View source for Syriac language

{{Infobox Language
|name=Syriac
|nativename={{lang|syr|ܠܫܢܐ&nbsp;ܣܘܪܝܝܐ}} ''{{lang|syr-Latn|leššānā Suryāyā}}''
|states= [[Syria (Roman province)|Roman Syria]]
|extinct=marginalized by Arabic from the 8th century, evolved into [[Neo-Aramaic]] vernaculars around 1200 AD (conventional date).
|familycolor=Afro-Asiatic
|fam2=[[Semitic languages|Semitic]]
|fam3=[[West Semitic languages|West Semitic]]
|fam4=[[Central Semitic languages|Central Semitic]]
|fam5=[[Northwest Semitic languages|Northwest Semitic]]
|fam6=[[Aramaic language|Aramaic]]
|fam7=Eastern Aramaic
|script=[[Syriac alphabet|Syriac abjad]]
|iso2=<tt>syc</tt> (classical)<tt>
|lc1=syc|ld1=Syriac (classical)|ll1=none
}}
[[Image:Syriac Sertâ book script.jpg|thumb|250px|An [[11th century|eleventh-century]] Syriac [[manuscript]].]]

'''Syriac''' ({{lang|syc|ܠܫܢܐ ܣܘܪܝܝܐ}} ''{{lang|syc-Latn|leššānā Suryāyā}}'') is a dialect of [[Middle Aramaic]] that was once spoken across much of the [[Fertile Crescent]].  '''Classical Syriac'''   became a major literary language throughout the [[Middle East]] from the 4th to the 8th centuries,<ref>{{cite book|last=Beyer|first=Klaus|title=The Aramaic Language: its distribution and subdivisions|coauthors=John F. Healey (trans.)|year=1986|location=Göttingen|publisher=Vandenhoeck und Ruprecht|pages=44|isbn=3-525-53573-2}}</ref> the [[classical language]] of [[Edessa, Mesopotamia|Edessa]], preserved in a large body of [[Syriac literature]].

It became the vehicle of [[Christianity]] and culture, spreading throughout [[Asia]] as far as [[Malabar]] and Eastern [[China]] and was the medium of communication and cultural dissemination for [[Arabs]] and, to a lesser extent, [[Persians]]. Primarily a Christian medium of expression, Syriac had a fundamental cultural and literary influence on the development of [[Arabic]] which replaced it towards the end of the eighth century. Syriac remains the [[liturgical language]] of [[Syriac Christianity]].

Syriac is a [[Middle Aramaic]] language, and as such a language of the [[West Semitic|Western branch]] of the [[Semitic languages|Semitic family]].

Syriac is written in the [[Syriac alphabet]], a derivation of the [[Aramaic alphabet]].

==Geographic distribution==
Syriac was originally a local Aramaic dialect in northern [[Mesopotamia]]. Before Arabic became the dominant language, Syriac was a major language among Christian communities in the [[Middle East]], [[Central Asia]] and [[Kerala]].

==History==
The history of Syriac can be divided into three distinct periods:
* Old Syriac (the language of the kingdom of [[Osroene]]),
* Middle Syriac ({{lang|syr|ܟܬܒܢܝܐ}} ''{{unicode|Kṯāḇānāyâ}}'': Literary Syriac), which divided into:
** Western Middle Syriac (the literary and ecclesiastical language of Syriac and Maronite Christians),
** Eastern Middle Syriac (the literary and ecclesiastical language of Chaldean and Assyrian Christians).

===Origins===
Syriac began as an unwritten spoken dialect of [[Old Aramaic]] in [[northern Mesopotamia]]. The first evidence we have of such dialects is their influence on the written Imperial Aramaic from the 5th century BC. After the conquest of Syria and Mesopotamia by [[Alexander the Great]], Syriac and other Aramaic dialects became written languages in a reaction to [[Hellenistic civilization|Hellenism]].{{Dubious|date=January 2009}}
Syriac orthography is drawn from [[Arsacid]] Aramaic.

In 132 BC, the kingdom of [[Osroene]] was founded in [[Edessa, Mesopotamia|Edessa]] with Syriac as its official language. Syriac-speakers still look to Edessa as the cradle of their language.{{Fact|date=January 2009}}
There are about eighty extant early Syriac inscriptions, dated to the first three centuries AD (the earliest example of Syriac, rather than Imperial Aramaic, is in an inscription dated to AD 6, and the earliest parchment is a deed of sale dated to AD 243). All of these early examples of the language are non-Christian. As an official language, Syriac was given a relatively coherent form, style and grammar that is lacking in other Old Eastern Aramaic dialects.

