O.T and N.T. Aramaic

[SteveCaruso]

I knew that must've been something you constructed from scratch. I've never read or heard conversational Aramaic of any variety quite that way.

I'm a way, you've accomplished what the authors of things like the Zohar did. A purely literary tongue in a way.

Here's the funny thing, though: It *is* conversational Western Aramaic. It really has quite a different "feel" (grammatically and otherwise) compared to other classical dialects. It's also the reason why Galileans were treated with contempt over their "sloppy" language in Talmud Bavli and why Galilean manuscripts were "corrected" by scribes entrusted with their preservation who were familiar with Eastern Aramaic dialects. I've been told by more than one person that examples I've given "aren't Aramaic" at all, but when I've referred them to conversational examples from, say, Talmud Yerushalemi (or that it *was* a direct quote from Talmud Yerushalemi as one case was) there has been quite a bit of surprise.

My Aramaic challenge above is constructed by myself as well. But you would find it readily in one particular dialect, with two idioms unique to it. Dictionaries of any kind will not help.

+Shamasha

Once I'm back in my office and have time to sit down and give it a proper look, I'm going to have at it. Today is proving far busier than I thought. :-)

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