מלכתא

Aramaic

Etymology

From Proto-Semitic *malk-. Notice that in the plural the /k/ becomes a fricative even though no vowel precedes it.[1]

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /malkətɑ/, [malkəθɑ]
  • (Ashkenazic Aramaic) IPA(key): /malkəsɔ/

Noun

מַלְכְּתָא • (malkəṯāf (plural מַלְכָתָא, singular masculine counterpart מלכא)

  1. queen (female monarch)
    • Tanach, 1 Kings 10:4, with translation of the New International Version:
      וַחֲזָת מַלכַּת שְׁבָא יָת כָּל חָכמַת שְׁלֹמֹה וּבֵיתָא דִּבנָא
      When the queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon and the palace he had built

Inflection

Declension of מלכתא
singular plural
absolute מַלְכָּה מַלְכָן
construct מַלכַּת מַלְכָת
emphatic מַלְכְּתָא מַלְכָּתָא

References

  1. ^ Greenspahn, F. E. (2003). An introduction to Aramaic (Vol. 46). Society of Biblical Lit., p. 26

Further reading

mlkh”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–