here and another way there?"
71.14 אַמַּאי קָא מַקְשֵׁית לֵיהּ לְרַבָּךְ טוּבָא? — ʾammay qā maqshēt lēh lə-rabbākh ṭūvā? — "Why do you raise so many objections to your master?"
71.15 אַמַּאי לָא אֲתֵית בַּהֲדַן? מִשּׁוּם דְּלָא הֲוָה לִי זוּזָא. — ʾammay lā ʾătēt bahădan? mishshūm də-lā hăwā lī zūzā. — "Why did you not come with us? Because I did not have a zuz."
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71.1 אַמַּאי?
71.2 אַמַּאי לָא?
71.3 אַמַּאי אֲתֵית?
71.4 מַאי טַעְמָא?
71.5 אַמַּאי קָא בָּכֵית?
71.6 אַמַּאי לָא אֲכַלְתְּ נַהֲמָא?
71.7 אַמַּאי שְׁקַל טַבָּחָא זוּזָא מִינַּן?
71.8 מַאי טַעְמָא לָא אֲתָא רַב פָּפָּא לְבֵי מִדְרְשָׁא?
71.9 אַמַּאי? מִשּׁוּם דְּמִטְרָא נָחֵית.
71.10 אַמַּאי אֲתוֹ רַבָּנַן?
71.11 אַמַּאי לָא אֲמַרְתְּ לַן?
71.12 אַמַּאי? וְהָא יְהַב לַן זוּזָא!
71.13 מַאי שְׁנָא הָכָא וּמַאי שְׁנָא הָתָם?
71.14 אַמַּאי קָא מַקְשֵׁית לֵיהּ לְרַבָּךְ טוּבָא?
71.15 אַמַּאי לָא אֲתֵית בַּהֲדַן? מִשּׁוּם דְּלָא הֲוָה לִי זוּזָא.
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1. אַמַּאי is "on what?" The word is עַל, "on, for", joined to מַאי, "what". The ע has weakened to א, and the ל of עַל has been absorbed into the מ that follows; the dot in the מ (dagesh) shows that it is doubled: ʾam-may. So אַמַּאי means "on what account?", "for what?". The same contraction of עַל appears before a noun: אַמִּיטְרָא, "for the rain" (Section F), is עַל + מִיטְרָא. עַל as the cause is plain in Berakhot 5b: עַל דָּא וַדַּאי קָא בָּכֵית, "for this you are surely weeping" (Section E).
2. Where אַמַּאי stands. It comes first in its sentence, and the verb follows it: אַמַּאי אֲתֵית?, "why have you come?" (71.3); אַמַּאי אֲתוֹ רַבָּנַן?, "why have the rabbis come?" (71.10). The subject may come after the verb, as in 71.7 and 71.10. In a question, as everywhere in the Gemara, no word for "do" or "did" is needed: אַמַּאי לָא אֲכַלְתְּ נַהֲמָא?, word for word "why not you-ate bread?" (71.6).
3. "Why not?": אַמַּאי לָא. The negative לָא follows the question word directly: אַמַּאי לָא? (71.2); אַמַּאי לָא אֲמַרְתְּ לַן? (71.11); אַמַּאי לָא אֲתֵית בַּהֲדַן? (71.15); and 15.28, 45.10.
4. "What is the reason?": מַאי טַעְמָא. מַאי, "what", with טַעְמָא, "reason": no verb "is" is needed (71.4). The question may follow at once (71.8: מַאי טַעְמָא לָא אֲתָא רַב פָּפָּא …), or after כִּי, "when" (Section F: מַאי טַעְמָא כִּי יָהֵיבְנָא לְמָר שְׁלָמָא …, "why is it that when I greet the Master …"). With וְ-: וּמַאי טַעְמָא?, "and what is the reason?" (71.27). In the printed Talmud the phrase is often abbreviated מ״ט.
5. "Why the difference?": מַאי שְׁנָא. שְׁנָא is "it differed, it is different", so מַאי שְׁנָא is "what is different?": the Gemara's way of asking why two cases are treated in two ways (71.13). The answer is a difference between them. The same root שׁ-נ-י gives the Hebrew מַה נִּשְׁתַּנָּה, "how is it different?".
6. The Gemara's objection: אַמַּאי? וְהָא … אַמַּאי can stand alone, as a whole question (71.1, 71.9). The Gemara uses it so when a ruling seems wrong: "Why?" and then, with וְהָא, "but surely", the fact that seems to speak against it (71.12). וְהָא is וְ-, "and", with הָא, "behold, this" (lesson 70, 70.7).
7. The answer: מִשּׁוּם דְּ-, "because". מִשּׁוּם is "on account of"; before a noun it stands alone, and before a clause it takes דְּ-, "that":
- מִשּׁוּם דְּמִטְרָא נָחֵית, "because the rain is coming down" (71.9) - מִשּׁוּם דְּלָא הֲוָה לִי זוּזָא, "because I did not have a zuz" (71.15) - מִשּׁוּם הָכִי, "on account of this", that is "therefore" (71.22, 71.30)
The question אַמַּאי? and the answer מִשּׁוּם … are a pair: "on what account?" "On account of …".
