The technical language of the sugya
A Talmudic discussion (a sugya) is built from a small set of fixed Aramaic phrases that mark its moves: quoting a source, asking, objecting, answering, concluding. They are the "function words" of the argument. A reader who knows them can follow the structure of a page without understanding every legal detail; a model that tags them can segment a sugya into moves — the first step to representing an argument as a structure (Jewish Babylonian Aramaic in Mova: what it would need §5).
The list is ours, built from the standard introductions (Jastrow 1903 s.vv.; Frank 2001, The Practical Talmud Dictionary; Melamed 1992, Aramaic–Hebrew–English Dictionary — both in copyright, consulted from the literature; Steinsaltz 1989, The Talmud: A Reference Guide), with literal glosses, functions and counts.
Counts are occurrences of the exact character string in the Wikisource Bavli (CC BY-SA, measurement only), counted on 2026-10-17, abbreviations counted separately where noted. They include any accidental matches inside longer strings, so treat them as approximate; a word-bounded count is given where the phrase is a single word.
1. Introducing sources
| term | translit. | literally | function | count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| מַתְנִיתִין (מתני׳) | matnīṯīn | our Mishnah | label of the Mishnah text | |
| גְּמָרָא (גמ׳) | gəmārā | tradition, study | label of the Gemara | |
| תְּנַן | tənan | we have learned | quotes a Mishnah | 3 155 |
| תַּנְיָא | tanyā | it was taught | quotes a baraita | 5 637 |
| תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן (ת"ר) | tānū rabbānan | our rabbis taught | introduces a baraita | 777 + 1 295 |
| תָּנָא | tānā | (a tanna) taught | quotes a tannaitic addition; also "the tanna" | (in 3 947) |
| תְּנֵי רַבִּי … | tənē rabbī | Rabbi … taught | named baraita | 116 |
| תָּנָא דְבֵי … | tānā də-ḇē | a tanna of the school of … taught | 355 | |
| אִיתְּמַר | ʾittəmar | it was said | quotes an amoraic dispute | 928 |
| אָמַר רַב / רַבִּי (א"ר) | ʾāmar | (Rav) said | quotes a statement | 3 600 abbr. |
| דִּכְתִיב | diḵṯīḇ | as it is written | quotes a verse | 3 412 |
| שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר | (Hebrew) | as it is said | quotes a verse (Hebrew contexts) | 3 219 |
| אָמַר קְרָא | ʾāmar qərā | the verse says | the decisive verse | 1 092 |
| אָמַר מָר | ʾāmar mār | the master said | quotes a line of the baraita just cited, to discuss it | 882 |
| גּוּפָא | gūp̄ā | the body (itself) | "to the matter itself": returns to a source quoted in passing | 406 |
| אָמְרֵי אִינָשֵׁי, דְּאָמְרֵי אִינָשֵׁי | ʾāmrē ʾīnāšē | people say | introduces a proverb | 141 + 120 |
| הֲוָה עוּבְדָּא | hăwā ʿuḇdā | there was an incident | introduces a case | 49 |
| יוֹמָא חַד | yōmā ḥaḏ | one day | starts a story | 85 |
2. Asking
| term | translit. | literally | function | count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| מַאי טַעְמָא (מ"ט) | māy ṭaʿmā | what is the reason? | asks for the reason of a ruling | 1 202 + 1 052 |
| מְנָא הָנֵי מִילֵּי (מנה"מ) | mənā hānē millē | whence these words? | asks for the scriptural source | 127 + 35 |
| מְנָלַן, מְנָא לַן | mənālan | whence do we (know)? | same | 588 + 136 |
| הֵיכִי דָמֵי | hēḵī ḏāmē | how is it like? | asks for the case meant | 536 |
| הֵיכָא קָאֵי | hēḵā qāʾē | where does he stand? | asks what the Mishnah builds on (Berakhot 2a) | |
| מַאי שְׁנָא | māy šənā | what is different? | asks why two cases differ | |
| מַאי קָא מַשְׁמַע לַן | māy qā mašmaʿ lan | what does it let us hear? | what is new in this statement? | 29 + 135 (abbr.) |
| לְמָה לִי | lāmā lī | why do I need …? | why is this stated (it seems superfluous) | 887 |
| מַה לִּי | ma lī | what is it to me (whether …)? | what difference does it make | 1 195 |
