Syriac language facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Syriac |
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| ܠܫܢܐ ܣܘܪܝܝܐ Leššānā Suryāyā | ||||
Leššānā Suryāyā written in Syriac (Esṭrangelā script)
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| Pronunciation | lɛʃʃɑːnɑː surjɑːjɑː | |||
| Region | Upper Mesopotamia, Eastern Arabia | |||
| Era | 1st century AD; Became less common to speak every day after the 14th century; Changed into Northeastern Neo-Aramaic and Central Neo-Aramaic languages after the 12th century. | |||
| Language family |
Afro-Asiatic
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| Writing system | Syriac abjad | |||
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This article contains Syriac text, written from right to left in a cursive style with some letters joined. Without proper rendering support, you may see unjoined Syriac letters or other symbols instead of Syriac script. |
Syriac (ܠܫܢܐ ܣܘܪܝܝܐ leššānā Suryāyā) is an ancient Aramaic language. It was spoken a very long time ago in a region called the Fertile Crescent, which is in the Middle East. Many old writings from the 2nd to the 8th century AD are in Syriac. It's like a special way of writing and speaking that helped share stories and knowledge from the past.
Contents
What is the Syriac Language?
Syriac is part of a bigger group of languages called Semitic languages. These languages include Arabic and Hebrew. Syriac is specifically an Eastern Aramaic language. This means it's related to other Aramaic languages that were spoken in the eastern parts of the Middle East.
Where Was Syriac Spoken?
Syriac was mainly spoken in a place called Upper Mesopotamia. This area is now parts of countries like Iraq, Syria, and Turkey. It was also used in some parts of Eastern Arabia. For many centuries, it was an important language for people living in these regions.
How is Syriac Written?
Syriac uses its own special alphabet, called the Syriac abjad. An abjad is a writing system where each symbol usually stands for a consonant, and readers have to guess the vowels. It's written from right to left, just like Arabic and Hebrew. There are different styles of Syriac writing, some more formal and some more cursive.
Why is Syriac Important?
Syriac is very important because many old books and writings were created in this language. These writings include religious texts, history books, and scientific works from ancient times. They give us a lot of information about the history, culture, and beliefs of people who lived long ago. Even though fewer people speak it every day now, it's still studied and used by some communities around the world.
Images for kids
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Lord's Prayer in Syriac language
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Ancient mosaic from Edessa (from the 2nd century CE) with inscriptions in early Edessan Aramaic (Old Syriac)
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Syriac "Codex Ambrosianus" (F. 128) from the 11th century
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Bilingual Syriac and Neo-Persian psalter, in Syriac script, from the 12th-13th century
See also
In Spanish: Idioma siríaco para niños
