Jewish Babylonian Aramaic
Middle Aramaic language once used by Jewish writers in Lower Mesopotamia
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Classification and type
The language was closely related to Eastern Aramaic varieties such as Mandaic. Its original pronunciation is uncertain and has to be reconstructed with the help of these kindred dialects and the reading tradition of the Yemenite Jews, and where available those of the Iraqi, Syrian and Egyptian Jews. The value of the Yemenite reading tradition has been challenged by Matthew Morgenstern. Vocalized Aramaic texts with which Jews are familiar, from the Tanakh and the siddurim, are of limited usefulness for this purpose, as they are in different dialects.
Talmudic Aramaic bears all the marks of being a specialist language of study and legal argumentation like Law French rather than a vernacular mother tongue, and continued in use for these purposes long after Judeo-Arabic languages had become used in daily life. It has developed a battery of technical logic terms such as tiyuvta "conclusive refutation" and tiqu "undecidable moot point", which are still used in Jewish legal writings, including those in other languages, and have influenced modern Hebrew.
Like the other Judeo-Aramaic languages, it was written in the Hebrew alphabet.
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Grammar
Pronouns
Independent nominative pronouns
Copulative pronouns
Genitive pronominal suffixes
Demonstrative pronoun
Accusative pronominal suffixes
Six major verbal patterns
There are six major verb stems or verbal patterns (binyanim) in Jewish Babylonian Aramaic. The form pe‘al (פְּעַל) “to do”, the form Aph'el (אַפְעֵל) “let do”, and the form Pa'el (פַּעֵל) “like to do”, are all in the active voice. But the form Itpe'el (אִתְפְּעֵל), the form Itaph'al (אִתַפְעַל) and the form Itpa'al (אִתְפַּעַל) are essentially reflexive and usually function in a passive sense.
Verbal pattern (binyan): pe‘al (פְּעַל) Basic Verb – Active
- past tense
- Participle
The Aramaic verb has two participles: an active participle with suffix and a passive participle with suffix:
- active participles with suffix
- passive participle with suffix
- infinitive /gerund
- Future tense
Verbal pattern (binyan): Itpe'el (אִתְפְּעֵל) Basic Verb – Passive
- past tense
- future tense
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Verbal pattern (binyan): pa‘el (פַּעֵל) Frequentative – Active
The verbal pattern (binyan) pa‘el are frequentative verbs showing repeated or intense action.
The verbal pattern pa'el is Active Frequentative.
- past tense
- future tense
Verbal pattern (binyan): Itpa'al (אִתְפַּעַל) Frequentative – Passive
The verbal pattern itpa'al is Passive Frequentative.
Verbal pattern (binyan): aph‘el (אַפְעֵל) Causative – Active
The verbal pattern aphel is Active Causative.
- past tense
- Participle
- Future tense
Verbal pattern (binyan): itaphal (אִתַּפְעַל) Causative – Passive voice
The verbal pattern itaphal is Passive Causative.
Noun: singular/plural
List of verbs
Idiom
Modern study
The language has received considerable scholarly attention, as shown in the bibliography below. However, the majority of those who are familiar with it, namely Orthodox Jewish students of Talmud, are given no systematic instruction in the language, and are expected to "sink or swim" in the course of their Talmudic studies, with the help of some informal pointers showing similarities and differences with Hebrew.