Indian Antiquary Vol 04

Author(s): Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 37

JANUARY, 1875.]
more strictly observed in the Hadramaut than in the Minean dialect, where sometimes the usual form occurs. The first of these dialects, however, displays another peculiarity, namely, if an is to be added to a word terminating with n it is not affixed, but then is changed to 5, thus
SKETCH OF SABEAN GRAMMAR.
גנתס אהתס עלפתס N. II. 1), for) בנת (גנאת אהתעלפה
But this, instead of representing an absorption of t, may perhaps only represent an aspirated pronunciation of the feminine n, as is usual in Barbary and in some districts of Yemen. Permutation between and п occurs seldom, as in me (Fr. LV. 4), R (N. H. 1), and (H. G. 1, 3) for TE, n, ans, but this may perhaps be an error of the copy.
A much more important permutation is that according to which the sound (g') is rendered by a simple (g) like (Os. XVII. 8-9) instead of (ibid. XVIII. 10). In the same way the root no (H. 169, 2) must assimilate with the Arab, and the root hidden in the form pr (Hal. 639 3) does not differ from that occurring in m (Os. IV. 10-11. This permutation proves that the Sabeans always pronounced hard, as some tribes still do, and not like j, as is most usual with modern Arabs.
In the repetition of two consonants the full uncontracted form is preferred in Sabaan. This peculiarity appears to be confined to the liquids 5, 5, 3, 1; for instance: (Os. x. 7), poem (D. M. G. XIX. 1), p (Os. xv. 2), ro (H. 191, 1), The proper noun 5 must certainly be pronounced Waddádél (15) "friend," as the form of the participle (n) (H. 187, 2) proves.
The roots of the Sabean language are mostly triliteral, and present all the forms occurring in the other Semitic languages :
- סרעיון יתעמן הדין instead of
;רבה הרג ספר שבע כבר: I. Perfect roots ;יגר, ירי בסדר ; ופר, ירד, ולד, וסט וכל וקה: פ"י פ"ז .II
; קיה ליבשיבשים ; כין זיד תוב : עי and עיין ; זנן הבבסל
קטא צדי בסי בני; אתר שבו ראו : לא and ליי ליי .IV
הנא מרא ברא גנא
III.
V. Mixed roots:,,, N57, 777.
As already observed, quadriliteral roots are scarce, and seem to occur only in some proper
and in the הדבר התפרם or הפרם nouns, such as
name of the divinity, which latter is abridged to n when it designates a man's name.
הופעתת
הוקע עתתר (הושע יתר are contracted from הוקעת and
27
.(היד) הצאלהה is contracted from הדלה The noun
The word "ram" (H. 187, 6, &c ) appears to be formed from , "he who enters into the house" which epithet may refer to the unconcernedness of this animal.
The degradation of the sibilants may be represented by the following scale :---
-9-7 ---* -**-n
5-y
These transitions do not occur with regularity and in a logical manner in the Semitic languages; they are possible without being necessary. The forms accompanied by an asterisk are common both to the Arabic and to the Sabaan; the latter, however, may degrade the original a degree further by transforming it into h. The Aramaan descends to this last stage of degradation.
In the other consonants the Sabean generally agrees with the phonetics of the Arabic language; sometimes, however, it deviates, and follows a manner peculiar to itself. Among cases of this kind the fact is to be pointed out that the Arabic words from and who are both rendered by p, so that it becomes difficult to distinguish them from the substantive son, but in some cases this change does not take place, and the word occurs exactly as in Arabic.
The exact determination of the letters equivalent to and is due to Osiander, but he was not so successful in determining the equivalent of. There is also another character the value
of which was debated, but is now believed by Halévy to represent an intermediate sound between the Arabic letters and . (See p. 26. B.)
The Sabaeans rivalled the Egyptians and the Assyrians in the extreme care with which they produced their graphic texts: hence the inscriptions of Yemen are numbered among the most beautiful of antiquity. They are traced on stone or metal, and present a monumental character which seems to have been immutably fixed in very remote times, else it could not have subsisted with such uniformity from the banks of the Euphrates to Âden. Some details observed in certain letters are not confined to a fixed region, but arise only from the sculptor's manner. But, in spite of the general neatness of the characters, it is impossible for copyists not to confound with each other certain letters, especially when they have to deal with a text obliterated, or seen