Neo-Aramaic languages facts for kids

The Neo-Aramaic or Modern Aramaic languages are different ways of speaking Aramaic. These languages developed during the late medieval and early modern times. Today, they are still spoken by communities around the world.

Experts have studied how to group these languages. They have suggested different ways to classify them, usually into two, three, or four main groups.

These languages are also grouped by the people who speak them and their religions. Speakers include Christians, Jews, Mandaeans, and Muslims.

Christian Neo-Aramaic languages have long been used alongside Classical Syriac. Classical Syriac was a language used for writing and religious ceremonies. Older forms like Targumic Aramaic and Classical Mandaic are not spoken every day anymore. So, they are not called Neo-Aramaic languages. However, these older languages still influence the modern spoken ones.

The most well-known Neo-Aramaic languages belong to the Central Neo-Aramaic and Northeastern Neo-Aramaic groups. These are mainly spoken by Assyrians. Assyrians belong to different Christian churches, like the Assyrian Church of the East and the Chaldean Catholic Church. Other speakers include Muslim and Christian Arameans (Syriacs) from places like Maaloula. They speak the Western Neo-Aramaic language, which is becoming rare. Mandaeans and some Mizrahi Jews also speak Neo-Aramaic languages.

Today, fewer people speak Neo-Aramaic fluently. Younger generations of Assyrians often do not learn the language completely. Many have moved to new countries and adopted the local languages.

History of Neo-Aramaic Languages

Where Neo-Aramaic languages are spoken

Places where different types of North-Eastern Neo-Aramaic are spoken

During ancient times and the Middle Ages, the Aramaic language had both written and spoken forms. For Aramaic-speaking Christians, a main written form was Edessan Aramaic. This language later became known as Classical Syriac. Aramaic-speaking Jews also had their own written languages, called Judeo-Aramaic languages.

At the same time, many different spoken forms of Aramaic existed. These varied from region to region. By the late medieval period, the written forms used by Christians were mostly for religious purposes. But the spoken forms kept developing into the early modern period. Slowly, some of these spoken Neo-Aramaic forms also began to be used for writing.

In the 1800s, people started to study Neo-Aramaic languages in a serious way. By the early 1900s, some Neo-Aramaic languages were being used in modern ways. This included new publications and the creation of schools and other groups.

This progress was sadly stopped by World War I (1914–1918). Terrible events happened to Aramaic-speaking communities during this time, including the Seyfo (a genocide). Many communities were forced to leave their homes. This created new groups of Neo-Aramaic speakers in different parts of the world, known as the diaspora. These events greatly affected the communities and their language.

Different Types of Neo-Aramaic

For a long time, the Aramaic language has had a dividing line between its western and eastern types. This line runs across the Syrian Desert.

Only Western Neo-Aramaic is left from the western types. It is spoken in Maaloula and Jubb'adin in the Anti-Lebanon mountains. Christian and Muslim Aramean (Syriac) communities speak it. In the past, western types were much more common in Palestine.

All other Neo-Aramaic languages are eastern types. However, they are not all very similar. Modern Mandaic is quite different from the others. It is hard for speakers of other types to understand it. Modern Mandaic comes directly from Classical Mandaic. Classical Mandaic has roots in the Aramaic spoken during the Arsacid Empire. Only a few hundred people speak Modern Mandaic fluently today.

Who Speaks Neo-Aramaic?

The number of people who speak Neo-Aramaic languages today is thought to be between 575,000 and 1,000,000. Most of these speakers are Assyrians.

The largest groups of speakers are:

• Assyrian Neo-Aramaic with about 500,000 speakers.
• Chaldean Neo-Aramaic with about 240,000 speakers.
• Turoyo (Surayt) with about 100,000 speakers.
• A few thousand people speak other Neo-Aramaic languages. These include Modern Judeo-Aramaic varieties and Bohtan Neo-Aramaic.

Adding these up, there are over 870,000 Neo-Aramaic speakers in total.

See also