ܢܶܪܕܽܘܿܦ ܚܶܣܕܿܐ ܘܢܶܚܒܽܘܼܩ ܚܣܕܼܐ Let us banish insult, let us embrace love!

This article describes the invisible bond between the deep layers of language and the fine-tunings of the human soul. For words do not consist merely of sounds; each one is a resonance of meaning echoing within the inner world of the human being. In ancient languages like Syriac, this resonance is even deeper. There, when the position of a single dot changes, not only does the letter change, but the meaning-world of the human being changes as well.

For a small dot carries a great meaning; just as a tiny difference, a single touch, can transform the heart. And sometimes, that tiny dot becomes the symbol of a transition from an insult to love, from a resentment to compassion.

Syriac is not just a language; it is a universe of wisdom where meaning, emotion, and intuition are intertwined. In this ancient tongue, a word can carry both darkness and light within it at the same time. Because in the very nature of Syriac, there is an understanding of meaning that matures through the harmony of opposites. As you descend into the depth of a concept, you also touch the shore of its opposite. This is exactly why, in Syriac, a word is sometimes a two-sided mirror, just like life itself. To understand this mirror, one must look into the heart of the language—that is, into the secret of the dot.

In Syriac, there is a special system of diacritical marks called ܪܘܟܟܐ  (rukoğo, softening) and  ܩܘܫܝܐ  (kuşoyo, hardening). According to this system, a small dot placed underneath one of the ܒܓܕܟܦܬ (bgdkpt) letters softens the sound; whereas a dot placed on top hardens the sound.

Yet, the matter is not solely about sound. Because sometimes, a tiny dot can change the entire meaning of a word—or even of a human being.

Just like in life…

A look, a word, a silence, a touch... Sometimes a tiny difference determines the direction of relationships. Just as the dot above a letter changes the destiny of the word, the mercy touching a human being's heart changes their inner direction.

Hesdo / Hesda is precisely one of those words that carry this depth. It means both love and insult/shame.

When the dot is placed on top of the letter Dolath (ܕ) as in ܚܣܕܿܐ, the sound hardens and the word gains a destructive meaning: to insult, to humiliate, to exclude, to shame, to despise, to mock, to condemn... In this form, "hesdo" describes the darkness into which a human being falls when they distance themselves from love. A language mixed with arrogance distances hearts from one another; the word transforms into judgment instead of love.

However, in the very same word, when a small dot is placed underneath the letter Dolath as in ܚܣܕܼܐ, the meaning transforms in an instant: to love, mercy, grace, goodness, compassion... Now, "hesda" describes the divine warmth inside the human being; that is, a state of existence that repairs with love and unites with compassion.

What stands between these two meanings is not merely a dot, but a difference in consciousness. Because in life, too, everything stands on such a fine line; we can break away from love in a moment of judgment, and return to it in a moment of understanding. Behind every bridge destroyed by the harshness of Hesdo, there is a heart to be repaired by the softness of Hesda.

And when a human being realizes the position of the dot they carry in their language, they banish insult and embrace love.

Yusuf Beğtaş