8. "You" in the verb. A "why" question is often put to "you", so this lesson has the 2nd person forms:
- the perfect with -t: אֲתֵית (ʾătēt), "you came" (71.3, 71.15); אֲכַלְתְּ (ʾăkhalt), "you ate" (71.6); אֲמַרְתְּ (ʾămart), "you said" (71.11, 15.28) - the participle with the pronoun אַתְּ, "you", written separately: סָיֵים אַתְּ, "you put on" (71.18); שָׁאֵיל אַתְּ, "you ask", גָּמַר אַתְּ, "you learn" (71.30); אָזֵיל אַתְּ, "you go" (45.10) - or joined to it: בָּכֵית (bākhēt), "you weep", is בָּכֵי + אַתְּ (71.5, Berakhot 5b); מַקְשֵׁית (maqshēt), "you raise objections", is מַקְשֵׁי + אַתְּ (71.14)
9. "I" and "they" in the verb. The participle with -nā is "I": חָזֵינָא (ḥāzēnā), "I see" (71.19, 71.22); סָיֵימְנָא (sāyēmnā), "I put on" (71.22); יָדַעְנָא (yādaʿnā), "I know" (71.25); אָמֵינָא (ʾāmēnā), "I say" (Section F). The perfect with -īt is "I" too: שְׁאַלִית (shəʾalīt), "I asked" (71.26), like שְׁמַעִית in lesson 70. The perfect with -ō or -ū is "they": אֲתוֹ (ʾătō), "they came" (71.10); מְטוֹ (məṭō), "they reached" (71.20, 71.23); אֲמַרוּ (ʾămarū), "they said" (Section F).
10. "He said to her": אֲמַרָה and לַהּ. The mother speaks in the Genre Section: אֲמַרָה (ʾămarā), "she said", is the perfect of אֲמַר with -ā for "she" (71.25, 71.27, 71.29); and the son answers her with לַהּ, "to her" (lesson 70, rule 2).
11. "To him, to your master". In 71.14, קָא מַקְשֵׁית לֵיהּ לְרַבָּךְ, the short לֵיהּ, "to him", points ahead to the noun לְרַבָּךְ, "to your master", as קַמֵּיהּ דְּרַב פָּפָּא did in lesson 70 (Section F). -ākh is "your": רַבָּךְ (rabbākh), "your master"; אֲבוּךְ (ʾăvūkh), "your father" (71.29); מְסָאנָךְ (məsānākh), "your shoes" (71.18).
12. New words in this lesson.
- אַמַּאי (ʾammay), "why" (throughout) - אֲתֵית (ʾătēt), "you came"; אֲתוֹ (ʾătō), "they came" (71.3, 71.10, 71.15) - בָּכֵית (bākhēt), "you weep" (71.5) - אֲכַלְתְּ (ʾăkhalt), "you ate" (71.6) - מִשּׁוּם דְּ- (mishshūm də-), "because"; מִשּׁוּם הָכִי, "therefore" (71.9, 71.15, 71.22, 71.30) - וְהָא (wə-hā), "but surely" (71.12) - שְׁנָא (shənā), "is different"; הָכָא (hākhā), "here"; הָתָם (hātām), "there" (71.13) - רַבָּךְ (rabbākh), "your master" (71.14) - גַּבְרָא (gavrā), "man"; בְּרֵיהּ (bərēh), "his son"; מָתָא (mātā), "town" (71.16) - אוֹרְחָא (ʾōrḥā), "road, way"; סָיֵים (sāyēm), "puts on (shoes)"; מְסָאנֵיהּ (məsānēh), "his shoes" (71.17) - אַבָּא (ʾabbā), "father!"; אִימָּא (ʾimmā), "mother!" (71.18, 71.24) - חָזֵי (ḥāzē), "sees"; מַיָּא (mayyā), "water" (71.19, 71.28) - נַהֲרָא (nahărā), "river"; מְטוֹ (məṭō), "they reached" (71.20) - הַשְׁתָּא (hashtā), "now" (71.21) - פַּנְיָא (panyā), "evening"; בֵּיתָא (bētā), "house, home" (71.23) - יָנוֹקָא (yānōqā), "child" (71.24) - שְׁאַל (shəʾal), "ask"; שָׁאֵיל (shāʾēl), "asks" (71.26, 71.30) - שַׁפִּיר (shappīr), "well, rightly" (71.29) - שְׁלָמָא (shəlāmā), "peace, greeting"; אַסְבַּר אַפֵּיהּ, "he brightened his face", that is, "he returned the greeting" (Section F)
- Confusing אַמַּאי and מַאי. מַאי (MAI) is "what?"; אַמַּאי (am-MAI) is "why?", word for word "on what?". ✗ מַאי אֲתֵית? does not mean "why have you come?" → ✓ אַמַּאי אֲתֵית? - Writing אַמַּאי without the dagesh. The doubled מ is the trace of the ל of עַל: say am-MAI, not a-MAI. - Using Hebrew לָמָּה in Aramaic. לָמָּה is the "why" of the Hebrew of the Mishnah. In the Aramaic of the Gemara the usual words are אַמַּאי and מַאי טַעְמָא. - Leaving out דְּ- after מִשּׁוּם. Before a clause, "because" is מִשּׁוּם דְּ-: ✗ מִשּׁוּם מִטְרָא נָחֵית → ✓ מִשּׁוּם דְּמִטְרָא נָחֵית, "because the rain is coming down". - Putting לָא before אַמַּאי. ✗ לָא אַמַּאי אֲמַרְתְּ → ✓ אַמַּאי לָא אֲמַרְתְּ, "why did you not say?". - Reading אַמַּאי? וְהָא … as two questions. The second part is not a question but the evidence: "Why? Surely he gave us a zuz!" (71.12).
