ܐܠܦ ܒܝܬ · olaph beth · DRAFT
Syriac alphabet
Syriac is a liturgical language of the Malankara Syrian Catholic Church. The Serto script is read from right to left. Letter values, spoken pronunciation, and English spellings serve different purposes.
The twenty-two letters
| Letter | Name | This site writes | GEDSH consonant | Sound guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ܐ | Olaph | ʾ or omitted by convention | ʾ | Glottal consonant or vowel carrier, according to the word. |
| ܒ | Beth | b / v | b | b. Historical soft value v varies by reading tradition. |
| ܓ | Gomal | g / gh | g | g or the soft gh sound. |
| ܕ | Dolath | d / dh | d | d or soft dh, as in this. |
| ܗ | He | h | h | h. |
| ܘ | Waw | w / u / o | w | Consonantal w, or a vowel letter. |
| ܙ | Zayn | z | z | z. |
| ܚ | Heth | h | ḥ | Pharyngeal h, distinct from He. |
| ܛ | Teth | t | ṭ | Emphatic t, distinct from Taw. |
| ܝ | Yudh | y / i | y | Consonantal y, or a vowel letter. |
| ܟ | Koph | k / kh | k | k or soft kh, as in Bach. |
| ܠ | Lomadh | l | l | l. |
| ܡ | Mim | m | m | m. |
| ܢ | Nun | n | n | n. |
| ܣ | Semkath | s | s | s. |
| ܥ | E | ʿ or omitted by convention | ʿ | Pharyngeal consonant ʿ, distinct from Olaph. |
| ܦ | Pe / Phe | p / ph / f | p | Historically p or f. Modern West Syriac commonly uses f. |
| ܨ | Sodhe | s | ṣ | Emphatic s. |
| ܩ | Qoph | q | q | Uvular q, distinct from Koph. |
| ܪ | Rish | r | r | r, commonly rolled. |
| ܫ | Shin | sh | š | sh. |
| ܬ | Taw | t / th | t | t or soft th, as in thin. |
The five vowels
These are the five West Syriac vowel categories, with one encoded placement shown on Beth. Above and below forms can represent the same vowel. The learner convention uses a, o, e, i, u. English sound examples are approximations and vary by accent.
| Sign | Name | This site writes | Sound guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| ܒܰ | Pthoho | a | Open a. English approximations vary by accent. |
| ܒܳ | Zqopho | o | West Syriac o, with regional variation. |
| ܒܶ | Rboso | e | e, approximately as in let. |
| ܒܺ | Hboso | i | i, approximately ee in seen. |
| ܒܽ | Esoso | u | u, approximately oo in moon. |
How this site romanizes
- Use the documented West Syriac form in learner prose. Qurbono and Qurbana belong to different vocalization conventions. A source’s spelling remains valid in its own context.
- Olaph (ʾ) and E (ʿ) are distinct consonants. E is a letter name, not the vowel e. Familiar learner spellings may omit these symbols.
- Beth, Gomal, Dolath, Koph, Pe, and Taw have historical hard and soft values. Qushoyo, a dot above, and Rukokho, a dot below, distinguish them in pointed texts. Their use depends on grammar and reading tradition. A preceding vowel alone does not settle a word’s pronunciation.
- Teth and Taw are different letters. Digraphs such as th and ph in English source spellings do not prove a particular Syriac pointing. Regional pronunciations of Beth and Pe also vary.
- The consonant column follows Syriaca.org’s GEDSH key, which generally leaves spirantization unmarked. GEDSH West Syriac vowels use a, o, e, i, u. ALA-LC is a separate cataloging convention: it normally writes zqopho as ā and does not distinguish hard and soft consonants.
- English labels such as Anaphora and Trisagion remain distinct from related Syriac words and hymn openings. Prumion is an attested Syriac loanword form corresponding to English Proemion.
- Quotations, historical titles, attributed spellings, and established product names retain their forms. Search recognizes variants without rewriting the source.
Letter names have conventional variants, including Olaph/Olaf, Semkath/Simkath, and Pe/Phe. The chart is a reading aid. A fully pointed edition and a teacher from the relevant tradition are needed for detailed pronunciation.
Terms as this site writes them
The Syriac column gives the corresponding expression where one is attested. Qurobo and Qadishat Aloho have separate entries because they are related expressions, rather than spellings of English titles. Pointed forms below are witnesses to West Syriac usage, with their sources identified in each entry.
