Adjective Gentilic¶
Summary¶
The name(s) of spoken language(s) are considered gentilic adjectives.
Article¶
The names of spoken languages are the only terms that are considered by this grammar as proper “gentilic adjectives”. However, scholars disagree concerning which terms should be called gentilic nouns or gentilic adjectives. This is because most gentilics in both Biblical Hebrew and Biblical Aramaic can legitimately be classified as either nouns or adjectives.
Note
Some gentilic nouns that follow nouns in the absolute state function like attributive adjectives. Some scholars call these gentilic adjectives as well (for example, “Ruth the Moabitess”).
Examples¶
| דַּבֶּר־נָ֤א אֶל־עֲבָדֶ֙יךָ֙ אֲרָמִ֔ית |
| transliteration |
| Speak_[exh.prtc] to_your-servants Aramaic |
| Please speak to your servants in the Aramean language, Aramaic |
| וְאַל־תְּדַבֵּ֤ר אֵלֵ֙ינוּ֙ יְהוּדִ֔ית |
| transliteration |
| But-not_speak to-us in Judean |
| Do not speak with us in the language of Judah [i.e. Hebrew] |
| וַֽיְדַבְּר֧וּ הַכַּשְׂדִּ֛ים לַמֶּ֖לֶךְ אֲרָמִ֑ית |
| transliteration |
| And-they-spoke the-Chaldeans to-the-king Aramaic |
| Then the wise men spoke to the king in Aramaic |
| וּכְתָב֙ הַֽנִּשְׁתְּוָ֔ן כָּת֥וּב אֲרָמִ֖ית |
| transliteration |
| And-writing-of the-letter was-written Aramaic |
| The letter was written in Aramaic |