===Literary Syriac===
{{see|Syriac literature}}
[[Image:6thBeatitude.png|frame|The sixth [[Beatitudes|beatitude]] ([[Gospel of Matthew|Matthew]] 5:8) from an East Syriac Peshitta.<br>''{{unicode|Ṭûḇayhôn l'aylên daḏkên b-lebbhôn: d-hennôn neḥzôn l'allāhâ}}.''<br>'Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.']]
In the third century, churches in Edessa began to use Syriac as the language of worship. There is evidence that the adoption of Syriac, the language of the people, was to effect mission. Much literary effort was put into the production of an authoritative translation of the Bible into Syriac, the  [[Peshitta]] ({{lang|syr|ܦܫܝܛܬܐ}}  ''{{lang|syr-Latn|Pšîṭtâ}}'' or). At the same time, [[Ephrem the Syrian]] was producing the most treasured collection of poetry and theology in the Syriac language.

In 489, many Syriac-speaking Christians living in the Roman Empire fled to Persia to escape persecution and growing animosity with Greek-speaking Christians.{{Fact|date=January 2009}} The Christological differences with the [[Persia|Persian]] church led to the bitter [[Nestorian schism]] in the Syriac-speaking world. As a result, Syriac developed distinctive western and eastern varieties. Although remaining a single language with a high level of comprehension between the varieties, the two employ distinctive variations in pronunciation and writing system, and, to a lesser degree, in vocabulary.

Western Syriac{{Fact|date=January 2009}} is the official language of the [[West Syrian rite]], practiced by the [[Syriac Orthodox Church]], the [[Syrian Catholic Church]], the [[Maronite|Maronite Church]], the [[Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church]], the [[Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church]], the [[Mar Thoma Church]] and the [[Syro-Malankara Catholic Church]].

Eastern Syriac{{Fact|date=January 2009}} is the liturgical language of the [[East Syrian rite]], practiced by the [[Assyrian Church of the East]] (including the [[Chaldean Syrian Church]]), the [[Ancient Church of the East]], the [[Chaldean Catholic Church]], and the [[Syro-Malabar Church]].

{{listen|filename=aboun.ogg|title=''{{unicode|Abûn d-ḇašmayâ}}''|description= The [[Lord's Prayer]], ''{{unicode|Abûn d-ḇašmayâ}}'', sung in Syriac}}
Syriac literature is by far the most prodigious{{Clarify me|date=January 2009}} of the various [[Aramaic language]]s. Its corpus covers poetry, prose, theology, liturgy, hymnody, history, philosophy, science, medicine and natural history. Much of this wealth remains unavailable in critical editions or modern translation.

From the 7th century onwards, Syriac gave way to [[Arabic language|Arabic]] as the spoken language of the region. The [[Mongol]] invasions of the 13th century further contributed to the rapid decline of the language. In many places, even in liturgy, it was replaced by Arabic.

Revivals of Syriac in recent times have led to some success with the creation of newspapers in literary Syriac ({{lang|syr|ܟܬܒܢܝܐ}} ''Kthābānāyā''), and the translation of many Arabic and western books into Syriac.{{Fact|date=January 2009}}

Among the [[Syriac churches of Kerala]], [[Malayalam]] often replaces Syriac. Literary Syriac is often used as a spoken language by clerics who do not speak the vernacular dialects.

==Grammar==
Syriac words, as with those in other [[Semitic languages]], are built out of [[triliteral]] roots, permutations of three Syriac consonants. For example, the root ܫܩܠ, ''ŠQL'', has the basic meaning of ''taking'', and so we have the following words that can be formed from this root:
* ܫܩܠ — ''šqal'': "he has taken"
* ܢܫܩܘܠ — ''nešqûl'': "he takes"
* ܫܩܠ — ''šaqqel'': "he has lifted/raised"
* ܐܫܩܠ — ''ašqel'': "he has set out"
* ܫܩܠܐ — ''šqālâ'': "a taking, burden, recension, portion or syllable"
* ܫܩ̈ܠܐ — ''šeqlē'': "takings, profits, taxes"
* ܫܩܠܘܬܐ — ''{{unicode|šaqlûṯā}}'': "a beast of burden"
* ܫܘܩܠ — ''šûqālâ'': "arrogance"

