Between Late Aramaic and Neo-Aramaic:  Reflections on Some Phenomena in Aramaic of Late Antiquity

MORIGGI, Marco

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Document Details :

Title: Between Late Aramaic and Neo-Aramaic
Subtitle: Reflections on Some Phenomena in Aramaic of Late Antiquity
Author(s): MORIGGI, Marco
Journal: ARAM Periodical
Volume: 24 Date: 2012
Pages: 87-102
DOI: 10.2143/ARAM.24.0.3009254

Abstract :
The analysis of the texts written on incantation bowls has proved to be a very useful tool for Aramaic linguistics. This is particularly the case for Syriac incantation bowls, written both in the Estrangelo and in the pre- (or proto-) Manichaean scripts. The language of Syriac incantation bowls has traits that diverge from what is considered to be the standard grammar of Classical Syriac. Such traits include: a peculiar use of mater lectionis = /a/, /e/ in certain contexts, the frequent use of nomina actionis of the pattern x₁x₂āx₃tā, a strong preponderance of suffix pronouns of Classical Syriac set A (in Classical Syriac to be joined to singular substantives, feminine plural substantives and a group of prepositions), used even in places where Classical Syriac would use set B (masculine plural substantives and another group of prepositions), and others. All these non-Classical traits are a sort of trait d’union linking the language of Syriac incantation bowls to other non-literary Aramaic varieties of Sasanian Babylonia (the so-called Jewish Babylonian Aramaic and Mandaic of incantation bowls). Furthermore, the same peculiarities point to linguistic developments that can be fully understood in the light of North-Eastern Neo-Aramaic evidence.