Dictionary of Western Neo-Aramaic

• Applicant: Professor Werner Arnold, Ph.D.
• Subject Area: General and Comparative Linguistics, Experimental Linguistics, Typology, Non-European Languages ; Islamic Studies, Arabian Studies, Semitic Studies
• Term: from 2019 to 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 426492122

The dictionary of Western Neo-Aramaic includes the entire vocabulary of my four volumes of published texts from the three Western Neo-Aramaic speaking Syrian villages, Ma ‘lula, Bax’a und Gubb‘ adin, which is supplemented by the vocabulary of the less extensive older texts collected by Bergsträsser, correll, cantarino and Parisot.The civil war in Syria led to the occupation of two of the Aramaic villages by rebels and the expulsion of their inhabitants. The inhabitants have partly returned to one village, today the other one is still uninhabited. A dictionary that includes all three dialects can therefore no longer be compiled in the future. Against this background, the work presented here is of unique importance.Western Neo-Aramaaic in Syria is the only surviving variety of Western Aramaic. The presented dictionary is therefore of extraordinary importance for the understanding of the older West Aramean dialects, Jewish-Palestinian, Christian-Palestinian and Samaritan Aramaic. With its numerous etymological annotations, however, it will also be an important tool for comparative Aramaic and Semitic studies.

• DFG Programme: Publication Grants