| אִיבַּעְיָא לְהוּ | ʾībbaʿyā ləhū | it was asked of them | introduces an open question | 501 |
| בְּעָא מִינֵּיהּ / בְּעוֹ מִינֵּיהּ | bəʿā mīnēh | he asked of him | a named question | 80 |
| מַהוּ | mahū | what is it? | "what is the law in case …?" | 1 999 |
| אוֹ דִלְמָא | ʾō ḏilmā | or perhaps | second option of a question | |
| מַאי בֵּינַיְהוּ | māy bēnayhū | what is between them? | what is the practical difference? | 183 |
| בְּמַאי קָמִיפַּלְגֵי | bə-māy qāmīp̄algē | in what do they disagree? | the principle of the dispute | 129 |
| מַאן תַּנָּא | man tannā | who is the tanna? | whose view is this anonymous source? | |
| הֵיכִי נַעְבֵּיד | hēḵī naʿbēḏ | how shall we act? | practical question |
3. Objecting
| term | translit. | literally | function | count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| מֵיתִיבֵי | mēṯīḇē | they object | objection from a tannaitic source | 671 |
| מוֹתִיב / מְתִיב | mōṯīḇ | (X) objects | named objection | 396 |
| אֵיתִיבֵיהּ | ʾēṯīḇēh | he objected to him | named objection in dialogue | 461 |
| וּרְמִינְהוּ | ū-rəmīnhū | and they cast them (together) | points out a contradiction between two sources | 167 |
| רָמֵי | rāmē | (X) casts | X points out a contradiction | |
| קַשְׁיָא | qašyā | it is difficult | an unresolved difficulty | 1 968 |
| מַתְקִיף לַהּ | maṯqīp̄ lah | (X) attacks it | a named challenge (by reasoning) | 564 |
| וְהָא | wə-hā | but behold | "but surely …" (counter-evidence) | |
| אַטּוּ | ʾaṭṭū | is it so that? | rhetorical, expects "no" | 352 |
| מִי | mī | (Q) | "is it really …?" | |
| פְּשִׁיטָא | pəšīṭā | (it is) simple | "this is obvious! why state it?" | 935 |
| אֶלָּא מֵעַתָּה | ʾellā mēʿattā | but from now (on) | reductio: "if so, then also …" (absurd) | 339 |
| וְכִי תֵּימָא | wə-ḵī tēmā | and if you say | anticipates a reply | 488 |
| לְטַעְמָיךְ | lə-ṭaʿmāḵ | according to your reasoning | turns an argument back on the speaker | 71 |
| אַדְּרַבָּה | ʾaddərabbā | on the contrary | reversal | 241 |
| מַאי אִירְיָא | māy ʾīryā | what is the matter (that it mentions X)? | why this specific case? | 169 |
| סָלְקָא דַעְתָּךְ (ס"ד) | sālqā ḏaʿtāḵ | it would enter your mind | "you might have thought" | 486 + 492 |
4. Answering
| term | translit. | literally | function | count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| לָא קַשְׁיָא | lā qašyā | it is not difficult | introduces a resolution | 1 016 |
| הָא … הָא | hā … hā | this … this | "this refers to X, that to Y" | |
| הָכָא בְּמַאי עָסְקִינַן | hāḵā bə-māy ʿāsqīnan | here, with what are we dealing? | restricts the source to a special case | 481 |
| לְעוֹלָם | lə-ʿōlām | always, really | "in fact (it is as first said), and …" | 1 682 |
| שָׁאנֵי הָתָם | šānē hāṯām | there it is different | distinguishes the cited case | 263 |
| שָׁאנֵי | šānē | it is different | 1 361 | |
| תַּרְגְּמַהּ | targəmah | he interpreted it | (named) reinterpretation of a source | 55 |
| חַסּוֹרֵי מִחַסְּרָא וְהָכִי קָתָנֵי | ḥassōrē miḥassərā wə-hāḵī qāṯānē | it is lacking, and thus it teaches | emends the Mishnah by adding words | 42 |
| וְהָכִי קָתָנֵי | wə-hāḵī qāṯānē | and thus it teaches | gives the "real" reading | 120 |
| אִי בָּעֵית אֵימָא | ʾī bāʿēṯ ʾēmā | if you wish, say | introduces an alternative answer | 430 + 125 |
| אִי נַמִי | ʾī nammī | or also | alternatively | 395 |
| צְרִיכָא | ṣərīḵā | it is needed | both statements are needed (why each is not superfluous) | 811 |
| צְרִיכֵי | ṣərīḵē | they are needed | same, plural | 410 |
| כְּדֵי נַסְבַהּ | kəḏē nasḇah | he took it without purpose | a detail mentioned incidentally | 9 |
| לָאו דַּוְקָא | lāw dawqā | not precisely | the wording is not exact | 27 |
| דַּוְקָא | dawqā | precisely | the wording is meant exactly | 201 |
| הַיְינוּ | haynū | that is (the same) | "this is the same as …" | 1 470 |
| מַאי … אֶלָּא | māy … ʾellā | what …? rather | "what does it mean? rather …" | |