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The Gemara is a long chain of questions, and "why?" is among the commonest of them. When the Mishnah gives a ruling, the Gemara asks מַאי טַעְמָא, "what is the reason?", and looks for the verse or the principle behind it. When a ruling seems to clash with something already known, it asks אַמַּאי?, "why?", and brings the clash with וְהָא, "but surely". When two cases are treated differently, it asks מַאי שְׁנָא, "what is different?". The learner who knows these three questions can follow the movement of most pages: a statement, a "why?", an answer, and a new "why?".
The Gemara tells (Berakhot 5b) that Rabbi Elazar fell ill, and Rabbi Yoḥanan went in to visit him. Seeing him weep, he asked: אַמַּאי קָא בָּכֵית?, "why are you weeping?" (71.5). He offered three reasons, each with אִי מִשּׁוּם, "if it is because of …": the Torah he had not been able to study, his poverty, his children. Rabbi Elazar answered that he wept for the beauty of Rabbi Yoḥanan, which would one day decay in the dust; Rabbi Yoḥanan replied, עַל דָּא וַדַּאי קָא בָּכֵית, "for this you surely weep", and they wept together. The question and the answer are built from the two halves of this lesson: אַמַּאי, "on what?", and עַל דָּא, "on this".
In a time of drought (Taanit 23a–23b), the rabbis sent scholars to Abba Ḥilkiyah, grandson of Ḥoni the Circle-Drawer and a labourer in the fields, to ask him to pray for rain. They found him hoeing in a field; he did not return their greeting; on the way home he walked barefoot and put his shoes on only to cross water; his wife came out to meet him adorned; at table he did not invite them to eat. When he had prayed and the rain had come, they asked him the reason for each strange act, one מַאי טַעְמָא after another, and he answered each in a few words. Section F gives the first question and answer; the Genre Section borrows his answer about the shoes.
The habit of asking "why" became part of the way the Talmud is studied. Students learn in pairs and are expected to press each other with קוּשְׁיוֹת, "difficulties", the same objections the Gemara raises; the word comes from the same root as מַקְשֵׁי, "raises objections" (lesson 70; 71.14). The student who asks a sharp "why?" is honoured, as the story of Rav Pappa and his student in lesson 70 showed.
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The Babylonian Talmud, Taanit 23b, 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 except שדרי for שַׁדַּרוּ, "they sent" (F.2). The punctuation is the Sefaria edition's. One sentence in Hebrew, Abba Ḥilkiyah's blessing, is left out between F.2 and F.3, and marked … in F-B and F-C. The passage is chosen because it holds both of the Gemara's "whys": the short אַמַּאי (F.1) and the longer מַאי טַעְמָא (F.5).
F.1a כִּי when נָחֵית he-came-down אֲמַר he-said לְהוּ to-them אַמַּאי why אֲתוֹ have-come רַבָּנַן the-rabbis
F.1b kī (KEE) when nāḥēt (naa-KHAYT) come.down-PTCP.M.SG ʾămar (a-MAR) say-PERF.3M.SG ləhū (l'-HOO) to-them ʾammay (am-MAI) why ʾătō (a-TOH) come-PERF.3M.PL rabbānan (rab-baa-NAN) rabbi-M.PL
F.2a אֲמַרוּ they-said לֵיהּ to-him שַׁדַּרוּ have-sent לַן us רַבָּנַן the-rabbis לְגַבֵּי to דְּמָר the-Master לְמִיבְעֵי to-ask רַחֲמֵי mercy אַמִּיטְרָא for-rain
F.2b ʾămarū (a-ma-ROO) say-PERF.3M.PL lēh (LAYH) to-him shaddarū (shad-da-ROO) send-PERF.3M.PL lan (LAN) to-us rabbānan (rab-baa-NAN) rabbi-M.PL lə-gabbē (l'-gab-BAY) to-beside-CONST də-Mār (d'-MAAR) of-master lə-mībʿē (l'-meev-AY) to-ask-INF raḥămē (ra-kha-MAY) mercy-M.PL ʾam-mīṭrā (am-meet-RAA) on-rain-M.SG.EMPH
F.3a אֲמַרוּ they-said לֵיהּ to-him יָדְעִינַן we-know דְּמִיטְרָא that-the-rain מֵחֲמַת because-of מָר the-Master הוּא it-is דַּאֲתָא that-came
F.3b ʾămarū (a-ma-ROO) say-PERF.3M.PL lēh (LAYH) to-him yādʿīnan (yaad-EE-nan) know-PTCP.1PL də-mīṭrā (d'-meet-RAA) that-rain-M.SG.EMPH mē-ḥămat (may-kha-MAT) from-account-CONST Mār (MAAR) master hū (HOO) it da-ʾătā (da-a-TAA) that-come-PERF.3M.SG
F.4a אֶלָּא but לֵימָא let-say לַן to-us מָר the-Master הָנֵי these מִילֵּי things דִּתְמִיהָא that-are-strange לַן to-us
F.4b ʾellā (el-LAA) but lēmā (LAY-maa) say-IMPF.3M.SG lan (LAN) to-us Mār (MAAR) master hānē (haa-NAY) these millē (mil-LAY) word-F.PL di-tmīhā (dit-mee-HAA) that-be.strange-PTCP lan (LAN) to-us
F.5a מַאי what טַעְמָא reason כִּי when יָהֵיבְנָא I-give לְמָר to-the-Master שְׁלָמָא greeting לָא not אַסְבַּר brightened לַן to-us מָר the-Master אַפֵּיהּ his-face
