manuscripts, e. g. ܡܟܘܠܬܐ‎ for ܡܷܐܟ݂ܽܘܠܬܴ݁ܐ‎ "food"; ܢܟܘܠ‎ for ܢܶܐܟ݂ܘܿܠ‎ "eats"; ܦܬܐ‎ for ܦܱܐܬ݂ܳܐ‎ "face". On the other hand ܐ‎, even when a manifestly superfluous letter, is yet placed in words where it should not have appeared at all,—as in ܡܣܐܒ‎ for ܡܱܣܱܒ‎ "to take"; ܠܐܥܠܘܢ‎ for ܠܷܥܥܽܘܢ‎ "ye enter"; ܜܐܒܐ‎ for ܜܶܒܴ݁ܐ‎ "report"; ܩܐܝܡܝܢ‎ for ܩܳܝܡܺܝܢ‎ "stand" (pl.); ܬܘܗܐܝܐ‎ for ܬܽܘܗܳܝܳܐ‎ "delay"; ܕܐܘܘܢܐ‎, ܕܘܘܐܢܐ‎ and even ܕܐܘܘܐܢܐ‎ for ܕܵܘܘܿܢܵܐ‎ or (West-S.) ܕܽܘܘܳܢܳܐ‎ "pity", &c.; or it stands in the wrong place, like ܜܐܡܘܬܐ‎ for ܜܰܡܽܐܘܬ݂ܳܐ‎ "uncleanness"; ܫܐܘܠܐ‎ for ܫܽܘܐܴܠܳܐ‎ "question"; ܐܫܝܠܐ‎ or ܫܺܐܝܠܴܐ‎ "demanded" (part.) &c.; or it is doubled instead of being written once, as in ܢܒܝܐܐ‎ for ܢܒ݂ܰܝܱܐ‎ "comforts", and the like. The superfluous ܐ‎ is a good deal in favour in certain causative forms, particularly in short ones, e. g. ܡܱܐܚܶܐ‎ = ܡܱܚܶܐ‎ "gives life"; ܢܰܐܗܰܪ‎ "injures".

ܬܐ‎ becoming ܬܬ‎. § 36. In certain cases a vowel-less ܬ݂‎, followed by an ܐ‎, blends with that letter into a hard ܬ݁‎ doubled and generally written ܬܬ‎ (pointed ܬ݂ܬ݁‎, ܬ݁ܬ‎, ܬܬ̇‎, ܬܬ݁‎, which all express the same sound, § 26): in older days it was often signified by a single ܬ‎. Thus, regularly, in the reflexive of Aphel ܐܷܬܬܱ݁ܩܜܰܠ‎, ܐܷܬ݁ܬܱ݁ܩܜܰܠ‎ for ethʾaqṭal; ܐܷܬܬ݁ܩܺܝܡ‎ "was established" (ܐܬܩܝܡ‎) v. § 177 D &c. Thus, besides, in ܐܷܬܬ݁ܚܶܕ‎ "was held" (ܐܬܚܕ‎) for ethʾe̊ḥeδ, and occasionally in similar forms (§ 174 C). A single ܬ‎ is almost always written for ܬܬ‎, if another ܬ‎ precedes by way of prefix, e. g. ܬܷܬ݁ܩܺܝܡ‎, ܬܷܬ݁ܚܶܕ‎, instead of ܬܬܬܩܝܡ‎, ܬܬܬܚܕ‎.

ܥ‎. § 37. Even before the orthography was elaborated, a ܥ‍‎ followed by another ܥ‍‎ in the same root became ܐ‎ (ܐܶܠܥܴܐ‎ "rib", from ܥܷܠܥܴܐ‎; ܐܱܥܦܴ݁ܐ‎ "doubled", from ܥܱܥܦܴ݁ܐ‎, and many others):^[1] In like manner, with the West-Syrians, a ܥ‍‎ coming immediately before ܗ‎ becomes ܐ‎ and is treated like it in every respect. Thus ܥܷܗܰܕ‎ "remembered",—pronounce ܐܷܗܰܕ‎, from ܥܗܰܕ‎; ܥܽܘܗܕܳܢܳܐ‎ "recollection",—pronounce ܐܾܘܗܕܳܢܳܐ‎; ܡܶܬ݂ܶܥܗܶܕ‎ metheheδ for ܡܷܬ݂ܥܗܶܕ‎, &c. This change, which becomes noticeable even in the fourth century, and is occasionally indicated also in writing (ܐܗܪܝܢ‎, ܐܗܝܪ‎ for ܥܴܗܪܻܝܢ‎, ܥܱܗܺܝܪ‎ "to be in heat"), has however remained unknown to the East-Syrians.

ܗ‎. § 38. ܗ‎, which as an initial letter had, even in ancient times, often

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