| בִּשְׁלָמָא … אֶלָּא | bišlāmā … ʾellā | granted … but | concedes one side, presses the other | 1 266 |
| מִכְּדִי | mikkəḏī | since, after all | establishes a premise | 318 |
| הַשְׁתָּא … מִיבַּעְיָא | hašta … mībbaʿyā | now (if) … is it needed? | a fortiori ("all the more so") | (השתא 1 175) |
| קַל וָחוֹמֶר | (Hebrew) | light and heavy | a fortiori inference | 253 |
5. Concluding
| term | translit. | literally | function | count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| תְּיוּבְתָּא | təyūḇtā | refutation | a statement is refuted (final) | 389 |
| תְּיוּבְתָּא דְּ־ X תְּיוּבְתָּא | the refutation of X is a refutation | |||
| קַשְׁיָא | qašyā | it is difficult | difficulty left standing (milder) | (above) |
| תֵּיקוּ | tēqū | let it stand | the question remains undecided (Jastrow: = תֵּיקוּם) | 424 (תיקו as a word: 321) |
| שְׁמַע מִינַּהּ (ש"מ) | šəmaʿ mīnnah | hear from it | "learn from this", conclusion | 697 + 713 |
| הָכִי נַמִי מִסְתַּבְּרָא | hāḵī nammī mistabbərā | so too it is reasonable | support by reasoning | 80 |
| תִּסְתַּיֵּים | tistayyēm | let it be concluded | "we may conclude that X is the one who said …" | 62 |
| דַּיְקָא נַמִי | dayqā nammī | it is precise too | the wording supports this | 115 |
| הִלְכְתָא | hilḵəṯā | the law (is) | ruling | 717 |
| וְהִלְכְתָא | wə-hilḵəṯā | and the law is | ruling | 217 |
| לֵית הִלְכְתָא | lēṯ hilḵəṯā | the law is not | 44 | |
| הִלְכְתָא כְּוָותֵיהּ | hilḵəṯā kəwāṯēh | the law is like him | (כוותיה 480) | |
| הֲדְרַן עֲלָךְ | hăḏran ʿălāḵ | we have returned to you | end of a chapter (+ its name) | 313 |
6. Attribution and transmission
| term | translit. | literally | function | count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אָמַר לֵיהּ (א"ל) | ʾāmar lēh | he said to him | dialogue | 3 957 + 4 398 |
| אָמְרוּ לֵיהּ | ʾāmrū lēh | they said to him | 466 | |
| אִיכָּא דְּאָמְרֵי | ʾīkkā də-ʾāmrē | there are who say | a second version of a tradition | 619 |
| לִישָּׁנָא אַחֲרִינָא (ל"א) | liššānā ʾaḥărīnā | another version | 58 | |
| אָמְרֵי | ʾāmrē | they say | the anonymous voice answers | (in 4 925) |
| אִית לֵיהּ / לֵית לֵיהּ | ʾīṯ lēh / lēṯ lēh | he has / has not | "he holds / does not hold (this view)" | 644 / 504 |
| אַלִּיבָּא דְּ־ | ʾallībbā də- | according to the heart of | according to X's view | 524 |
| פְּלִיגֵי | pəlīḡē | they divide | they disagree | 1 287 |
| קָמִיפַּלְגֵי | qāmīp̄algē | they are disagreeing | 549 | |
| כְּתַנָּאֵי | kə-ṯannāʾē | like tannaim | "this is a tannaitic dispute" | 164 |
| לֵימָא כְּתַנָּאֵי | lēmā kə-ṯannāʾē | shall we say it is like the tannaim? | proposal that the amoraic dispute mirrors a tannaitic one | 58 |
| סְבָרָא | səḇārā | reasoning | logic as a source | 284 |
| מִסְתַּבְּרָא | mistabbərā | it is reasonable | 363 |
7. A sugya marked up
Berakhot 2a, the opening of the Gemara (Wikisource Bavli, CC BY-SA), marked with the moves:
| text | move |
|---|---|
| גמ׳ | label: Gemara |
| תַּנָּא הֵיכָא קָאֵי דְּקָתָנֵי מֵאֵימָתַי | question: "Where does the tanna stand, that he teaches 'from when' (as if the obligation were known)?" |
| וְתוּ מַאי שְׁנָא דְּתָנֵי בְּעַרְבִית בְּרֵישָׁא לִיתְנֵי דְשַׁחֲרִית בְּרֵישָׁא | question 2: "And further, what is different that he teaches the evening first? Let him teach the morning first!" |
| תַּנָּא אַקְּרָא קָאֵי דִּכְתִיב בְּשָׁכְבְּךָ וּבְקוּמֶךָ | answer: "The tanna stands on the verse, as it is written: 'when you lie down and when you rise' (Hebrew)" |
| וְהָכִי קָתָנֵי | reading: "and thus he teaches:" (a paraphrase of the Mishnah follows) |
Every move begins with one of the phrases above (הֵיכָא קָאֵי, מַאי שְׁנָא, לִיתְנֵי, דִּכְתִיב, וְהָכִי קָתָנֵי). A tagger keyed on this list already segments the passage correctly.
The Elamur team
This page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/docs/languages/tmr/discourse-terms/