Introducing the Aramaic Language - Aramaic as a Northwest Semitic Language

[@sahhaf1234]

This is a very nice summary, showing the relation of aramaic to other semitic dialects...

[@akkadashur]

Shalma, I love your passion about teaching others about history of Aramiac/Sureth and different dialects spoken around the world. As an Assyrian who speaks Aramaic dialect from Urmi, I am intrigued about the origins of the sounds/words and what might have awoke in the human psyche when words came together. I once read that the impact of environment and culture on language development is the behaviorist theory. One of the main proponents of this theory, B.F. Skinner, proposed that language is acquired in the same way as any other behavior, through operant conditioning

[@ProfessorMichaelWingert]

I developed a hint of an Urmijnaya accent from the community in California. That's a really fascinating topic and I'd love to learn more about it. Feel free to direct me to any readings you think would benefit me.

[@katathoombs]

Last winter I gave a small presentation with a friend of mine on Aramaic becoming the _Lingua Franca_ in ANE in stead of Akkadian. One of our case examples was the Tell Fekheriye stela. I didn't even remember this till I saw the picture in the beginning. Aramaic really was a language of power and at the same time a language of the people for a long while alright.

[@ProfessorMichaelWingert]

Great topic!

[@juliannaruffini]

I learnt aramaic in Maalula, it is considered as the most archaic aramaic dialect . On my channel I made a video about the holy prayer in different languages also in Maalula aramaic

[@CakeLoverCreeper]

really enjoyed watching this video

[@ProfessorMichaelWingert]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@LyteJaz24]

It's sickening n disturbing watching one who is not indigenous to anything explain thee existing of existence (.)

[@iberius9937]

​​@@LyteJaz24Well, if I may say ever so politely, this man is an expert in this field and one of the best Semiticists I've seen on KZbin or anywhere else. This channel is a gift. He may not be "indigenous" but he understands the languages and cultures that he specializes in.

[@efstratiosfilis2290]

Wow! Thank you Professor Wingert. I have learned a lot from you today. I have studied Arabic so it really surprised me that in NENA they say nmut instead of ymwt.

[@Suryoyoz]

Thank you for this video! (Taudi sagi al video didokh) /Aramaic speaker (Turoyo)

[@ProfessorMichaelWingert]

ܒܫܝܢܐ

[@AgapeOTsion]

there a shift of sound in tigrinya between z and d or vice versa in negation. nice to see it exist in aramaic too.

[@ProfessorMichaelWingert]

Great example!

[@jonathanhandy6504]

Interesting. I'd love to see a video treating the chronological and geographical relations within what's called the Central and Northwest Semitic language groups. When and where did proto-Arabic arise? Amorite? Proto-Canaanite? Proto-Hebrew? Proto-Aramaic? All these diverged at some point, somewhere. I understand there may be more questions than answers now, but it's hard to find even a conjecture regarding when and where these important languages arose. Without a hypothesis, it's hard to even start thinking about origins and the story of the peoples behind these languages.

[@ProfessorMichaelWingert]

I'd like to see a video like that as well. You're certainly right about there being more questions than answers. A lot would hinge on a proper methodology for approaching those questions.

[@angell6425]

Was aramaic on Sumerian tablets? I think you mention the assyrian religion and I'm having difficultly parsing ancient mesopotamian religion and zoroastrianism and assyrian and when/where aramaic comes into play.

[@iberius9937]

How can one be properly immersed in communities that speak forms of Neo-Aramaic? As much as I love Hebrew and Arabic, Aramaic and its descendants attract and fascinate the hell out of me.

[@iberius9937]

What is your ethnic background, Professor, just out of curiosity?

[@ProfessorMichaelWingert]

🇺🇸

[@megw7312]

Have you considered the peoples who moved away from this part of the world? Omri? Khymri? Some to the north or east. Many to the west. Trace the Khymraic /Cymric/Cymraic language? Cymraeg (a.k.a. ‘Welsh’) is the senior language of Prydain (Britain). An earlier (perhaps very similar) language had arrived in Britain with the Albyne migration. Albyne was a Syrian princess. Brutus (grgrandson of Anaeas of Troy, founder of Rome), later brought ‘the remnant’ of Troy to Britain. They were the Cymry who spoke Cymraeg. Cymraeg is still spoken daily in Wales (also in Y Wladfa/Patagonia).

[@megw7312]

Agora University. In welsh: Agora = Familiar imperative of the verb to ‘open’. Agor.

[@ProfessorMichaelWingert]

I wish I could get to learning Cymraeg (Welsh) someday!

[@ProfessorMichaelWingert]

Interesting. I typically tie the etymology of Agora to a Sumerian structure (the outdoor sanctuary).

