Suriyāni Malayalam
Geographic
distribution		South India
Linguistic classificationDravidian
Suriyāni Malayalam alphabet
Script type
LanguagesAramaic (Classical Syriac), Malayalam (Syro-Malabarica),
Related scripts
Parent systems
Unicode

Suriyani Malayalam (സുറിയാനി മലയാളം, ܣܘܪܝܢܝ ܡܠܝܠܡ), also known as Karshoni, Syro-Malabarica or Syriac Malayalam, is a dialect of Malayalam written in a variant form of the Syriac alphabet which was popular among the Saint Thomas Christians (also known as Syrian Christians or Nasranis) of Kerala in India.[1][2][3][4] It uses Malayalam grammar, the Maḏnḥāyā or "Eastern" Syriac script with special orthographic features, and vocabulary from Malayalam and East Syriac. This originated in the South Indian region of the Malabar Coast (modern-day Kerala). Until the 19th century, the script was widely used by Syrian Christians in Kerala.

Writing system

There were numerous problems in writing Malayalam using the Syriac script, which was designed for a Semitic language. Only 22 letters were available from the East Syriac alphabet to render 53 or so phonemes of Malayalam. This problem were overcome by adopting letters from the Malayalam script.[5] Basic Syriac ʾĀlap̄ Bēṯ based on form with corresponding Malayalam letters.

ܕܓܒܐ
ദ്ഗ്ബ്, വ്അ
ܚܙܘܗ
ഹ്സ്വ്ഹ്
ܠܟܝܛ
ല്ക്, ക്ക്യ്ത്
ܥܣܢܡ
അസ്ന്മ്
ܪܩܨܦ
റ്ഖ്സ്പ്, വ്
ܬܫ
ത്, സ്ശ്

Augmented letters from Malayalam script

ട്ഞ്ജ്ങ്
ര്ഭ്ഩ*ണ്
ഷ്ഴ്ള്

* Malayalam alveolar nasal encoded as U+0D29 for scholarly purposes.

Vowels

ܘܹܸ݁ܘ݂ܝ݂ܵܲ
ഒ, ഓഏഎഉ, ഊഇ, ഈആഅ
ܟܘ݁ܟܹܟܸܟܘ݂ܟܝ݂ܟܵܟܲ
കൊ, കോകേകെകു, കൂകി, കീകാക

Unicode

The Syriac alphabet was added to the Unicode Standard in September, 1999 with the release of version 3.0. Additional letters for Suriyani Malayalam were added in June, 2017 with the release of version 10.0.

Blocks

The Unicode block for Syriac is U+0700–U+074F:

Syriac[1][2]
Official Unicode Consortium code chart (PDF)
 0123456789ABCDEF
U+070x ܀ ܁ ܂ ܃ ܄ ܅ ܆ ܇ ܈ ܉ ܊ ܋ ܌ ܍ SAM
U+071x ܐ ܑ ܒ ܓ ܔ ܕ ܖ ܗ ܘ ܙ ܚ ܛ ܜ ܝ ܞ ܟ
U+072x ܠ ܡ ܢ ܣ ܤ ܥ ܦ ܧ ܨ ܩ ܪ ܫ ܬ ܭ ܮ ܯ
U+073x ܰ ܱ ܲ ܳ ܴ ܵ ܶ ܷ ܸ ܹ ܺ ܻ ܼ ܽ ܾ ܿ
U+074x ݀ ݁ ݂ ݃ ݄ ݅ ݆ ݇ ݈ ݉ ݊ ݍ ݎ ݏ
Notes
1.^ As of Unicode version 15.1
2.^ Grey areas indicate non-assigned code points

The Syriac Abbreviation (a type of overline) can be represented with a special control character called the Syriac Abbreviation Mark (U+070F).

The Unicode block for Suriyani Malayalam specific letters is called the Syriac Supplement block and is U+0860–U+086F:

Syriac Supplement[1][2]
Official Unicode Consortium code chart (PDF)
 0123456789ABCDEF
U+086x ࡠ ࡡ ࡢ ࡣ ࡤ ࡥ ࡦ ࡧ ࡨ ࡩ ࡪ
Notes
1.^ As of Unicode version 15.1
2.^ Grey areas indicate non-assigned code points

Loanwords

Over the centuries, Malayalam borrowed Eastern Syriac words. A few of them are given below:

Original Syriac Suriyani Malayalam Meaning
Emma/Umm[1][6] Umma or Amma Mother
Abba/Bava Appan, Aavan or Bava Father
Ara Aram Earth, foundation
Almaya Almayar, Almayan Laity
Nasraya, Nasrani Nasrani Follower of Nazareth Christ
Knā'nāya Knānāya Canaanite
Pesħa[4] Pesaha Passover
Petturta Pethurtha First Sunday of Great Lent
Malakha[3] Malakha Angel
Madbaha Madbaha Altar
Metran Metran Metropolitan
Malpana Malpan Teacher (ecclesiastical)
Qudasha[3] Kudasha Sacrament
Qaddisha Qandisha, Qandishan The Holy one
Rabban Ramban, Rambachan Monk
M'shamshana Shammashan, Shammachan Deacon
Mamoditha[3][4] Mamodisa Baptism
Sahada Shahada Martyr
Sliva Sliva, Siluva, Sleeba Cross
Isho'[3] Isho Jesus
Qurbana[3] Qurbana Sacrifice/Peace Offering
M'shiħa[3][4] Mishiha Anointed, Christ
Dukhrana Dukrana Remembrance
Qasisha Kathanar/Kasnar Syrian priest
Mar Mar Lord, Saint
Ruħa Ruha Holy Spirit
Yeldo Eldho, Yeldho Nativity
Shliħa Shliha Apostle

Literature

Vedatharkam written by Kariattil Mar Ousep is one of the famous books written in Suriyani Malayalam.[2] Large number of documents written in Suriyani Malayalam are found among the Saint Thomas Christians or Nasranis of Kerala.[2] These documents include an alternate set of the Canons of the Synod of Diamper.[7] At present the dialect is not in popular usage. However it strives in historical literature of the Saint Thomas Christian denominations. Thomas Koonammakkal is one of the most notable experts in Garshuni Malayalam studies.[8]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "City Youth Learn Dying Language, Preserve It". The New Indian Express. May 9, 2016. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 "The Effect of Coronavirus on the Casino Industry | Nasrani Foundation". Retrieved 2022-07-16.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "The Hindu : Kerala / Kochi News : A sacred language is vanishing from State". 2008-08-16. Archived from the original on 16 August 2008. Retrieved 2022-07-16.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Radhakrishnan, M. G. (August 4, 1997). "Tiny village in Kerala one of the last bastions of Syriac in the world". India Today. Retrieved 2022-07-16.
  5. ↑ "Proposal to Encode Syriac Letters for Garshuni Malayalam" (PDF).
  6. ↑ Mar Thomma Margam by Fr. Varghese Pathikulangara
  7. ↑ Perczel (2014), 266-8.
  8. ↑ Perczel (2014).

Further reading

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