Syriac

English

The sixth beatitude (Matthew 5:8) from an East Syriac Peshitta Bible.
Tuvayhon l'aylên dadkên blebhon: dhenon nehzon l'alâhâ.
'Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.'

Etymology

From Latin Syriacus (“Syrian”), from Ancient Greek Συριακός (Suriakós, “Syrian”, adjective), from Συρία (Suría) [the Greek name for Aram, and probably based on the name Ἀσσυρία (Assuría, “Assyria”)] +‎ -ακός (-akós).

Pronunciation

• enPR: sĭrʹē-ăk', IPA^(key): /ˈsɪɹiˌæk/, (chiefly US) IPA^(key): /sɪraɪək/ (Can we verify⁽⁺⁾ this pronunciation?)

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: Syr‧i‧ac
• Rhymes: -ɪɹiæk

Proper noun

Syriac (plural Syriacs)

1. An Aramaic language, part of the Semitic language family, specifically:
   1. The language of the kingdom of Osroene.
   2. The liturgical language of various churches with roots in the Middle East.

Derived terms

• Palestinian Syriac

Translations

language

• Afrikaans: Siries
• Arabic: السُّرْيَانِيَّة f (as-suryāniyya), اللُّغَة السُّرْيَانِيَّة f (al-luḡa s-suryāniyya), سُرْيَانِيّ m (suryāniyy) (colloquial)
• Aramaic:

  Classical Syriac: ܣܘܪܝܝܐ, ܣܘܪܝܐ, ܣܘܪܐܝܬ

• Armenian: ասորերեն (hy) (asoreren)
• Azerbaijani: süryani dili
• Bulgarian: древносирийски (drevnosirijski)
• Catalan: siríac (ca) m
• Cherokee: ᏏᎵᎠᎩ (siliagi)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: please add this translation if you can

• Czech: syrština f
• Farefare: sirire
• Finnish: syyria (fi)
• French: syriaque (fr) m or f
• German: Syrisch (de) n
• Greek: συριακά (el) n pl (syriaká)
• Hebrew: סורית (he) (surit)
• Hindi: सीरियाई (sīriyāī)
• Hungarian: szír (hu)
• Italian: siriaco m
• Kurdish:

  Northern Kurdish: siryanî (ku) f

• Malay: bahasa Suryani
• Persian: زبان سریانی (zabân-e soryâni)
• Polish: syryjski (pl) m
• Portuguese: siríaco (pt) m
• Romanian: siriacă f
• Russian: сири́йский (ru) m (siríjskij)
• Spanish: siriaco m
• Swedish: syriska (sv) c
• Tajik: забони сурёнӣ (zabon-i suryoni)
• Turkish: Süryanice (tr)
• Uzbek: suryoniy tili

See also

• Wiktionary’s coverage of Classical Syriac terms

Further reading

• ISO 639-3 code syr (SIL)
• Ethnologue entry for Syriac, syr ⁠, a macrolanguage including:

• Ethnologue entry for Classical Syriac, syc ⁠
• Ethnologue entry for Assyrian Neo-Aramaic, aii ⁠
• Ethnologue entry for Bohtan Neo-Aramaic, bhn ⁠
• Ethnologue entry for Chaldean Neo-Aramaic, cld ⁠
• Ethnologue entry for Mlahsö, lhs ⁠
• Ethnologue entry for Koy Sanjaq Surat, kqd ⁠
• Ethnologue entry for Senaya, syn ⁠
• Ethnologue entry for Turoyo, tru ⁠

Noun

Syriac (plural Syriacs)

1. A speaker of the Syriac language (see above).
2. A member of any of the Syriac churches, but especially the Syriac Orthodox Church and Syriac Catholic Church.

Translations

Syriac speaker

• Arabic: سُرْيَانِيّ m (suryāniyy), سُرْيَانِيَّة (ar) f (suryāniyya), سُرْيَان (suryān) (collective)
• Armenian: ասորի (asori)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: please add this translation if you can

• Finnish: assyrialainen (fi)
• Portuguese: siríaco (pt) m
• Swedish: assyrier (sv) c

Syriac Orthodox Church member

• Arabic: please add this translation if you can
• Armenian: ասորի (asori)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: please add this translation if you can

• Finnish: assyrialaiskristitty
• Portuguese: siríaco (pt) m
• Swedish: syrian (sv)

Adjective

Syriac (not comparable)

1. Of, pertaining to, or being the Syriac language, its speakers, or their culture.

Derived terms

• Syriac Catholic
• Syriac Orthodox

Translations

Translations

• French: syriaque (fr)

Related terms

• Assyria
• Assyriac
• Assyrian
• Syria
• Syrian

See also

• Aramaic
• Aramean

Anagrams

• acrisy