F.5b may (MAI) what ṭaʿmā (ta-MAA) reason-M.SG.EMPH kī (KEE) when yāhēvnā (yaa-HAYV-naa) give-PTCP.1SG lə-Mār (l'-MAAR) to-master shəlāmā (sh'-laa-MAA) peace-M.SG.EMPH lā (LAA) not ʾasbar (as-BAR) make.bright-PERF.3M.SG lan (LAN) to-us Mār (MAAR) master ʾappēh (ap-PAYH) face-his
F.6a אֲמַר he-said לְהוּ to-them שְׂכִיר hired יוֹם by-the-day הֲוַאי I-was וְאָמֵינָא and-I-said לָא not אֶיפַּגַּר I-will-delay
F.6b ʾămar (a-MAR) say-PERF.3M.SG ləhū (l'-HOO) to-them səkhīr (s'-KHEER) hire-PASS.PTCP.M.SG yōm (YOHM) day hăway (ha-VAI) be-PERF.1SG wə-ʾāmēnā (v'-aa-MAY-naa) and-say-PTCP.1SG lā (LAA) not ʾeppaggar (ep-pag-GAR) delay-IMPF.1SG
כִּי נָחֵית אֲמַר לְהוּ: אַמַּאי אֲתוֹ רַבָּנַן? אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ: שַׁדַּרוּ לַן רַבָּנַן לְגַבֵּי דְּמָר לְמִיבְעֵי רַחֲמֵי אַמִּיטְרָא. … אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ: יָדְעִינַן דְּמִיטְרָא מֵחֲמַת מָר הוּא דַּאֲתָא, אֶלָּא לֵימָא לַן מָר הָנֵי מִילֵּי דִּתְמִיהָא לַן: מַאי טַעְמָא כִּי יָהֵיבְנָא לְמָר שְׁלָמָא לָא אַסְבַּר לַן מָר אַפֵּיהּ? אֲמַר לְהוּ: שְׂכִיר יוֹם הֲוַאי, וְאָמֵינָא: לָא אֶיפַּגַּר.
When he came down from the roof, he said to them: "Why have the rabbis come?" They said to him: "The rabbis have sent us to the Master, to ask for mercy for rain." … They said to him: "We know that the rain came because of the Master; but let the Master tell us these things that are strange to us. Why is it that when we greeted the Master, the Master did not turn a bright face to us?" He said to them: "I was a day labourer, and I said: I will not slacken."
כִּי נָחֵית אֲמַר לְהוּ: אַמַּאי אֲתוֹ רַבָּנַן? אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ: שַׁדַּרוּ לַן רַבָּנַן לְגַבֵּי דְּמָר לְמִיבְעֵי רַחֲמֵי אַמִּיטְרָא. … אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ: יָדְעִינַן דְּמִיטְרָא מֵחֲמַת מָר הוּא דַּאֲתָא, אֶלָּא לֵימָא לַן מָר הָנֵי מִילֵּי דִּתְמִיהָא לַן: מַאי טַעְמָא כִּי יָהֵיבְנָא לְמָר שְׁלָמָא לָא אַסְבַּר לַן מָר אַפֵּיהּ? אֲמַר לְהוּ: שְׂכִיר יוֹם הֲוַאי, וְאָמֵינָא: לָא אֶיפַּגַּר.
- אַמַּאי אֲתוֹ רַבָּנַן?, "why have the rabbis come?" The short "why" (rule 1), with the verb and then its subject (rule 2). Abba Ḥilkiyah speaks of the men before him in the third person, as "the rabbis", out of respect; he knows already why they have come, for before praying he told his wife: יָדַעְנָא דְּרַבָּנַן מִשּׁוּם מִיטְרָא קָא אָתוּ, "I know that the rabbis have come because of the rain", the "because" of rule 7. - כִּי נָחֵית, "when he came down". He had gone up to the roof with his wife to pray; כִּי with the participle tells what happened at that moment. - אַמִּיטְרָא, "for rain". עַל + מִיטְרָא, joined exactly as עַל + מַאי is joined in אַמַּאי: the ע becomes א and the ל is absorbed into the next letter. The two words of F.1 and F.2 show the rule side by side. The text here writes מִיטְרָא with י; this lesson's own sentences, like lesson 70, write מִטְרָא. Both spellings are found. - שַׁדַּרוּ לַן רַבָּנַן, "the rabbis have sent us". The "us" of lesson 70 again, here marked with לְ- as the object of "send". לְגַבֵּי דְּמָר, "to the Master", is the לְגַבַּן of lesson 70 with the noun. - מָר, "the Master". The polite word for "you" in the Gemara: the speaker says "the Master" and a verb in the third person instead of "you": לֵימָא לַן מָר, "let the Master tell us" (F.4). - מַאי טַעְמָא כִּי …, "why is it that when …". The long "why" (rule 4), followed by a whole situation. יָהֵיבְנָא is the participle with -nā, "I give" (rule 9): one man speaks for the group, while the verb after it says לַן, "to us". The Sefaria translation renders the whole as "we greeted". - לָא אַסְבַּר לַן מָר אַפֵּיהּ, "the Master did not brighten his face to us". To make one's face bright to someone is to greet them with a friendly look; the Sefaria translation renders it "did not return our greeting". - שְׂכִיר יוֹם הֲוַאי, "I was a day labourer". שְׂכִיר יוֹם is Hebrew, a term of the law: a man hired by the day, whose time belongs to his employer. הֲוַאי is "I was", the perfect of הֲוָה with -ay for "I". His answer gives the reason without מִשּׁוּם: the fact itself is the "because". - וְאָמֵינָא: לָא אֶיפַּגַּר, "and I said: I will not slacken". אָמֵינָא, "I say, I said to myself", introduces a thought. אֶיפַּגַּר is "I will be idle, I will delay": he would not take his employer's time for a greeting.
