Marlin, an American correspondent in Beirut, sent me this note about Maronite Patriarch Sfayr and his ta' marbutah pronunciations (see below): "I've asked people in the past about Sfeir's ta marbutas, and heard two things: one, it's typical of the local Kisrwani dialect, and two, it's an influence of Syriac. When I retire, I will investigate this further."