===Nouns===
Most Syriac [[noun]]s are built from [[triliteral]] roots. Nouns carry [[grammatical gender]] (masculine or feminine), they can be either singular or plural in number (a very few can be dual) and can exist in one of three grammatical states. These states correspond, in part, to the role of [[grammatical case]]s in some other languages.
* The absolute state is the basic form of the noun — ܫܩܠܝ̈ܢ, ''šeqlîn'', "taxes".
* The emphatic state usually represents a definite noun — ܫܩ̈ܠܐ, ''šeqlē'', "the taxes".
* The construct state marks a noun in relationship to another noun — ̈ܫܩܠܝ, ''šeqlay'', "taxes of...".
However, very quickly in the development of Classical Syriac, the emphatic state became the ordinary form of the noun, and the absolute and construct states were relegated to certain stock phrases (for example, ܒܪ ܐܢܫܐ/ܒܪܢܫܐ, ''bar nāšâ'', "man", literally "son of man").

In Old and early Classical Syriac, most [[genitive case|genitive]] noun relationships are built using the construct state. Thus, ܫܩܠܝ̈ ܡܠܟܘܬܐ, ''{{unicode|šeqlay malkûṯâ}}'', means "the taxes of the kingdom". Quickly, the construct relationship was abandoned and replaced by the use of the relative particle ܕ, ''d-''. Thus, the same [[noun phrase]] becomes ܫܩ̈ܠܐ ܕܡܠܟܘܬܐ, ''{{unicode|šeqlē d-malkûṯâ}}'', where both nouns are in the emphatic state. Very closely related nouns can be drawn into a closer grammatical relationship by the addition of a pronominal suffix. Thus, the phrase can be written as ܫܩܠܝ̈ܗ ܕܡܠܟܘܬܐ, ''{{unicode|šeqlêh d-malkûṯâ}}''. In this case, both nouns continue to be in the emphatic state, but the first has the suffix that makes it literally read "her taxes" ("kingdom" is feminine), and thus is "her taxes, those of the kingdom".

[[Adjective]]s always agree in gender and number with the nouns they modify. Adjectives are in the absolute state if they are [[Predicative adjective|predicative]], but agree with the state of their noun if [[Attributive adjective|attributive]]. Thus, ܒܝܫܝ̈ܢ ܫܩ̈ܠܐ, ''bîšîn šeqlē'', means "the taxes are evil", whereas ܫܩ̈ܠܐ ܒܝ̈ܫܐ, ''{{unicode|šeqlē ḇîšē}}'', means "evil taxes".

===Verbs===
Most Syriac verbs are built on [[triliteral]] roots as well. Finite verbs carry [[grammatical person|person]], [[grammatical gender|gender]] (except in the first person) and number, as well as [[grammatical tense|tense]] and ''conjugation''. The non-finite verb forms are the [[infinitive]] and the [[active voice|active]] and [[passive voice|passive]] [[participle]]s.

Syriac has only two true [[morphology (linguistics)|morphological]] tenses: perfect and imperfect. Whereas these tenses were originally [[grammatical aspect|aspectual]] in [[Aramaic language|Aramaic]], they have become a truly temporal [[past tense|past]] and [[future tense|future]] tenses respectively. The [[present tense]] is usually marked with the [[participle]] followed by the [[subject (grammar)|subject]] [[pronoun]]. However, such pronouns are usually omitted in the case of the third person. This use of the participle to mark the present tense is the most common of a number of ''compound'' tenses that can be used to express varying senses of tense and aspect.

Syriac also employs verb ''conjugations'' such as are present in other [[Semitic languages]]. These are regular modifications of the verb's root to express other changes in meaning. The first conjugation is the ground state, or ''Pə`al'' (this name models the shape of the root). form of the verb, which carries the usual meaning of the word. The next is the intensive state, or ''Pa``el'', form of the verb, which usually carries an [[intensive|intensified]] meaning, The third is the extensive state, or ''{{unicode|Ap̄`el}}'', form of the verb, which is often [[causative]] in meaning. Each of these conjugations has its parallel [[passive voice|passive]] conjugation: the ''{{unicode|Eṯpə`el}}'', ''{{unicode|Eṯpa``al}}'' and ''{{unicode|Ettap̄`al}}'' respectively. To these six cardinal conjugations are added a few irregular forms, like the ''{{unicode|Šap̄`el}}'' and ''{{unicode|Eštap̄`al}}'', which generally have an extensive meaning.