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A short narrative in the language of the Gemara, written for this lesson on the story of Abba Ḥilkiyah (Taanit 23b): a boy walks to town with his father and asks him why. It is not a quotation from the Talmud, except 71.19, which is Abba Ḥilkiyah's answer about his shoes as the Gemara gives it, and 71.17, which takes up the Gemara's description of him.
71.16a יוֹמָא day חַד one אֲזַל went הַהוּא a-certain גַּבְרָא man בַּהֲדֵי with בְּרֵיהּ his-son לְמָתָא to-the-town
71.16b yōmā (yoh-MAA) day-M.SG.EMPH ḥad (KHAD) one-M ʾăzal (a-ZAL) go-PERF.3M.SG hahū (ha-HOO) that gavrā (gav-RAA) man-M.SG.EMPH bahădē (ba-ha-DAY) with-CONST bərēh (b'-RAYH) son-his lə-mātā (l'-maa-TAA) to-town-F.SG.EMPH
71.17a כּוּלַּהּ all אוֹרְחָא the-way לָא not סָיֵים he-put-on מְסָאנֵיהּ his-shoes
71.17b kullah (kul-LAH) all-of-it ʾōrḥā (ohr-KHAA) road-F.SG.EMPH lā (LAA) not sāyēm (saa-YAYM) put.on-PTCP.M.SG məsānēh (m'-saa-NAYH) shoe-PL-his
71.18a אֲמַר said לֵיהּ to-him בְּרֵיהּ his-son אַבָּא father אַמַּאי why לָא not סָיֵים put-on אַתְּ you מְסָאנָךְ your-shoes
71.18b ʾămar (a-MAR) say-PERF.3M.SG lēh (LAYH) to-him bərēh (b'-RAYH) son-his ʾabbā (AB-baa) father ʾammay (am-MAI) why lā (LAA) not sāyēm (saa-YAYM) put.on-PTCP.M.SG ʾatt (AT) you-M.SG məsānākh (m'-saa-NAAKH) shoe-PL-your
71.19a אֲמַר he-said לֵיהּ to-him כּוּלַּהּ all אוֹרְחָא the-road חָזֵינָא I-see בְּמַיָּא in-the-water לָא not קָא indeed חָזֵינָא I-see
71.19b ʾămar (a-MAR) say-PERF.3M.SG lēh (LAYH) to-him kullah (kul-LAH) all-of-it ʾōrḥā (ohr-KHAA) road-F.SG.EMPH ḥāzēnā (khaa-ZAY-naa) see-PTCP.1SG bə-mayyā (b'-mai-YAA) in-water-M.PL.EMPH lā (LAA) not qā (KAA) PROG ḥāzēnā (khaa-ZAY-naa) see-PTCP.1SG
71.20a כִּי when מְטוֹ they-reached לְנַהֲרָא the-river סָיֵים he-put-on מְסָאנֵיהּ his-shoes
71.20b kī (KEE) when məṭō (m'-TOH) reach-PERF.3M.PL lə-nahărā (l'-na-ha-RAA) to-river-M.SG.EMPH sāyēm (saa-YAYM) put.on-PTCP.M.SG məsānēh (m'-saa-NAYH) shoe-PL-his
71.21a אֲמַר said לֵיהּ to-him בְּרֵיהּ his-son וְהַשְׁתָּא and-now אַמַּאי why
71.21b ʾămar (a-MAR) say-PERF.3M.SG lēh (LAYH) to-him bərēh (b'-RAYH) son-his wə-hashtā (v'-hash-TAA) and-now ʾammay (am-MAI) why
71.22a אֲמַר he-said לֵיהּ to-him בְּמַיָּא in-the-water לָא not קָא indeed חָזֵינָא I-see וּמִשּׁוּם and-because-of הָכִי this סָיֵימְנָא I-put-them-on
71.22b ʾămar (a-MAR) say-PERF.3M.SG lēh (LAYH) to-him bə-mayyā (b'-mai-YAA) in-water-M.PL.EMPH lā (LAA) not qā (KAA) PROG ḥāzēnā (khaa-ZAY-naa) see-PTCP.1SG ū-mishshūm (oo-mish-SHOOM) and-because.of hākhī (haa-KHEE) thus sāyēmnā (saa-YAYM-naa) put.on-PTCP.1SG
71.23a בְּפַנְיָא in-the-evening מְטוֹ they-reached לְבֵיתָא home
71.23b bə-fanyā (b'-fan-YAA) in-evening-M.SG.EMPH məṭō (m'-TOH) reach-PERF.3M.PL lə-vētā (l'-vay-TAA) to-house-M.SG.EMPH
71.24a אֲמַר said יָנוֹקָא the-child לְאִימֵּיהּ to-his-mother אִימָּא mother אַמַּאי why אַבָּא father לָא not סָיֵים puts-on מְסָאנֵיהּ his-shoes בְּאוֹרְחָא on-the-road
