Sahda is a witness, someone who says what they have seen or know to be true. In the Gospels the root belongs mostly to trials and moments of pressure, where telling the truth costs something. In later use sahda also came to mean martyr.
| Form | Pattern | Transliteration | Script | Standard | Qala rendering |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Verb, "you shall (not) testify" | peal imperfect | teshad | תסהד ܬ݁ܶܣܗܰܕ݂ | to testify | to testify · to bear witness |
| Noun plural, "witnesses" | agent noun, plural | sāhde | סהדא ܣܳܗܕ݁ܶܐ | witness | witness · a witness |
| Verb, "testifying (against)" | aphel participle plural | mashdin | מסהדין ܡܰܣܗܕ݂ܺܝܢ | witness against | they testify against (Mt 26:62) |
| Noun, "my testimony" | abstract -utā + suffix | sāhduti | סהדותי ܣܳܗܕ݁ܽܘܬ݂ܝ | testimony | my testimony (Jn 8:14) |
In the Gospels the verb appears in the Peal, shed or teshad, to testify (Matthew 19:18, "Do not bear false witness"), and in the Aphel, mashed, to bear witness or testify against (John 8:14; Matthew 26:62).
In one conversation today, report only what you saw or heard yourself, and leave out guesses about motives and things passed on by others. Then say sahda, witness, aloud.