| This site writes | Syriac | Also seen as | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qurbono | ܩܘܪܒܢܐ | Qurbana | Offering. In this tradition, the Holy Eucharist.Forms and sourcesA full scholarly transliteration has not been established for this entry. Taksa p. ii |
| Tuyobo | ܛܘܝܒܐ | Thuyobo | Preparation. The preparatory service in the four-part teaching outline of the Qurbono.Forms and sourcesA full scholarly transliteration has not been established for this entry. Taksa p. ii |
| Tulmodo | ܬܘܠܡܕܐ | Thulmodo | Instruction or learning. The Service of the Word in the four-part teaching outline, and the established product name.Forms and sourcesA full scholarly transliteration has not been established for this entry. Taksa p. ii; Sokoloff p. 1630 |
| Anaphoragreek | · | Anaphoro | The Eucharistic prayer. Its scope can also include a wider collection of priestly prayers in service-book usage. Related: Qurobo. Forms and sourcesThis is an English liturgical title. Related Syriac expressions have separate entries. Taksa p. ii; GEDSH Liturgy |
| Mestuso | ܡܫܬܘܬܐ | Mesthouso | Banquet or feast. The Service of Communion and Thanksgiving in the four-part teaching outline. Mestuso is the retained local label. The Syriac spelling contains shin and two taws, so it does not establish that spelling as a letter-by-letter transliteration. Forms and sourcesA full scholarly transliteration has not been established for this entry. Taksa p. ii; Sokoloff p. 856 |
| Husoyo | ܚܽܘܣܳܝܳܐ | Hoosoyo | Absolution or forgiveness. A prayer or prayer sequence whose scope depends on the service book.Forms and sourcesSyriaca.org/GEDSH, West Syriac: ḥusoyo. Taksa p. 28; GEDSH Liturgy |
| Proemiongreek | ܦܪܽܘܡܝܽܘܢ | Prumion, Prumyun | The introductory praise before a Sedro.Forms and sourcesSyriaca.org/GEDSH, West Syriac: prumyun. Taksa pp. 3, 27; Book of Prayers pp. 56–59 |
| Sedro | ܣܕܪܐ | Sedra | A sequence or ordered prayer. The extended prose prayer in a Husoyo service.Forms and sourcesA full scholarly transliteration has not been established for this entry. Taksa pp. 3, 28; GEDSH Liturgy |
| Quqilion | ܩܘܩܠܝܘܢ | · | A cycle of psalm verses with Halleluiah. The Taksa includes commemorative cycles associated with the later part of the Qurbono.Forms and sourcesA full scholarly transliteration has not been established for this entry. Taksa pp. 306–315 |
| Trisagiongreek | · | · | The thrice-holy hymn. Qadishat Aloho is its Syriac opening, meaning Holy are you, O God. Related: Qadishat Aloho. Forms and sourcesThis is an English liturgical title. Related Syriac expressions have separate entries. Taksa p. 18 |
| Epiclesisgreek | · | Epiklesis | The invocation of the Holy Spirit over the gifts in the Eucharistic prayer.Forms and sourcesThis is an English liturgical title. Related Syriac expressions have separate entries. Taksa pp. 43–45 |
| Shushepho | ܫܘܫܦܐ | Shushafo, Shoshappa, Shushepo | The veil placed over the Eucharistic gifts.Forms and sourcesA full scholarly transliteration has not been established for this entry. Taksa pp. 13, 38 |
| Tubden | ܬܘܒܕܝܢ | Thubden | The six commemorations of the living and departed, named from the opening words then again.Forms and sourcesA full scholarly transliteration has not been established for this entry. Taksa pp. 46–51 |
| Madbaho | ܡܰܕܒܚܳܐ | Madbaha, Madb'ho | Altar. By extension, the sanctuary containing the altar, according to context. |
| Haiklo | ܗܝܟܠܐ | Haykla, Haik'lo | Temple or hall. In the church plan described by the rubrics, the nave occupied by the faithful.Forms and sourcesA full scholarly transliteration has not been established for this entry. Rubrics p. 17 |
| Shhimo | ܫܚܝܡܐ | Shehimo | The book of the weekday offices in the West Syriac tradition.Forms and sourcesSyriaca.org/GEDSH, West Syriac: Šḥimo. GEDSH Liturgy; Book of Prayers |
| Malphono | ܡܰܠܦܳܢܳܐ | Malpan | Teacher. MALPHONO is the established name of the teaching assistant.Forms and sourcesSyriaca.org/GEDSH, West Syriac: malpono. Chediath, Malankara Catholic Church pp. 38–39 |
| Barekmor | ܒܰܪܶܟܡܳܪܝ | · | Bless, my lord. A request for a blessing in liturgical dialogue.Forms and sourcesA full scholarly transliteration has not been established for this entry. Taksa p. 2; Book of Prayers p. 59 |
| Qurobo | ܩܽܘܪܳܒܳܐ | · | Offering or oblation. A Syriac designation associated with the Eucharistic service. Related: Anaphora. Forms and sourcesSyriaca.org/GEDSH, West Syriac: qurobo. Taksa p. ii; KtobeSuryoye, Takso d-qurobo alohoyo Connolly and Codrington, Two Commentaries (1913), pp. 14, 36, 39, 89 |
| Qadishat Aloho | ܩܕܝܫܬ ܐܠܗܐ | · | Holy are you, O God. The opening words of the Syriac Trisagion. Related: Trisagion. Forms and sourcesA full scholarly transliteration has not been established for this entry. Taksa p. 18 |
| Kethontho | ܟܶܬܳܢܬܳܐ | · | The altar frontal. Distinct from Ketono, linen or linen cloth, and Kuthino, the liturgical tunic.Forms and sourcesA full scholarly transliteration has not been established for this entry. Tukoso-DRAFT.pdf, p. 28 §5 and p. 113 |
Reference conventions
- Syriaca.org transliteration and vocalization standards.
- ALA-LC Syriac Romanization Table (2012).
- GEDSH, Liturgy.
- George A. Kiraz, The New Syriac Primer, pp. 33–35 and chapter 7.