71.24b ʾămar (a-MAR) say-PERF.3M.SG yānōqā (yaa-noh-KAA) child-M.SG.EMPH lə-ʾimmēh (l'-im-MAYH) to-mother-his ʾimmā (IM-maa) mother ʾammay (am-MAI) why ʾabbā (AB-baa) father lā (LAA) not sāyēm (saa-YAYM) put.on-PTCP.M.SG məsānēh (m'-saa-NAYH) shoe-PL-his bə-ʾōrḥā (b'-ohr-KHAA) on-road-F.SG.EMPH
71.25a אֲמַרָה she-said לֵיהּ to-him לָא not יָדַעְנָא I-know אֵימָא tell לִי me אַתְּ you
71.25b ʾămarā (a-ma-RAA) say-PERF.3F.SG lēh (LAYH) to-him lā (LAA) not yādaʿnā (yaa-DA-naa) know-PTCP.1SG ʾēmā (AY-maa) say-IMPV.M.SG lī (LEE) to-me ʾatt (AT) you-M.SG
71.26a אֲמַר he-said לַהּ to-her שְׁאַלִית I-asked לֵיהּ him וַאֲמַר and-he-told לִי me טַעְמָא the-reason
71.26b ʾămar (a-MAR) say-PERF.3M.SG lah (LAH) to-her shəʾalīt (sh'-a-LEET) ask-PERF.1SG lēh (LAYH) to-him wa-ʾămar (va-a-MAR) and-say-PERF.3M.SG lī (LEE) to-me ṭaʿmā (ta-MAA) reason-M.SG.EMPH
71.27a אֲמַרָה she-said לֵיהּ to-him וּמַאי and-what טַעְמָא reason
71.27b ʾămarā (a-ma-RAA) say-PERF.3F.SG lēh (LAYH) to-him ū-may (oo-MAI) and-what ṭaʿmā (ta-MAA) reason-M.SG.EMPH
71.28a אֲמַר he-said לַהּ to-her בְּאוֹרְחָא on-the-road חָזֵי he-sees בְּמַיָּא in-the-water לָא not חָזֵי he-sees
71.28b ʾămar (a-MAR) say-PERF.3M.SG lah (LAH) to-her bə-ʾōrḥā (b'-ohr-KHAA) on-road-F.SG.EMPH ḥāzē (khaa-ZAY) see-PTCP.M.SG bə-mayyā (b'-mai-YAA) in-water-M.PL.EMPH lā (LAA) not ḥāzē (khaa-ZAY) see-PTCP.M.SG
71.29a אֲמַרָה she-said לֵיהּ to-him שַׁפִּיר well אֲמַר said אֲבוּךְ your-father אֲמַר he-said לַהּ to-her וְאַמַּאי and-why שַׁפִּיר well
71.29b ʾămarā (a-ma-RAA) say-PERF.3F.SG lēh (LAYH) to-him shappīr (shap-PEER) well ʾămar (a-MAR) say-PERF.3M.SG ʾăvūkh (a-VOOKH) father-your ʾămar (a-MAR) say-PERF.3M.SG lah (LAH) to-her wə-ʾammay (v'-am-MAI) and-why shappīr (shap-PEER) well
71.30a שְׁמַע heard אֲבוּהּ his-father וַאֲמַר and-said לֵיהּ to-him כָּל every יוֹמָא day שָׁאֵיל ask אַתְּ you אַמַּאי why וּמִשּׁוּם and-because-of הָכִי this גָּמַר learn אַתְּ you
71.30b shəmaʿ (sh'-MA) hear-PERF.3M.SG ʾăvūh (a-VOOH) father-his wa-ʾămar (va-a-MAR) and-say-PERF.3M.SG lēh (LAYH) to-him kol (KOL) every yōmā (yoh-MAA) day-M.SG.EMPH shāʾēl (shaa-AYL) ask-PTCP.M.SG ʾatt (AT) you-M.SG ʾammay (am-MAI) why ū-mishshūm (oo-mish-SHOOM) and-because.of hākhī (haa-KHEE) thus gāmar (gaa-MAR) learn-PTCP.M.SG ʾatt (AT) you-M.SG
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71.16 יוֹמָא חַד אֲזַל הַהוּא גַּבְרָא בַּהֲדֵי בְּרֵיהּ לְמָתָא. — yōmā ḥad ʾăzal hahū gavrā bahădē bərēh lə-mātā. — "One day a certain man went with his son to the town."
71.17 כּוּלַּהּ אוֹרְחָא לָא סָיֵים מְסָאנֵיהּ. — kullah ʾōrḥā lā sāyēm məsānēh. — "All the way he did not put on his shoes."
71.18 אֲמַר לֵיהּ בְּרֵיהּ: אַבָּא, אַמַּאי לָא סָיֵים אַתְּ מְסָאנָךְ? — ʾămar lēh bərēh: ʾabbā, ʾammay lā sāyēm ʾatt məsānākh? — "His son said to him: Father, why do you not put on your shoes?"
