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Nouns & Gender
Biblical Aramaic nouns have three states and two genders. The definite article is the suffix ־א (āʾ), not a prefix as in Hebrew.
| State | Masc. Sg. | Masc. Pl. | Fem. Sg. | Fem. Pl. | Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Absolute | מֶלֶךְ | מְלָכִין | מַלְכָּה | מַלְכָן | Indefinite: "a king" |
| Determined | מַלְכָּא | מַלְכַיָּא | מַלְכְּתָא | מַלְכָּתָא | Definite: "the king" |
| Construct | מַלְכָּא | מַלְכֵי | מַלְכַּת | מַלְכָת | Genitive: "king of…" |
💡 The ־א suffix: Unlike Hebrew's הַ (ha-) prefix article, Aramaic marks definiteness with the suffix ־א (-āʾ). This suffix originates from a demonstrative pronoun that grammaticalized into a definite article over time.