==Phonology==
Phonologically, like the other Northwest Semitic languages, Syriac has 22 consonants and 3 vowels. The consonantal phonemes are:

{| border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;" style="text-align:center;" class="wikitable"
|-
|transliteration ||  ''{{lang|syc-Latn|[[Aleph (letter)|ʾ]]}}'' || ''{{lang|syc-Latn|[[Beth (letter)|b]]}}''||''{{lang|syc-Latn|[[Gimel (letter)|g]]}}''||''{{lang|syc-Latn|[[Daleth|d]]}}''||''{{lang|syc-Latn|[[He (letter)|h]]}}''||''{{lang|syc-Latn|[[Waw (letter)|w]]}}''||''{{lang|syc-Latn|[[Zayin|z]]}}''||''{{lang|syc-Latn|[[Heth (letter)|ḥ]]}}''||''{{lang|syc-Latn|[[Teth|ṭ]]}}''||''{{lang|syc-Latn|[[Yodh|y]]}}''||''{{lang|syc-Latn|[[Kaph|k]]}}'' || ''{{lang|syc-Latn|[[Lamedh|l]]}}''||''{{lang|syc-Latn|[[Mem|m]]}}''||''{{lang|syc-Latn|[[Nun (letter)|n]]}}''||''{{lang|syc-Latn|[[Samekh|s]]}}''||''{{lang|syc-Latn|[[Ayin|ʿ]]}}''||''{{lang|syc-Latn|[[Pe (letter)|p]]}}''||''{{lang|syc-Latn|[[Tsade|ṣ]]}}''||''{{lang|syc-Latn|[[Qoph|q]]}}''||''{{lang|syc-Latn|[[Resh|r]]}}''||''{{lang|syc-Latn|[[Shin (letter)|š]]}}''||''{{lang|syc-Latn|[[Taw (letter)|t]]}}''
|-
|letter
|style="font-size:150%" height=40 valign=top| {{lang|syc|'''ܐ'''}}
|style="font-size:150%" height=40 valign=top| {{lang|syc|'''ܒ'''}}
|style="font-size:150%" height=40 valign=top| {{lang|syc|'''ܓ'''}}
|style="font-size:150%" height=40 valign=top| {{lang|syc|'''ܕ'''}}
|style="font-size:150%" height=40 valign=top| {{lang|syc|'''ܗ'''}}
|style="font-size:150%" height=40 valign=top| {{lang|syc|'''ܘ'''}}
|style="font-size:150%" height=40 valign=top| {{lang|syc|'''ܙ'''}}
|style="font-size:150%" height=40 valign=top| {{lang|syc|'''ܚ'''}}
|style="font-size:150%" height=40 valign=top| {{lang|syc|'''ܛ'''}}
|style="font-size:150%" height=40 valign=top| {{lang|syc|'''ܝ'''}}
|style="font-size:150%" height=40 valign=top| {{lang|syc|'''ܟ'''}}
|style="font-size:150%" height=40 valign=top| {{lang|syc|'''ܠ'''}}
|style="font-size:150%" height=40 valign=top| {{lang|syc|'''ܡ'''}}
|style="font-size:150%" height=40 valign=top| {{lang|syc|'''ܢ'''}}
|style="font-size:150%" height=40 valign=top| {{lang|syc|'''ܣ'''}}
|style="font-size:150%" height=40 valign=top| {{lang|syc|'''ܥ'''}}
|style="font-size:150%" height=40 valign=top| {{lang|syc|'''ܦ'''}}
|style="font-size:150%" height=40 valign=top| {{lang|syc|'''ܨ'''}}
|style="font-size:150%" height=40 valign=top| {{lang|syc|'''ܩ'''}}
|style="font-size:150%" height=40 valign=top| {{lang|syc|'''ܪ'''}}
|style="font-size:150%" height=40 valign=top| {{lang|syc|'''ܫ'''}}
|style="font-size:150%" height=40 valign=top| {{lang|syc|'''ܬ'''}}
|-
|pronunciation
|{{IPA|[ʔ]}}
|{{IPA|[b], [v]}}
|{{IPA|[g], [ɣ]}}
|{{IPA|[d], [ð]}}
|{{IPA|[h]}}
|{{IPA|[w]}}
|{{IPA|[z]}}
|{{IPA|[ħ]}}
|{{IPA|[tˁ]}}
|{{IPA|[j]}}
|{{IPA|[k], [x]}}
|{{IPA|[l]}}
|{{IPA|[m]}}
|{{IPA|[n]}}
|{{IPA|[s]}}
|{{IPA|[ʕ]}}
|{{IPA|[p], [f]}}
|{{IPA|[sˁ]}}
|{{IPA|[q]}}
|{{IPA|[r]}}
|{{IPA|[ʃ]}}
|{{IPA|[t], [θ]}}
|}

