Syntax & Sentence Structure

Key syntactic features that distinguish Biblical Aramaic sentence construction.

1. S.1

   Word Order: VSO Default

   Biblical Aramaic typically follows Verb–Subject–Object order in verbal clauses, though Subject–Verb–Object is also common especially in narrative. Example: כְּתַב מַלְכָּא אִגְּרְתָּא (the king wrote the letter) vs. מַלְכָּא כְּתַב אִגְּרְתָּא (the king, he wrote the letter — topicalization).

2. S.2

   Nominal Sentences

   Sentences without a verb (equational sentences) are common: אַנְתְּ הוּא רֵאשָׁא (You are the head) — Daniel 2:38. The subject and predicate are juxtaposed without a copula in the present tense.

3. S.3

   The Relative Particle דִּי (dî)

   דִּי is the workhorse relative/genitive particle of Aramaic, equivalent to Hebrew אֲשֶׁר(ʾăšer). It introduces relative clauses (“who/which/that”), genitive relations (“of”), and causal clauses (“because”). Example: אֱלָהּ דִּי שְׁמַיָּא= “the God of heaven.”

4. S.4

   Resumptive Pronoun Construction

   In relative clauses, a resumptive (dummy) pronoun often appears inside the clause to mark the syntactic role of the head noun. Example: גֻּבְרַיָּא דִּי שְׁלַח אִנּוּן= “the men whom he sent them” — i.e., “the men whom he sent.”