The gentilic suffix יִ - -ī (sometimes referred to by the Arabic term nisba) is used to form adjectives that denote some form of relation, such as affiliation, origin, or numerical order. Originally this suffix was consonantal (-iy); indeed, in Classical Arabic, on account of its case endings, it is still so, in fact with a geminated y that has preserved its consonantal nature. It has also been preserved in Aramaic, with a slight phonetic change, namely, יַ - -ay, especially in the plural, e.g., יהוּדָיֵ֗א yəhūḏå̄yē ‘Jews’ (Ezra 4.12), כַּשְׂדָּיֵא kaśdå̄yē (ketib) ‘Chaldeans’ (Dan. 4.4) (s…