71.19 אֲמַר לֵיהּ: כּוּלַּהּ אוֹרְחָא חָזֵינָא, בְּמַיָּא לָא קָא חָזֵינָא. — ʾămar lēh: kullah ʾōrḥā ḥāzēnā, bə-mayyā lā qā ḥāzēnā. — "He said to him: The whole road I can see; in the water I cannot see."
71.20 כִּי מְטוֹ לְנַהֲרָא, סָיֵים מְסָאנֵיהּ. — kī məṭō lə-nahărā, sāyēm məsānēh. — "When they reached the river, he put on his shoes."
71.21 אֲמַר לֵיהּ בְּרֵיהּ: וְהַשְׁתָּא אַמַּאי? — ʾămar lēh bərēh: wə-hashtā ʾammay? — "His son said to him: And now why?"
71.22 אֲמַר לֵיהּ: בְּמַיָּא לָא קָא חָזֵינָא, וּמִשּׁוּם הָכִי סָיֵימְנָא. — ʾămar lēh: bə-mayyā lā qā ḥāzēnā, ū-mishshūm hākhī sāyēmnā. — "He said to him: In the water I cannot see, and that is why I put them on."
71.23 בְּפַנְיָא מְטוֹ לְבֵיתָא. — bə-fanyā məṭō lə-vētā. — "In the evening they reached home."
71.24 אֲמַר יָנוֹקָא לְאִימֵּיהּ: אִימָּא, אַמַּאי אַבָּא לָא סָיֵים מְסָאנֵיהּ בְּאוֹרְחָא? — ʾămar yānōqā lə-ʾimmēh: ʾimmā, ʾammay ʾabbā lā sāyēm məsānēh bə-ʾōrḥā? — "The child said to his mother: Mother, why does Father not wear his shoes on the road?"
71.25 אֲמַרָה לֵיהּ: לָא יָדַעְנָא. אֵימָא לִי אַתְּ. — ʾămarā lēh: lā yādaʿnā. ʾēmā lī ʾatt. — "She said to him: I do not know. You tell me."
71.26 אֲמַר לַהּ: שְׁאַלִית לֵיהּ, וַאֲמַר לִי טַעְמָא. — ʾămar lah: shəʾalīt lēh, wa-ʾămar lī ṭaʿmā. — "He said to her: I asked him, and he told me the reason."
71.27 אֲמַרָה לֵיהּ: וּמַאי טַעְמָא? — ʾămarā lēh: ū-may ṭaʿmā? — "She said to him: And what is the reason?"
71.28 אֲמַר לַהּ: בְּאוֹרְחָא חָזֵי, בְּמַיָּא לָא חָזֵי. — ʾămar lah: bə-ʾōrḥā ḥāzē, bə-mayyā lā ḥāzē. — "He said to her: On the road he can see; in the water he cannot see."
71.29 אֲמַרָה לֵיהּ: שַׁפִּיר אֲמַר אֲבוּךְ. אֲמַר לַהּ: וְאַמַּאי שַׁפִּיר? — ʾămarā lēh: shappīr ʾămar ʾăvūkh. ʾămar lah: wə-ʾammay shappīr? — "She said to him: Your father spoke well. He said to her: And why well?"
71.30 שְׁמַע אֲבוּהּ, וַאֲמַר לֵיהּ: כָּל יוֹמָא שָׁאֵיל אַתְּ אַמַּאי, וּמִשּׁוּם הָכִי גָּמַר אַתְּ. — shəmaʿ ʾăvūh, wa-ʾămar lēh: kol yōmā shāʾēl ʾatt ʾammay, ū-mishshūm hākhī gāmar ʾatt. — "His father heard, and said to him: Every day you ask why, and that is why you learn."
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71.16 יוֹמָא חַד אֲזַל הַהוּא גַּבְרָא בַּהֲדֵי בְּרֵיהּ לְמָתָא.
71.17 כּוּלַּהּ אוֹרְחָא לָא סָיֵים מְסָאנֵיהּ.
71.18 אֲמַר לֵיהּ בְּרֵיהּ: אַבָּא, אַמַּאי לָא סָיֵים אַתְּ מְסָאנָךְ?
71.19 אֲמַר לֵיהּ: כּוּלַּהּ אוֹרְחָא חָזֵינָא, בְּמַיָּא לָא קָא חָזֵינָא.
71.20 כִּי מְטוֹ לְנַהֲרָא, סָיֵים מְסָאנֵיהּ.
71.21 אֲמַר לֵיהּ בְּרֵיהּ: וְהַשְׁתָּא אַמַּאי?
71.22 אֲמַר לֵיהּ: בְּמַיָּא לָא קָא חָזֵינָא, וּמִשּׁוּם הָכִי סָיֵימְנָא.
71.23 בְּפַנְיָא מְטוֹ לְבֵיתָא.
71.24 אֲמַר יָנוֹקָא לְאִימֵּיהּ: אִימָּא, אַמַּאי אַבָּא לָא סָיֵים מְסָאנֵיהּ בְּאוֹרְחָא?
71.25 אֲמַרָה לֵיהּ: לָא יָדַעְנָא. אֵימָא לִי אַתְּ.
71.26 אֲמַר לַהּ: שְׁאַלִית לֵיהּ, וַאֲמַר לִי טַעְמָא.
71.27 אֲמַרָה לֵיהּ: וּמַאי טַעְמָא?
71.28 אֲמַר לַהּ: בְּאוֹרְחָא חָזֵי, בְּמַיָּא לָא חָזֵי.