[@megw7312]

@ProfessorMichaelWingert: The Empress Helen - mother of Constantine, is sometimes said to have been ‘a Syrian stablemaid and innkeeper’s daughter’. Can’t argue with that! Albeit Syrian via descent through many generations. She was the power in her marriage, being the g daughter of Coel (old King Cole, known for his hospitality?)(his Brythonic name but also emperor - check the timeline). A powerful princess of Britain therefore, with no brothers to outrank her. They were Christians - no ‘no room at the inn’ (reference the stable). In any case, I think we can assume that she would have taken keen interest in the welfare of her horses, with no doubt that they were the finest in the empire! YMA O HYD !

[@megw7312]

@@ProfessorMichaelWingert Adam and Peter - Matter of Britain Also: Cymroglyphics 01 Overview You may also be interested to know how 6th century ‘welsh’ writing exists in North America.

[@benavraham4397]

Aramaic's single greatest achievement is having replaced the entire Akkadian language as the spoken language of Mesopotamia. If only we knew why and how?

[@ProfessorMichaelWingert]

Right?! It's really impressive.

[@benavraham4397]

@@ProfessorMichaelWingert I commented on it before, but it still drives me crazy!😲

[@johnsmith-ir1ne]

I read it's due to mass Assyrian deportations to across their empire

[@alefbet-kz4rx]

sir, ı am turkish and ı study this language . if possible to come visit turkey ı accompany you whit pleasure

[@ProfessorMichaelWingert]

Turkey is a site so rich in history. I feel like I would need a few months to see all the different cultures and their history, from Hattuša to Hakkari! Thank you for your kindness!

[@baghdade]

isnt old Aramaic closer to arabic than syriac to old Aramaic?

[@ProfessorMichaelWingert]

Classical Syriac and Old Aramaic are closer to Arabic than Modern Assyrian (Northeastern Neo-Aramaic). I think that is what you mean, yes?

[@baghdade]

yes , thnks for the reply . can it be because the influence of Iranian or turkish languages on modern assyrian?@@ProfessorMichaelWingert

[@benavraham4397]

N- to mark the future "he will." We frequently have that in the Babylonian Talmud.

[@ProfessorMichaelWingert]

Any idea on how that emerged or do any of the Rabbis speak to that form and why it differs from the y- 3ms?

[@benavraham4397]

@@ProfessorMichaelWingert Most often in the Talmud, L- is used to indicate "he will," or "let him..." as in "Leima" "let him say" or even "let us say," the "we" and "he" being identical. Sometimes it will say "Neima" for "Leima." Biblical Aramaic has "leheve" for "he will be," so the Lamed thing goes back a long way. I figure Y and L are both liquid, so they got exchanged. N is also like L, except nasal, so also they switch. The funny thing is that N- is rare in the Talmud, but is standard in Syriac.😲

[@q8backpacker]

Who invented the term (Semitic language) ? It should be called (old arabic languages). It started in Yemen tge arab Kanaans immigrated to syria and start new languages. So there are northen old arabic languages and southern old arabic languages. The problem with Westerns when they study the arab world the understand it through old testament

[@ProfessorMichaelWingert]

While tracing pre-historical migration of those who form this language family is challenging and highly debatable given the scarcity of materials we have, you do bring up a very good point. It might be worth exploring further in an additional video.

[@johnsmith-ir1ne]

I've never met a person from MENA who rejected the label Semitic. You're the only one

[@q8backpacker]

@johnsmith-ir1ne we do not like the world MENA as well, neither middle east. Our region name is Arab World. A lot of poeple around me hate the term Semitic. We are arab we came from arab peninsula. Sam is Torah charter he was never mentioned in archaeology or myths. No one knows his language or his descended.

[@johnsmith-ir1ne]

@@q8backpacker what about your non Arab minorities, like Kurd Persian Azeri Armenian Assyrian peoples? Why not ask them what name they want?

[@BornInUSSR12]

Arabs have a delusion that they can tell others who they are, what language they speak, where they should live

[@yaseensharawi8034]

هم النبطين والتدمورين عرب ولا آراميين

[@kausamsalam8543]

That’s what I thought, too. The Bible gives hints of that, too.

[@SamKhan-rd4rs]

Palestinian Aramaic? So Israel never existed

[@ChopinIsMyBestFriend]

You realize that these names are modern scholarly suggestions to distinguish the different dialects of Aramaic or what some would call Syriac. You seem to not understand the history of Israel and how it became Philistina by the Romans because those are enemies of the Israelites. Countries are in the modern sense weren’t around back then. Only kingdoms. since 70 AD, it has only been a region within empires, trading many hands. To say Israel never existed based on someone saying Palestinian Aramaic shows you don’t understand this.

[@dontoni8041]

Israel never existed. Period. Palestine did