Well, I do not claim to speak Aramaic, but I did attend the Maronite Rite more than a few times. I know several priests from their rite reasonably well, enough to talk to about this and other subjects. They use Aramaic in their liturgy, and repeat verbatim the words of Christ at the consecration. “Den hu guffi” is “This is my Body” in their liturgy. I do not know how to say “represents,” “signifies” etc. in Aramaic. But The Maronite priests I know, who are conversant or better with Aramaic, all assure me that those words exist in the language. Perhaps NYer, who attends the Maronite liturgy all the time, can help us our here. In any case, you lay yourself wide open. The Aramaic says what it says, and it is only a matter of time before you stumble on the literal translation of the words. I encourage you to do so. And try, yourself, to find words meaning “signify,” “represent,” etc. I am already comfortable that, based on sources familiar with the language with whom I have spoken, Jesus had those options linguistically, and “is” in Aramaic has the same connotation as in English. In either language, it derives from “to be.” That speaks to essences. Essences are not figurative.
And there is always the fact that no one thought differently than what the Catholic and Orthodox Churches believe on the subject to fall back on! 1500 years is a long time for everyone to get it "wrong" before someone finally "corrected" the universally held "mistake." Jesus would never have instituted the Eucharist at all if, from the get-go, it would be as grossly misinterpreted as you imagine. God is not the Author of confusion. Men are. Inventing novel interpretations of things heretofore "always and everywhere done" in obedience to God's instigation is a hallmark of man's propensity for confusion.
“Well, I do not claim to speak Aramaic, but I did attend the Maronite Rite more than a few times...”
And I stayed a Holiday Inn Express a few times.
So what?
So you admit that you do not know the original Aramaic, or Koine Greek to be able to claim expertise on the importance of the language used. In any language, such things as usage, tense, and possession are paramount.
Thank you for being candid in admitting your inability claim the things you claimed.
Have a nice day.