Jewish Babylonian Aramaic (Aramaic: ארמית Ārāmît) was the form of Middle Aramaic employed by writers in Lower Mesopotamia between the fourth and eleventh centuries. It is most commonly identified with the language of the Babylonian Talmud (which was completed in the seventh century), the Targum Onqelos, and of post-Talmudic (Gaonic) literature, which are the most important cultural products of Babylonian Jews. The most important epigraphic sources for the dialect are the hundreds of inscriptions on incantation bowls.

Classification and type

The language was closely related to other Eastern Aramaic dialects such as Mandaic. Its original pronunciation is uncertain, and has to be reconstructed with the help of these kindred dialects and of 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. (The vocalized Aramaic texts with which Jews are familiar, from the Bible and the prayer book, 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 had become the languages of daily life. It has developed a battery of technical logical 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.

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

The Aramaic verb has two participles: an active participle with suffix and a passive participle with suffix:

Verbal pattern (binyan): Itpe'el (אִתְפְּעֵל) Basic Verb – Passive

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.

Verbal pattern (binyan): Itpa'al (אִתְפַּעַל) Frequentative – Passive

The verbal pattern itpa'al is Passive Frequentative.

Verbal pattern (binyan): aph‘el () Causative – Active

The verbal pattern aphel is Active Causative.

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.