ܘܣܦܪܐ wsprʾ nobles
Calques: ܒܲܪ ܡܲܠܟܘܼܬܵܐ br mlkwtʾ bar malkūṯā royal heir; ܒܢܲܝ̈ ܡܲܠܟܘܼܬܵܐ bny mlkwtʾ bnay malkūṯā princes
The Syr. term is an old loanword from MIr. (as confirmed by the preservation of the initial w-), already attested in the Hymn of the Pearl (cf. Russell 2001–2002, 44 n. 22). Cf. MP wāspuhr [wʾspwhl] principal (CPD 88), belonging to the class of wispuhr, i.e. the lawful heirs within the clan or family, (royal) heir, princes of the royal blood (Nyberg 205; Périkhanian 1968, 16-23), < OIr. *wāispuθri-, vr̥ddhi derivative from < *wispuθra-, *wisapuθra- (Nyberg 205); MP wispuhr prince, nobleman (Nyberg 214 f.), < OP *visapuθra- (Median) prince, lit. son of the royal house (Hinz 1975, 265; see also Gershevitch 1969a, 209); cf. Av. vīsō.puθra- (AirWb 1455 f.) and the Arm. toponym Waspur-akan, lit. "princely appanage" (Hübschmann AG 80, no. 182). Borbone 2000, 74 and 96 n. 5 suggests that bny mlkwtʾ in JaRS is a calque of the Mongol word köbegün, pl. köbegüd "son", whose older meaning was "royal princes" ● wsprʾ apap 279, 6 = HS 101a; br mlkwtʾ IA 2, 46, 9; bny mlkwtʾ JaRS1 39 and 84 = 2 44 and 91 ◆ LS 185b; 91b; PS Suppl. 105