Lebanese Jesuit scholar and compiler of the trinlingual Dictionnaire Syriaque-Français, Syriac-English, Suryani-ʿArabi (Beirut, 1963; 2nd ed. 1986 [unchanged]). This is based primarily on Brockelmann’s Lexicon Syriacum (1928) and is likewise organised by root. Costaz, who taught at the Seminary of St. Maron, Ghazir, also wrote a useful Grammaire syriaque (1955; 2nd ed. 1964 [with expanded index]), and edited, together with Paul Mouterde (of the Université Saint-Joseph), what is described as ‘a first selection’ of texts in vocalized W.-Syr. script, of a projected Anthologie syriaque under the general editorship of Michel Doumeth, a professor at the Université Libanaise (1955; no further volumes appeared); although this runs to only ca. 90 pages, it provides an excellent choice of texts, with brief introductions.

Sebastian P. Brock