{{Unreferenced section|date=January 2009}}
Phonetically, there is some variation in the pronunciation of Syriac in its various forms. The various Modern Eastern Aramaic vernaculars have quite different pronunciations, and these sometimes influence how the classical language is pronounced, for example, in public prayer. Classical Syriac has two major streams of pronunciation: western and eastern.

===Consonants===
Syriac shares with [[Aramaic language|Aramaic]] a set of lightly contrasted [[stop consonant|plosive]]/[[fricative consonant|fricative]] pairs. In different variations of a certain lexical root, a root consonant might exist in plosive form in one variation and fricative form in another. In the [[Syriac alphabet]], a single letter is used for each pair. Sometimes a dot is placed above the letter (''{{unicode|qûššāyâ}}'', or ''strengthening''; equivalent to a [[dagesh]] in [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]]) to mark that the plosive pronunciation is required, and a dot is placed below the letter (''{{unicode|rûkkāḵâ}}'', or ''softening'') to mark that the fricative pronunciation is required. The pairs are:
* [[voiced consonant|Voiced]] [[labial consonant|labial]] pair — {{IPA|/b/}} and {{IPA|/v/}}
* [[voiced consonant|Voiced]] [[velar consonant|velar]] pair — {{IPA|/ɡ/}} and {{IPA|/ɣ/}}
* [[voiced consonant|Voiced]] [[dental consonant|dental]] pair — {{IPA|/d/}} and {{IPA|/ð/}}
* [[voiceless consonant|Voiceless]] [[velar consonant|velar]] pair — {{IPA|/k/}} and {{IPA|/x/}}
* [[voiceless consonant|Voiceless]] [[labial consonant|labial]] pair — {{IPA|/p/}} and {{IPA|/f/}}
* [[voiceless consonant|Voiceless]] [[dental consonant|dental]] pair — {{IPA|/t/}} and {{IPA|/θ/}}

As with other [[Semitic languages]], Syriac has a set of five ''[[emphatic consonant]]s''. These are consonants that are articulated or released in the [[pharynx]] or slightly higher. The set consists of:
* [[Voiceless pharyngeal fricative]] — {{IPA|/ħ/}}
* [[Pharyngealisation|Pharyngelized]] [[voiceless dental plosive]] — {{IPA|/tˁ/}}
* [[Voiced pharyngeal fricative]] — {{IPA|/ʕ/}}
* [[Pharyngealisation|Pharyngealized]] [[voiceless alveolar fricative]] — {{IPA|/sˁ/}}
* [[Voiceless uvular plosive]] — {{IPA|/q/}}

Syriac also has a rich array of [[sibilant consonant]]s:
* [[Voiced alveolar fricative]] — {{IPA|/z/}}
* [[Voiceless alveolar fricative]] — {{IPA|/s/}}
* [[Pharyngealisation|Pharyngealized]] [[voiceless alveolar fricative]] — {{IPA|/sˁ/}}
* [[Voiceless postalveolar fricative]] — {{IPA|/ʃ/}}

