| Chaldean Neo-Aramaic | |
|---|---|
| ܟܠܕܝܐ Kaldāyâ, ܣܘܼܪܲܝܬ Sōreth | |
Sûret in written Syriac (Madnkhaya script) |
|
| Pronunciation | [kalˈdɑjɑ], [sorɛθ] |
| Spoken in | |
| Region | Iraq; Mosul, Ninawa, now also Baghdad and Basra. |
| Native speakers | 220,000 (no date) (110,000 in Iraq in 1994) |
| Language family |
Afro-Asiatic
|
| Writing system | Syriac (Madenhaya alphabet) |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | cld |
Chaldean Neo-Aramaic is a Northeastern Neo-Aramaic dialect. Chaldean Neo-Aramaic is spoken on the plain of Mosul in northern Iraq, as well as by the Chaldean communities worldwide. Most speakers are Chaldean Catholics. Historically, the dialect was divided from Assyrian Neo-Aramaic as a result of the schism of 1552. Chaldean Neo-Aramaic is to a considerable extent mutually intelligible with Assyrian Neo-Aramaic and to a lesser extent with Turoyo.
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Chaldean Neo-Aramaic is one of a number of modern Northeastern Aramaic languages spoken in the region between Lake Urmia in Iranian Azerbaijan and Mosul in northern Iraq. Jews and Christians speak different dialects of Aramaic that are often mutually unintelligible. The Christian dialects have been heavily influenced by Classical Syriac, the literary language of Syriac Christianity in antiquity. Therefore Christian Neo-Aramaic has a dual heritage: literary Syriac and colloquial Eastern Aramaic. The Christian dialects are often called Soureth, or Syriac. In Iraqi Arabic, Chaldean Neo-Aramaic is sometimes called فلّيحي, or Fallîħî. The term "Fallihi" is considered offensive by some speakers of the language. The term literally refers to those who speak the language as peasants for most of them were working in agriculture. The term typically highlights the social differences among various groups of the community.
Before the schism of 1552, most Christians in this region were members of the Church of the East.[1] When schism split the church, most of the Christians of the region opted for communion with the Roman Catholic Church and became members of the Chaldean Catholic Church.[2] Despite having a different name, Chaldean Neo-Aramaic is very close to Assyrian Neo-Aramaic[3]
Chaldean Neo-Aramaic is the Soureth language of the Plain of Mosul and Iraqi Kurdistan. It has a number of identifiable dialects, each corresponding to one of the villages where the language is spoken. The village/dialects are: Alqosh, Aqrah, Mangesh, Tel Keipeh, Baghdeda, Tel Skuf, Baqofah, Batnaya, Bartella, Sirnak-Cizre (Bohtan), Araden and Dahuk. Because of its historical importance, the dialect of Alqosh has become the basis for standardisation of Chaldean Neo-Aramaic.
Chaldean Neo-Aramaic is written in the Madenhaya version of the Syriac alphabet, which is also used for classical Syriac. The School of Alqosh produced religious poetry in the colloquial Chaldean Neo-Aramaic rather than classical Syriac, in the 17th century, and the Dominican Press in Mosul has produced a number of books in the language.
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