Although this falling away of the ܐ‎ is very ancient, yet the East-Syrians frequently retain it as a consonant in such cases: thus e. g. they prefer to punctuate ܢܸܫܐܲܠ‎, ܒܐܵܬ݂ܵܐ‎, without pushing forward the vowel to the preceding consonant, as if it should still be read nešʾal, be̊ʾāthā; but all this without consistency.

B. Between two vowels ܐ‎ receives with many Syrians (always?) the pronunciation y, e. g. ܐܴܐܱܪ‎ ōyar "air" (West-Syr.). This pronunciation, which occasionally finds expression even in writing, e. g. ܨܰܝܱܐ‎ for ܨܰܐܱܐ‎ "defiled" (§ 172 A B), has however not been general.

In the end of a syllable ܐ‎ always loses its consonantal value: ܫܷܐܠܷܬ݂‎ "I demanded", is in sound the same as ܫܷܠܷܬ݂‎; ܢܶܐܟ݂ܘܿܠ‎ "eats" = ܢܷܟ݂ܘܿܠ‎; ܣܴܐܒ݂ܺܝܢ‎ "are growing old" = ܣܴܒ݂ܺܝܢ‎, &c. Etymology alone can decide here, as in many other cases, whether ܐ‎ is a mere vowel-letter or an original guttural (Arabic Hemza). Such an ܐ‎ is now no longer written in cases like ܣܱܓܻ݁ܝ‎ from saggīʾ (cf. ܣܴܓܻ݁ܝܐܴܐ‎, ܣܱܓܻ݁ܝܐܺܝܢ‎), &c.) "much". On the changes of vowels at the disappearance of such an ܐ‎ v. § 53.

Auxiliary vowel of the ܐ‎. § 34. An ܐ‎, which in the beginning of the syllable ought to receive a vocal sh^eva,—according to the analogy of other consonants,—retains a full vowel instead; but in the middle of a word it gives up this vowel to the foregoing consonant (by § 33 A) and loses its own consonantal value. The vowel is ◌ܰ‎ or ◌ܶ‎, and the latter even in many cases where it was originally a. Thus ܐܷܡܱܪ‎ "spoke", compared with ܩܜܰܠ‎ "killed" 3. s. (originally amar, qaṭal); ܐܱܡܺܝܪ‎ "spoken", compared with ܩܜܺܝܠ‎ "killed" (from qaṭīl); ܐܱܟ݂ܘܿܠ‎ "eat", like ܩܜܘܿܠ‎ "kill",—ܡܷܬ݂ܶܐܟ݂ܶܠ‎ "is being eaten" (like ܡܶܬܩܜܶܠ‎ "is being killed"); ܡܠܱܐܟ݂ܳܐ‎ "angel" = מַלְאֲכָא‎; ܡܱܟ݂ܶܐܒ݂ܷܐ‎ "afflicted" machevē (East-Syrian ܡܲܟܲܐܒܸܐ‎) &c. The Nestorians occasionally write in these cases ◌̱ (§ 17) e. g. ܡܸܬ݂ܐ̱ܟܸܠ‎, which is even improperly used for regular vowels, as in ܫܲܬܐ̱ܣܹ̈ܝܗܿ‎ = ܫܷܬܐܷܣܷܝ̈ܗܿ‎ (§ 45) "her foundations". An o (perhaps lengthened?) has been thus maintained in ܐܘܿܪ̈ܰܘܳܬ݂ܳܐ‎ (Plural of ܐܘܿܪܝܳܐ‎ "manger") from ŏrawāthā. Such an ܐ‎ with a sh^eva disappears without leaving a trace in ܣܘܿܓܐܗܘܿܢ‎, ܣܘܿܓܗܘܿܢ‎ "their multitude" from ܣܘܿܓܳܐܐ‎ for soγʾā.

Orthographic Note on ܐ‎. § 35. Seeing that a radical ܐ‎ frequently thus falls away in pronunciation, it is often left out also in writing, and that even in the oldest