71.29 אֲמַרָה לֵיהּ: שַׁפִּיר אֲמַר אֲבוּךְ. אֲמַר לַהּ: וְאַמַּאי שַׁפִּיר?
71.30 שְׁמַע אֲבוּהּ, וַאֲמַר לֵיהּ: כָּל יוֹמָא שָׁאֵיל אַתְּ אַמַּאי, וּמִשּׁוּם הָכִי גָּמַר אַתְּ.
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- A narrative of questions. The story moves by "why": אַמַּאי (71.18, 71.21, 71.24, 71.29, 71.30), the longer וּמַאי טַעְמָא (71.27), and the answer וּמִשּׁוּם הָכִי, "and that is why" (71.22, 71.30). - The borrowed answer. כּוּלַּהּ אוֹרְחָא חָזֵינָא, בְּמַיָּא לָא קָא חָזֵינָא (71.19) is Abba Ḥilkiyah's own answer in Taanit 23b, when the rabbis asked him why he walked barefoot and put on his shoes only in the water: on the road he could see what he stepped on; in the water he could not. - "And now why?" וְהַשְׁתָּא אַמַּאי? (71.21): אַמַּאי can stand at the end, after the word it questions, when the rest is understood from what came before. - "I" and "he" of the same verb. The father says חָזֵינָא, "I see" (71.19, 71.22); the son, telling it again, says חָזֵי, "he sees" (71.28). The participle takes -nā for "I" and nothing for "he" (rule 9). - "You" with the participle. The son asks סָיֵים אַתְּ, "you put on" (71.18); the father answers שָׁאֵיל אַתְּ … גָּמַר אַתְּ, "you ask … you learn" (71.30). The pronoun אַתְּ follows the participle (rule 8). - Father and mother. אַבָּא and אִימָּא are the child's words, "Father!", "Mother!" (71.18, 71.24). With an ending the noun "father" takes another form: אֲבוּהּ, "his father" (71.30; lesson 70), אֲבוּךְ, "your father" (71.29). - She and he. The mother's verb is אֲמַרָה, "she said" (rule 10); she says לֵיהּ, "to him", to her son, and he answers לַהּ, "to her" (71.26, 71.28, 71.29). - "I do not know. You tell me." לָא יָדַעְנָא (71.25), the participle with -nā, as Abba Ḥilkiyah says יָדַעְנָא, "I know", to his wife in Taanit 23b. אֵימָא לִי, "tell me", is lesson 70's אֵימָא לַן with "me" for "us". - "Why well?" וְאַמַּאי שַׁפִּיר? (71.29) asks why of an adverb, not of a deed: the boy's "why" never stops, and in 71.30 his father names that habit as the reason he learns.
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- IPA: /ʔamˈmaj/ - א (alef) = a glottal stop, as the catch in English uh-oh; at the start of a word most readers simply begin with the vowel. - ַ (patach) = a short a, as in father said quickly. - מּ (mem with dagesh) = a doubled m: hold it a moment, am-MAI. This doubling is all that is left of the ל of עַל. - אי at the end = the diphthong ai, as in English eye. The א is not pronounced here. - Stress on the last syllable: am-MAI. Compare מַאי, "what", MAI, with no am- before it.
- IPA: /maj tˤaʕˈmaː/ - MAI ta-MAA: two words, said together, with the stress on the last syllable of טַעְמָא. - ט (ṭet) = originally an emphatic t; most readers today say a plain t. - ע (ʿayin) after the patach: a voiced sound in the throat, in most modern readings silent or a slight catch: ta-MAA or ta'-MAA.
- IPA: /miʃˈʃuːm/ - mish-SHOOM: the dot in the שׁ (dagesh) doubles it; the dot on its upper right shows sh, not s.
- ח (ḥet) in נָחֵית, טַבָּחָא, חַד, חָזֵינָא, חָזֵי, מֵחֲמַת, רַחֲמֵי, אוֹרְחָא: a rasping sound in the throat, like the ch of Scottish loch. Written kh in the respellings. - Soft כ (khaf) in בָּכֵית, אֲכַלְתְּ, רַבָּךְ, אֲבוּךְ, מְסָאנָךְ, הָכָא, הָכִי, שְׂכִיר: the same rasping sound, made a little further forward. The final ךְ carries a shewa and is pronounced. - ע (ʿayin) in טַעְמָא, שְׁמַע, יָדַעְנָא, יָדְעִינַן, לְמִיבְעֵי: a voiced sound in the throat, in most modern readings silent or a slight catch. - ק (qof) in קָא, שְׁקַל, מַקְשֵׁית, יָנוֹקָא: originally a k made further back in the throat; most readers today say a plain k. - שׂ (sin) in שְׂכִיר: the dot on the upper left shows s, not sh. - The final ־תְּ in אֲכַלְתְּ, אֲמַרְתְּ, אַתְּ: the t is pronounced at the end of the word, after another consonant in אֲכַלְתְּ (a-KHALT) and אֲמַרְתְּ (a-MART). - The mappiq ה in לֵיהּ, לַהּ, בְּרֵיהּ, מְסָאנֵיהּ, אִימֵּיהּ, אֲבוּהּ, אַפֵּיהּ, כּוּלַּהּ: the final h is really breathed out.
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Course Index: [latinum.substack.com/p/index](https://latinum.substack.com/p/index)