{| align="center" border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 103%; text-align: center;"
|+ Table of Syriac consonants
|- style="vertical-align: center; font-size: small; height: 2em"
| colspan="2" style="font-size: x-small;" | [[Place of articulation]] →
! colspan=2 | [[Labial consonant|Labial]]
! colspan=4 | [[Coronal consonant|Coronal]]
! colspan=3 | [[Dorsal consonant|Dorsal]]
! [[Radical consonant|Radical]]
! [[Glottal consonant|(none)]]
|- style="vertical-align: center; font-size: small; height: 3em"
| colspan="2" style="font-size: x-small;" | [[Manner of articulation]] ↓
! style="width: 4em;" | [[Bilabial consonant|Bi&shy;labial]]
! style="width: 4em;" | [[Labiodental consonant|Labio-<br>dental]]
! style="width: 4em;" | [[Dental consonant|Den&shy;tal]]
! style="width: 4em;" | [[Alveolar consonant|Alveo&shy;lar]]
! style="width: 4em;" | [[Postalveolar consonant|Post-<br>alveolar]]
! style="width: 4em;" | [[Pharyngealisation|Pharyn-<br>gealized<br>coronal]]
! style="width: 4em;" | [[Palatal consonant|Pala&shy;tal]]
! style="width: 4em;" | [[Velar consonant|Ve&shy;lar]]
! style="width: 4em;" | [[Uvular consonant|Uvu&shy;lar]]
! style="width: 4em;" | [[Pharyngeal consonant|Pharyn-<br>geal]]
! style="width: 4em;" | [[Glottal consonant|Glot&shy;tal]]
|-
! style="font-size: 100%; text-align:left" rowspan="2" | [[Plosive consonant|Plosive]]
! <small>[[Voiced consonant|voiced]]</small>
| {{IPA|b}}
|
| {{IPA|d}}
| colspan="2" |
|
|
| {{IPA|ɡ}}
|
| style="background:#ccc" | &nbsp;
|
|-
! <small>[[Voiceless consonant|voiceless]]</small>
| {{IPA|p}}
|
| {{IPA|t}}
| colspan="2" |
| {{IPA|tˁ}}
|
| {{IPA|k}}
| {{IPA|q}}
| style="background:#ccc" | &nbsp;
| {{IPA|ʔ}}&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
|-
! colspan="2" style="font-size: 100%; text-align:center" | [[Nasal consonant|Nasal]]
| {{IPA|m}}
|
|
| {{IPA|n}}
|
|
|
|
| colspan="3" style="background:#ccc" | &nbsp;
|-
! colspan="2" style="font-size: 100%; text-align:center" | [[Trill consonant|Trill]]
|
|
| colspan="3" | {{IPA|r}}
|
|
| style="background:#ccc" |
|
| style="background:#ccc" | &nbsp;
| style="background:#ccc" | &nbsp;
|-
! rowspan="2" style="font-size: 100%; text-align:left" | [[Fricative consonant|Fricative]]
! <small>[[Voiced consonant|voiced]]</small>
|
| {{IPA|v}}
| {{IPA|ð}}
| {{IPA|z}}
|
|
|
| {{IPA|ɣ}}
|
| {{IPA|ʕ}}
|
|-
! <small>[[Voiceless consonant|voiceless]]</small>
|
| {{IPA|f}}
| {{IPA|θ}}
| {{IPA|s}}
| {{IPA|ʃ}}
| {{IPA|sˁ}}
|
| {{IPA|x}}
|
| {{IPA|ħ}}
| {{IPA|h}}
|-
! colspan="2" style="font-size: 100%; text-align:center" | [[Approximant consonant|Approximant]]
|
|
| colspan="4" | {{IPA|l}}
| {{IPA|j}}
| {{IPA|w}}
|
| {{IPA|(ʕ)}}
| style="background:#ccc" |
|}

===Vowels===
As with most [[Semitic languages]], the vowels of Syriac are mostly subordinated to consonants. Especially in the presence of an [[emphatic consonant]], vowels tend to become mid-centralised.

Classical Syriac had the following set of distinguishable vowels:
* [[Close front unrounded vowel]] — {{IPA|/i/}}
* [[Close-mid front unrounded vowel]] — {{IPA|/e/}}
* [[Open-mid front unrounded vowel]] — {{IPA|/ɛ/}}
* [[Open front unrounded vowel]] — {{IPA|/a/}}
* [[Open back unrounded vowel]] — {{IPA|/ɑ/}}
* [[Close-mid back rounded vowel]] — {{IPA|/o/}}
* [[Close back rounded vowel]] — {{IPA|/u/}}

In the western dialect, {{IPA|/ɑ/}} has become {{IPA|/o/}}, and the original {{IPA|/o/}} has merged with {{IPA|/u/}}. In eastern dialects there is more fluidity in the pronunciation of [[front vowel]]s, with some speakers distinguishing five qualities of such vowels, and others only distinguishing three. Vowel length is generally not important: [[close vowel]]s tend to be longer than [[open vowel]]s.

