Jewish Neo-Aramaic dialect of Betanure

(Redirected from Betanure Jewish Neo-Aramaic)

Betanure Jewish Neo-Aramaic, the local language variety of Betanure in Iraqi Kurdistan, is among the rarest and most seriously endangered varieties of Aramaic spoken at the present time.[1] It is also one of the most conservative of both Jewish Neo-Aramaic languages and the Northeastern Neo-Aramaic languages in particular.[1]

Betanure Jewish Neo-Aramaic
lišānā deni / lišā́n huðāye / huðəθ~huðəθkí / amrāni~amrāní
RegionBetanure[1]
Native speakers
at most 3 dozen (2008)[1]
Language codes
ISO 639-3
Glottologbeta1257

History

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In the 1940s, Betanure Jewish Neo-Aramaic was spoken by seventeen large families in the Jewish village of Betanure.[1] The community migrated in its entirety to Israel in 1951.[1] Ever since the dialect has been facing erosion from Israeli Hebrew and from other Neo-Aramaic varieties spoken in Israel.[1]

Phonology

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Consonants
Labial Dental/Alveolar Postalveolar/Palatal Velar Uvular Pharyngeal Glottal
Plosive/Affricate p (ṗ) b (ḅ) t ṭ d (ḍ) č č̣ j k g q ʼ
Fricative f (v) θ ð (ð̣) s ṣ z (ẓ) š ṣ̌ ž (ẓ̌) x ɣ ḥ ʻ h
Nasal m ṃ n
Liquid w n l ḷ r ṛ y

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g Mutzafi (2008:xii–xiii)

Bibliography

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  • Mutzafi, Hezy (2008). The Jewish Neo-Aramaic Dialect of Betanure (PDF). Otto Harrassowitz Verlag. ISBN 978-3-447-05710-3.