ܫܘܢܪܐ
šūnnārāClassical Syriac, masculine
The English word "cat" is translated into Aramaic as ܫܘܢܪܐ (šūnnārā). Wiktionary also lists ܫܘܢܪܬܐ (šūnnārtā) and ܫܢܪܬܐ (šnārtā).
Meaning: domestic species (noun)
Ways to say it
| Aramaic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ܫܘܢܪܐ | šūnnārā | Classical Syriac, masculine |
| ܫܘܢܪܬܐ | šūnnārtā | Classical Syriac, feminine |
| ܫܢܪܬܐ | šnārtā | Classical Syriac, feminine |
| ܫܘܪܢܐ | šūrānā | Classical Syriac, masculine |
| ܣܢܘܪܐ | sannūrā | Classical Syriac, common gender |
| ܩܛܘ | qaṭṭū | Classical Syriac, common gender |
| ܗܪܪܬܐ | harrārtā | Classical Syriac, feminine |
| ܟܟܘܫܬܐ | kāḵūštā | Classical Syriac, feminine |
| שונרא | šūnārā | masculine |
The terms refer to the domestic species of cat.
Which one should you use?
ܫܘܢܪܐ is the usual Classical Syriac word. ܫܘܢܪܬܐ and ܫܢܪܬܐ are used for a female cat, and ܩܛܘ is a shorter word for either.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Jewish Aramaic texts write the same word in Hebrew square script as שונרא.
How does it change in a sentence?
ܫܘܢܪܐ and ܫܘܪܢܐ are masculine, while ܫܘܢܪܬܐ, ܫܢܪܬܐ and ܗܪܪܬܐ are feminine. ܣܢܘܪܐ and ܩܛܘ are used for either gender.
How do you pronounce it?
šūnnārā
Did you know?
- The word ܩܛܘ is related to Arabic qiṭṭ, which shows how widely the word for a cat travelled across the Near East.
- Aramaic's variety of words for cats reflects the animal's long history as a domestic companion in the Near East.
Example sentences for Aramaic are not verified yet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cat” translations and entries שונרא, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
