Link Centre Dictionary

Aramaic

ara·maic

UK/ˌæ.ɹəˈmeɪ.ɪk/ US/ˌæɹ.əˈmeɪ.ɪk/ rare
adjective (1) noun (2)

adjective

1.

of or relating to the ancient Aramaic languages

noun

1.

a Semitic language originally of the ancient Arameans but still spoken by other people in southwestern Asia

2.

an alphabetical (or perhaps syllabic) script used since the 9th century BC to write the Aramaic language; many other scripts were subsequently derived from it

Synonyms

Origin

From Latin Aramaicus, from Ancient Greek Ἀραμαϊκός (Aramaïkós), itself a calque of Aramaic ܐܪܡܝܐ / אָרָמָיָא (ʾārāmāyā, “Aramean”) using Ἀράμ f (Arám, “Aram”, the name of a land originally covering central regions of what is now Syria) (from Aramaic ܐܪܡ / ארם (ʾarām)) + -ικός (-ikós, adjective suffix) (compare with Ἀραμαῖος (Aramaîos, “Aramean”), and the latter with Χαναναῖος (Khananaîos, “Chananean”), from Χαναάν f (Khanaán, “Canaan”) + -αῖος (-aîos)). By surface analysis, Aram + -ic.

Phrases

  • Achaemenid Aramaic
  • Biblical Aramaic
  • Christian Palestinian Aramaic
  • Classical Aramaic
  • Egyptian Aramaic
  • Galilean Aramaic
  • Imperial Aramaic
  • Jewish Babylonian Aramaic

Related words

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WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.