The [[open vowel]]s form [[diphthong]]s with the [[approximant consonant|approximants]] {{IPA|/j/}} and {{IPA|/w/}}. In almost all dialects the full sets of possible diphthongs collapses into two or three actual pronunciations:
* {{IPA|/aj/}} sometimes [[monophthong]]ized to {{IPA|/e/}}
* {{IPA|/aw/}} usually becomes {{IPA|/ɑw/}}
* {{IPA|/ɑj/}} usually becomes {{IPA|/aj/}}, but the western dialect has {{IPA|/oj/}}
* {{IPA|/ɑw/}} sometimes [[monophthong]]ized to {{IPA|/o/}}

==References==
*Journal of Sacred Literature, New Series [Series 4] vol. 2 (1863) pp. 75-87, [http://www.tertullian.org/rpearse/oriental/jsl_syriac_intro.htm ''The Syriac Language and Literature'']
*Beyer, Klaus (1986). ''The Aramaic language: its distribution and subdivisions''. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck und Ruprecht. ISBN 3-525-53573-2.
*[[Sebastian Brock|Brock, Sebastian]] (2006). ''An Introduction to Syriac Studies''. Piscataway, NJ: Gorgias Press. ISBN 1-59333-349-8.
*[[Carl Brockelmann|Brockelmann, Carl]] (1895). ''Lexicon Syriacum''. Berlin: Reuther & Reichard; Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark.
*Healey, John F (1980). ''First studies in Syriac''. University of Birmingham/Sheffield Academic Press. ISBN 0-7044-0390-0.
*Maclean, Arthur John (2003). ''Grammar of the dialects of vernacular Syriac: as spoken by the Eastern Syrians of Kurdistan, north-west Persia, and the Plain of Mosul: with notices of the vernacular of the Jews of Azerbaijan and of Zakhu near Mosul''. Gorgias Press. ISBN 1-59333-018-9.
*[[Theodor Nöldeke|Nöldeke, Theodor]] and Julius Euting (1880) ''Kurzgefasste syrische Grammatik''. Leipzig: T.O. Weigel. [translated to English as ''Compendious Syriac Grammar'', by James A. Crichton. London: Williams & Norgate 1904. 2003 edition: ISBN 1-57506-050-7].
*Payne Smith, Jessie (Ed.) (1903). ''A compendious Syriac dictionary founded upon the Thesaurus Syriacus of [[Robert Payne Smith]]''. Oxford University Press, reprinted in 1998 by Eisenbraums. ISBN 1-57506-032-9.
*Robinson, Theodore Henry (1915). ''Paradigms and exercises in Syriac grammar''. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-926129-6.

==Footnotes==
{{reflist}}

==See also==
{{InterWiki|code=arc}}
*[[Syriac alphabet]]
*[[Syriac literature]]
*[[Peshitta]]
*[[Ephrem the Syrian]]
*[[Assyrian/Chaldean/Syriac people]]
*[[Syriac music]]
*[[Corpus Scriptorum Christianorum Orientalium]]

==External links==
{{Commonscat|Syriac}}
*[http://www.wikisyr.com/pmwiki.php?n=Menu.Langues Langues araméennes on wikisyr.com]
*[http://www.bethmardutho.org/ Beth Mardutho — The Syriac Institute]

*[http://syrcom.cua.edu/hugoye/ Hugoye: Journal of Syriac Studies]
*[http://www.tyndale.cam.ac.uk/TABS/PayneSmith/ Payne Smith's Compendious Syriac Dictionary]
*[http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=syc Ethnologue report on Syriac]
*[http://www.assyrianlanguage.com/ Learn Assyrian Aramaic] — an introduction to the Syriac language in its eastern version
*[http://www.suryoyo-online.org/ Suryoyo Online — Online Journal of Syrian Orthodox Church, Syriac Studies and Aramaeans]
*[http://www.beith-morounoye.org/syriac/index1.html Introduction To The Syriac-Aramaic Language] — an introduction and resources from a popular Maronite website
*[http://www.premiumwanadoo.com/cuneiform.languages/syriac/ Syriac-English-French Online Dictionary] — poor general coverage


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{{Syriac Christianity}}
[[Category:Aramaic languages]]
[[Category:Classical languages|Syriac]]