ܡܨܐ

Inherited from Aramaic מְצָא (məṣā), from Akkadian 𒈠𒍮𒌑 (maṣûm, “to be equal; amount; be sufficient for”), from Proto-Semitic *mṯ̣ʔ- (“to reach”); compare Hebrew מָצָא (matsá, “to find”), and doublet of ܡܵܛܹܐ (māṭē, “to arrive; reach”).

• (Standard) IPA^(key): [maːsˤeː]

ܡܵܨܹܐ • (māṣē)

1. can, to be able to

   ܠܵܐ ܝܠܹܗ ܒܸܡܨܵܝܵܐ ܢܵܫܹܡ! ― lā ìlēh bimṣāyā nāšēm! ― He can not breathe!

   ܟܹܐ ܡܵܨܹܝܢ ܐܵܬ݂ܹܝܢ ܒܪܲܡܫܵܐ. ― kē māṣēn āṯēn b-ramšā. ― I can come in the evening.

   ܡܲܠܦܵܢܵܐ ܐ݇ܡܝܼܪ ܠܹܗ ܐܸܠܘܼܟ݂، «ܟܹܐ ܡܵܨܹܝܬ ܝܵܠܦܹܬ ܪܵܒܵܐ ܡܸܢܕܝܵܢܹ̈ܐ ܡܸܢ ܗܵܢܵܐ ܟܬܵܒ݂ܵܐ».

   malpānā mīr lēh ilōḵ, “kē māṣēt yālpēt rābā mindyānē min hānā ktāḇā”.

   The teacher said to you, “you can learn many things from this book.”

   • c. 2014, ܕܝܬܩܐ ܚܕܬܐ ܕܡܪܢ ܝܫܘܥ ܡܫܝܚܐ ܘܡܙܡܘܪ̈ܐ ܒܠܫܢܐ ܐܬܘܪܝܐ, Aramaic Bible Translation, Inc., Romans 8:31:

     ܡܵܐ ܐܵܡܪܲܚ ܥܲܠ ܗܵܠܹܝܢ؟ ܐܸܢ ܐܲܠܵܗܵܐ ܠܓܹܒܲܢ ܝܼܠܹܗ، ܡܵܢܝܼ ܟܹܐ ܡܵܨܹܐ ܗܵܘܹܐ ܕܲܠܩܘܼܒ݂ܠܲܢ؟

     mā āmraḥ ˁal hālēn? in allāhā l-gēban īlēh, mānī kē māṣē hāwē dalquḇlan?

     What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

2. may

   ܟܹܐ ܡܵܨܹܝܬ ܡܡܲܠܠܸܬ ܣܘܼܪܵܐܝܼܬ݂؟

   kē māṣēt mmallit sūrāˀīṯ?

   May you speak Assyrian?

   ܟܹܐ ܡܵܨܝܵܐ ܥܵܪܝܵܐ ܡܸܛܪܵܐ ܩܘܼܕܡܹܐ.

   kē māṣyā ˁāryā miṭrā qudmē.

   It may rain tomorrow.

• ܡܵܨܹܐ (māṣē) is sometimes used rhetorically to issue a command, placing the command in the form of a request. For instance, “ܡܵܨܹܝܬ ܝܵܗ݇ܒ݂ܹܬ ܠܝܼ ܗܲܘ ܩܲܢܝܵܐ. ― māṣēt yāḇēt lī haw qanyā.” “Can you give me that pen?” as a polite substitution for “ܗܲܒ݂݇ܠ ܠܝܼ ܗܲܘ ܩܲܢܝܵܐ. ― hal lī haw qanyā.”
• ܡܵܨܹܐ (māṣē) is not used with verbs relating to the five senses:

  ܒܸܚܙܵܝܵܐ ܝܘܸܢ ܐܸܠܘܼܟ݂. ― biḥzāyā ìwen ilōḵ. ― I (can) see you (literally, “I am seeing you”) (not “ܟܹܐ ܡܵܨܹܝܢ ܚܵܙܹܝܢ ܠܘܼܟ݂ ― kē māṣēn ḥāzēn lōḵ”, which is “I can see (i.e. meet) you”)

• Regarding the use of ܡܵܨܹܐ (māṣē) and ܝܵܕ݂ܹܥ (yāḏēˁ), three sub-senses must be distinguished:
  • ܝܵܕ݂ܹܥ (yāḏēˁ) is used for “know how to do something, have learnt something”.

    ܟܹܐ ܝܵܕ݂ܥܹܢ ܣܚܵܝܵܐ. ― kē yāḏˁēn sḥāyā. ― I can swim. / I know how to swim. / I’ve learnt to swim.

  • ܡܵܨܹܐ (māṣē) is generally used for “be currently capable of doing something”

    ܠܹܐ ܡܵܨܹܝܢ ܕܵܡܟ݂ܹܢ. ― lē māṣēn dāmḵēn. ― I can’t sleep. / I’m not currently able to fall asleep.

  • ܡܵܨܹܐ (māṣē) is always used for “be free, allowed, unhindered to do something”.

    ܠܵܐ ܟܹܐ ܡܵܨܹܝܢ ܦܵܠܛܹܢ. ― lā kē māṣēn pālṭēn. ― I can’t go out. / I’m not allowed to go out. / Something prevents me from going out.

• ܐܝܼܬ݂ ܒ- (īṯ b-)
• ܝܵܕ݂ܹܥ (yāḏēˁ)

• “mṣy”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–, retrieved 28 July 2022
• “ܡܵܨܹܐ”, in Sureth Dictionary, Association Assyrophile de France, 28 July 2022 (last accessed)
• “maṣû”, in Akkadian Dictionary, Association Assyrophile de France, 28 July 2022 (last accessed)

From older Aramaic מצא.

• (Western Syriac) IPA^(key): [mˈsˤō]

ܡܨܐ • (mṣɑ) (imperfect ܢܡܨܐ (nemṣē))

1. to be able

The passive participle of the above.

• (Western Syriac) IPA^(key): [mˈsˤē]

pltr=mṣēn

ܡܨܐ • (mṣē) m (plural ܡܨܝܢ, singular feminine counterpart ܡܨܝܐ)

1. able

   ܐܝܟ ܡܐ ܕܡܨܝܢܢ — akh mā damṣēnan — As much as we're able.

   ܡܨܐ ܟܠ — mṣē kul — omnipotent.

• Payne Smith, Jessie (1903), A Compendious Syriac Dictionary Founded Upon the Thesaurus Syriacus of R. Payne Smith, D.D., Oxford: Clarendon Press, page 293