§§ 47. 48.
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In the end of a word the West-Syrian transition from ē to ī, except in ܢܹܐ (= Hebr. נָא) appears only in Greek words in η, e. g. ܕܺܝܱܬ݂ܝܩܺܐ or even ܕܺܝܱܬ݂ܝܩܺܝ διαθήκη for ܕܝܵܬܹܝܩܹܐ of the East-Syrians. Otherwise ◌ܶ remains here: ܓܳܠܷܐ "reveals", ܡܱ̈ܠܟܷܐ "kings", &c.
e. § 47. The short ◌ܸ seems to have been ĕ in the West, from ancient times; in the East it was pronounced sometimes as ĕ, sometimes as ĭ. This difference has no grammatical significance.
A short ĕ may often be lengthened in the concluding syllable through the (original) tone: thus ܕܳܚܶܠ "terrifies"; ܩܷܜܠܷܬ "I killed" (in which cases the second vowel is written by the East-Syrians with ◌ܵ) should perhaps be pronounced dāḥḗl, qeṭlḗth: It is the same principle with the monosyllabic ܫܷܠܝ (ܡܶܢ) "suddenly" and ܫܷܬ݂ "six", for which ܫܝܠ and ܫܝܬ are found in very old MSS. Yet this is not certain; and still less certain is it whether such a lengthening was generally practised. But beyond all doubt ܒܷܪܝ "my son" (§ 146) has a long ē.
ō, o. § 48. The ܘܿ (ō) with the West-Syrians at an early date coincided with ܘܼ (◌ܽܘ, ū). It has been retained only in the interjections ܐܘّ and ܐܘܿܝ "oi" (for which others say ܐܾܘܝ). Thus we have otherwise ܩܳܜܽܘܠܴܐ qōṭūlō for ܩܵܜܘܿܠܵܐ qāṭōlā "murder"; ܨܠܽܘܬ݂ܳܐ ṣe̊lūthō for ܨܠܘܿܬ݂ܳܐ ṣe̊lōthā "prayer", &c. Moreover such an East-Syrian ܘܿ appears not seldom to be only the result of toning down an original ū, especially in the neighbourhood- ↑ Now-a-days the East-Syrians pronounce ◌ܹ,—both in cases where it corresponds to the ◌ܶ and in those where it corresponds to the ◌ܺ of the West-Syrians,—for the most part very like ī, and yet in another way than the pointed ܝܼ.
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