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Glite Dictionary
Biblical Aramaic

Biblical Aramaic

9.9
A form of Aramaic used in parts of the Hebrew Bible and spoken in ancient Palestine
  • noun
  • /ˈbɪblɪkəl ˌɑːrəˈmeɪɪk/
  • Specialized
translation icon : aramayo bíblico
  • Parts of the books of Daniel and Ezra are written in Biblical Aramaic.

Examples

  • The Old Testament contains sections written in Biblical Aramaic.

  • Many scholars study Biblical Aramaic to better understand ancient religious texts.

  • He took a specialized course in Biblical Aramaic during his theology studies.

  • Many scholars study Biblical Aramaic to understand ancient texts.

  • He took a specialized course in Biblical Aramaic during his theology studies.

  • Many scholars study Biblical Aramaic to better understand ancient religious texts.

  • Parts of the books of Daniel and Ezra are written in Biblical Aramaic.

Synonyms

Aramaic
vsBiblical Aramaic
8 9.4

A language from southwestern Asia first spoken by the ancient Arameans and still used by some people

is the specific biblical-era form used in parts of the Hebrew scriptures
Aramaic language
vsBiblical Aramaic
9.2

A language from the Middle East once spoken by ancient Arameans and still used by some people

is the historical form used in scriptures and ancient Palestine around that time

Surface Forms

Biblical Aramaic singular
Biblical Aramaics plural

Morphology

biblical + Aramaic

The phrase combines 'biblical' (connected to the Bible) with 'Aramaic' (a Semitic language), so a learner who knows both words will understand it refers to the variety of Aramaic associated with the Bible. This adjectival composition is cross-linguistically regular and therefore immediately comprehensible to a B1 learner, even if precise historical nuances require extra background knowledge.

Etymology

The name Biblical Aramaic links the word Biblical, meaning from the 'Hebrew Bible', with Aramaic, the everyday language people spoke in ancient Palestine. Because parts of books like Daniel and Ezra are written in this Aramaic, the phrase means the form of Aramaic found in the 'Hebrew Bible'.