Syriac (Classical Syriac) is an Eastern Aramaic language of the Northwest Semitic branch of Afro-Asiatic, which emerged in the first century AD from a local Aramaic dialect spoken in the ancient Neo-Assyrian kingdom and region of Osroene, centered on the city of Edessa. It survives today as the liturgical and literary language of Syriac Christianity, used by the Assyrian Church of the East, the Syriac Orthodox Church and the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church among others, and is written in the Syriac alphabet, a cursive abjad descended from the Aramaic alphabet.
Facts
ISO 639-3 Code Speaker CountNo longer a vernacular; Syriac remains the sacred, liturgical language of Syriac Christianity, and is taught in some public schools in Iraq, Syria, Palestine, Israel, Sweden, Augsburg (Germany) and Kerala (India). StatusLiturgical / Learned Use Only 1 Attested From (Year) Attested To (Year)Circa; following the Arab conquest in the 7th century, vernacular Syriac was gradually displaced by Arabic, and among its native Assyrian and Aramean speakers by Neo-Aramaic languages, with the transition largely complete by the end of the Middle Ages. RegionFertile Crescent, historically (northern Iraq, northwestern Iran, Syria, southeastern Turkey, Lebanon); Syriac Christian communities worldwide today (liturgical use) 1 Connections
In Family
Source Wikipedia: Classical Syriac Language
Written In
Source Wikipedia: Classical Syriac Language
In the Other Atlases
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Classical Syriac Language
WikipediaHistory section
It emerged during the first century AD from a local Eastern Aramaic dialect that was spoken in the ancient Neo-Assyrian kingdom and region of Osroene, centered in the city of Edessa.
- Infobox
Introduction
Classical Syriac is the academic term used to refer to the dialect literary usage and standardization, distinguishing it from other Aramaic dialects.
- Geographic distribution section
lead section
declined as a vernacular language after the 13th century
Quote
Following the Arab conquest in the 7th century, vernacular forms of Syriac were gradually replaced
- In Family: Afro-Asiatic, Classification section
- Written In: Syriac Alphabet, Writing system section
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