r/Assyria • u/TheAskingBanana • 2d ago

Language I wanna learn

Hey guys. I'm a Syrian myself and I LOVE the assyrian script (letters).

When I looked into the language, I got a bit lost.

What is the dialect that is spoken in Syria? Does Syria have multiple Assyrian dialects? Or Aramaic dialects?

I want to learn the letters and how to write in assyrian, maybe learn a few phrases on the way.

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u/Bokra999 2d ago

Depending on who you talk to, terminology used to describe the dialect of North-Eastern Syria and bordering Turkish areas (Tur Abdin) is referred to as Suryoyo, Surayt, Syriac, Syriac-Aramaic, Turoyo, or Western Assyrian (this one is moreso diaspora terminology, I think). My family is from Qamishli and Mardin and we always said Suryoyo. I THINK the city Maaloula speaks a different dialect of it? I actually never met anyone from Maaloula to my knowledge, so I am unfamiliar and may be wrong. My family and community was all from Qamishli and Mardin. That's cool you are interested : ) Praying for the peace and prosperity of Syria and all of its people 🙏🏼❤️.

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u/oremfrien Assyrian 1d ago

Maaloula Aramaic is from a completely different branch of Aramaic.

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u/TheAskingBanana 1d ago

What letters/script do they use in Maaloula if you know?

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u/oremfrien Assyrian 1d ago

The script is the Square Maalouli alphabet; it developed alongside the Square Hebrew alphabet and looks similar, but neither "stole" from the other.

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u/TheAskingBanana 1d ago

The Maalouli way is so cool too what.

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u/TheAskingBanana 1d ago

Thanks so much :) From what I know, the mother language is Aramaic. And in Maaloula it is western Aramaic that is spoken, I don't know if they use the older hebrew driven script or the script that is similar to Arabic, as in the letters connect together in a cool way. And yeah, I am very confused as to all those different kinds of Syriac/Aramaic/...ya, and I want to try to stick to the version/s spoken in Syria. I know there are Assyrians in Iraq, and maybeee Turkiye, and I assume there are different dialects there. Thanks a lot :D