Aramaic
/ˌarəˈmeɪɪk
/noun [mass noun]
A branch of the Semitic family of languages, especially the language of Syria used as a lingua franca in the Near East from the 6th century bc. It replaced Hebrew locally as the language of the Jews, and though displaced by Arabic in the 7th century ad, it still has about 200,000 speakers in scattered communities.Arabic displaced Coptic and Aramaic in the Near East as people converted to Islam, from the seventh century through the medieval period....
- Arabic is a Semitic language related to Hebrew and Aramaic.
- As the Arab Empire grew, Arabic replaced the Aramaic, Coptic, Greek, and Latin languages and became the main instrument of Arab culture.
adjective
Relating to Aramaic.The choice of Latin and Aramaic languages with subtitles does add an air of believability to the period setting....
- Maranatha, mentioned in some books in the Bible, is a word in the Aramaic language which means ‘Come, o Lord!’
- The Archbishop of Aleppo, Ignacio Zeade, who represented the Maronite rite, celebrated mass using the Aramaic language.
Origin
Mid 19th century: from Greek Aramaios 'of Aram' (the biblical name of Syria) + -ic.