Syriac language

The Syriac language (Classical Syriac: ܠܫܢܐ ܣܘܪܝܝܐ, romanized: Leššānā Suryāyā) is an Eastern Aramaic language.^[2] It was spoken long ago in the Fertile Crescent.^[2] In the West Syriac tradition, it is known as Leššōnō kṯoḇonōyō,^[3] while in the East Syriac tradition, it is known as Leššānā ʔatīqā or Leššānā saprāyā.^[4]

Syriac
ܠܫܢܐ ܣܘܪܝܝܐ Leššānā Suryāyā
Leššānā Suryāyā in written Syriac (Esṭrangelā script)
Pronunciation	lɛʃʃɑːnɑː surjɑːjɑː
Region	Upper Mesopotamia, Eastern Arabia
Era	1st century AD until ~ 14th century; Developed into Northeastern Neo-Aramaic and Central Neo-Aramaic languages after the 12th century.[1]
Language family	Afro-Asiatic Semitic Central Semitic Northwest Semitic Aramaic Eastern Aramaic Syriac
Early form	Old Syriac
Writing system	Syriac abjad
Language codes
ISO 639-2	syc Classical Syriac
ISO 639-3	syc Classical Syriac
Glottolog	clas1252
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Syriac Aramaic alphabet

An 11th century Syriac manuscript.

Related pages

• Judea
• Assyrian people
• Assyrian Church of the East
• Chaldean Catholic Church
• Syriac Orthodox Church
• Aramaic language
• Eastern Christianity