RESOURCES FOR LEARNING GE'EZ: THE CLASSICAL LANGUAGE OF ETHIOPIA

RESOURCES FOR LEARNING GE'EZ-- THE CLASSICAL LANGUAGE OF ETHIOPIA

May 9, 2012

22: Decipher Texts 2 - Gospel of Mark

I’ve transcribed these excerpts from Rochus Zuurmond’s text-critical edition for the Synoptic Gospels, Part II: The Gospel of Mark - [Zuurmond, Rochus. Novum Testamentum Aethiopice: The Synoptic Gospels. Stuttgart: F. Steiner Verlag Wiesbaden, 1989.]
In order to facilitate this process of deciphering these texts (and help you review), I’ve color coded my transliteration --> blue indicates roots that appear in the verb glossary [17] and are either in a verbal [10, 14 – 16], nominal [5] or adjectival [19] form; orange indicates prepositions [9] and yellow indicates important prefixes and suffixes: the construct state [8], the accusative marker [11], possession [12] and the medio-passive ta-prefix [21]. What’s left are, for the most part, easily recognizable cognates and proper nouns. I’ve glossed a few important terms below each text. Good luck!

                                                                                                                  
I. MARK 1: 1-5

ቀዳሚሁ፡ለወንጌል፡ኢየሱስ፡ክርስቶስ፡ወልደ፡እግዚአ፡ብሔር፡በከመ፡ጽሑፍ፡ውስተ፡መጽሐፈ፡ነቢያት፡ናሁ፡አነ፡እፌኑ፡መልአክየ፡ቅድመ፡ገጽከ፡ዘይጸይሕ፡ፍኖተከ።

ቃለ፡አዋዲ፡ዘይሰብክ፡በገዳም፡ጺሑአ፡ፍኖቶ፡ለእግዚአ፡ብሔር፡ወዐርዩ፡ወጽያሕቶ።

ወሀሎ፡ዩሐንስ፡ያጠምቅ፡በገዳም፡ወይሰብክ፡ጥምቀተ፡ከመ፡ይነስሑ፡ወየትኀደግ፡ሎሙ፡ኀጢአቶሙ።

ወየሐውሩ፡ኀቤሁ፡ኵሉ፡ሰብአ፡ይሁዳ፡ወኢየሩሳሌም፡ወያጥምቆሙ፡ለኵሎሙ፡በፈለገ፡ዩርዳኖስ፡ወይትአመኑ፡ኀጢአቶሙ።
qadāmihu lawangel iyesus krəstos walda əgziʾabḥer bakama ṣəḥuf wəsta maṣḥafa nabiyāt – nāhu, ana əfenu* malʾakya qədma gaṣṣka* zaṣayḥ* fənotaka //


qāla awādi zasbək* bagadām ṣiḥūʾ fənoto laʾəgziʾabḥer waʿaryu* waṣəyāḥto //


wahalo* yuḥanəs yāṭaməq* bagadām wayəsbək təmqata kamansəḥu* wayatxadag* lomu xaṭiʾatomu //


wayaḥawru* xabehu kʷəlu sabʾa yəhuda waʾiyarusalem waṭməqomu lakʷəlomu bafalaga* yurdanos watʾammanu* xaṭiʾatomu //

ፈነወ (D) = to send
ገጽ = face, appearance, front
ጼሐ (B) to pave a road
ዐረየ (B) = to straighten / to level
ሰበከ (D) = to preach / to announce
ሀለወ (D) = ሀሎ + imperfect verb à past imperfect
()ጥመቀ (Ba) = to baptize / to immerse
ነጽሐ (B) = to be purified
()ኀድገ (Bt) = to cease / to let go
ሖረ (B) = to go forth
ፈለግ = river valley
()አምነ (Bt) = to confess

May 7, 2012

21: Verbs: The Passive Voice etc.

21.1: Most active verbs assume the passive voice when the prefix << >> (ta-) is added to them. This prefix also sometimes produces a reflexive or a reciprocal meaning. The ta-prefix be added to any of the four types of verbs, making Bt, Dt, Lt and Qt.

ACTIVE
PASSIVE
B
ሐነጸ
to build
Bt
to be built
ገብረ
to do
ገብረ
to be done
to be made
ረከበ
to find
ረክበ
to be found
to exist
ነገረ
to speak
ነግረ
to be said
to be proclaimed
ወሀበ
to give
ህበ
to be given

Note that oftentimes, in Bt, the medial vowel disappears, so: (sagada – he worshipped) becomes ተሰደ (tasagda – he was worshipped.) Also, not every Bt, Dt, Lt and Qt form verb has a corresponding “active” form.

ACTIVE
PASSIVE
D
ገሠጸ
to instruct
Dt
ገሠጸ
to be admonished
ፈነወ
to send
ፈነወ
to be sent
ፈወሰ
To cure
ፈወሰ
to be healed
L
ሣቀየ
to torment
Lt
ሣቀየ
to suffer
ባረከ
to bless
ባረከ
to receive benediction
ቤዘወ
to redeem
ቤዘወ
to be redeemed
Q
ተርጐመ
to translate
Qt
ጐመ
to be translated
to be interpreted


21.2: Dt verbs, especially those derived from stative verbs, can also have the meaning of “to show / regard oneself as something”, so:

ጸደቀ
To be righteous
Dt
ተጸደቀ
(taṣaddaqa)
to feign righteousness
ብየ
to be powerful
ዐበየ
(taʿabbaya)
to be arrogant
ሀይመነ
to be a believer
ተሀይመነ
(tahaymana*)
to portray oneself
as a believer
*not Dt, but same idea

21.3: Lt verbs that are derived from B verbs often denote reciprocal, repeated or iterated actions, so:

D
ነጸረ
to see
Lt
ተናጸረ
(tanāṣara)
to look at each other
ነገረ
to say
ተናገረ
(tanāgara)
to converse
ወለደ
to bear
ተዋለደ
(tawālada)
to procreate
ጸብአ
to make war
ተጻብ
(taṣābʿa)
to fight one another

21.4: Some nouns appear verbalized in Dt form, so:

Noun
ነቢይ
a prophet
Dt
ተነበየ
(tanabbaya)
to prophesy
ሰብእ
a man
ተሰብ
(tasabbəʾ)
to become a man
ምስጢር
a secret
ተመስጠረ
(tamasṭara*)
to be kept secret
*not Dt, but same idea.

21.5: Bt, Dt, Lt, Qt verbs take direct and indirect objects. In verbs that take both, figuring out the subject can be a little tricky:

ተመሀረት፡ሕጋግ
vs.
ተመሀረት፡ሕጋ
tamahharat ḥəgāg
tamahharat ḥəgāga
The laws were taught.
She was taught the laws.