C. ClirexloniathieK. — Cherbonnean, Exerr.ixeii jmur la Lecture de Manwicrita Arabea, etc. (Paris, 1853) ; id. Leiwui
de Lecture Arabe, etc. (ibid. 1804); Combarel, Cahiers d'Ecritures Arabes, etc. (ibid. IStO).
2. The Syro-Ckaldee.— That the Arabic in the South was not the most developed of all the Shemitic lan- guages we see in the Aramaic language (q. v.). Here, also, we cannot enter upon a minute history of that lan- guage, for which the reader is referred to the article in this Cychpadia. Our remarks can only be of a general character.
The countries in the north of Palestine stretching from the Tigris to the Taurus are comprehended in Scripture under the name of .4 rum, or Hii/hland. Their inhabitants, the 'Apajialoi and"AptjUoi of the ancients (Hom. 11. ii, 783), were of different nations (even in Scripture they are distinguished as Aram - Damascus, pr'2'1 C^X; Padan-Aram, C^X "'IS; Aram-Zobah, n21i£ C^X, etc.), and they passed historically through the most diversified relations. The common language of these people, in respect of its general character, as it is of all the Shemitic dialects the most northerly, so also is it the harshest (in place of the softer labials T, C, and 1£, it has 1, r, and D, i. e. the d and t sounds); the poor- est (it wants a complete vowel-system, hence as verbal form 3ri3 [Heb. 3n3], noun-form "^^ [Heb. ~^p]); it has corresponding with this a scanty conjugation system; it possesses no vestige of the conjugation Ni- phal, but forms all its passives by the prefix PX ; it does not carefully distinguish the formation of the weaker roots, but interchanges the verbs and nouns, X? and nb, IS and '^E, etc., and in general the least cullivated.
In the Old Test, we find this dialect denominated, in opposition to the Palestinian, the Aramaic language (ni^aiX, Isa. xxxvi, 11; 2 Kings xviii, 26). In the time of Isaiah, as appears from the passage just cited, educated Hebrews could speak Aramaic, and, conversely, educated Aram;eans could speak Hebrew (Isa. xxxvi, 4 sq.) ; while the common people understood only their vernacular dialect. The subsequent transportation of the .Jewish people into Babylon contributed to silence more entirely the ancient vernacular in .Jud:ea, and to render the triumph of the Aramiean in tliose parts more general. Finally, during the long exile of the .Jews in Babylon, the language of their fatherland appears to have been altogether laid aside, so that those who at the termination of the captivity returned into Palestine brought with them the dialect of Babylon as their cus- tomary medium of speech. Among the priesthood and learned men, the Hebrew had, indeed, Ijeen retained as the language of literature and religion ; but so fully had it pas.sed from the populace in general that we find them, on the reinstitution of public worship at Jerusa- lem, incapable of understanding the holy writings ex- cept as ])araphrased in Aramaic (Neh. viii, 8).
This was the tongue which, with a slight intermixt- ure of Persic and (ireek (in conse(piencc of the tein]io- rary dominion of the Persians and Macedonians in Pal- estine), had prevailed from the period of the return from Babylon, and was still maintained in po])ular ii.se at the opening of the Christian dispensation under the name (t1 1'ltleslinian Aramaic, or Palestinian Syriac.
This Palestinian Syriac is a language, therifore, pre- enHiicnlly interesting to the Clirislian. " It was sanc- tilied l)y the lips of the Divine h'edeemer. In lliese forms of s]ieech he conversed with tlie Virgin-mother, instructed his disciples, and proclaimed to myriads the promises of eternal life. In them he gave forth those sovereign mandates which controlled the tempestuous element.s, dispossessed the da-moniac. brought health to the diseased, and a resurrection-life to the dead. In tliis very tongue we liave still the words in whicii he taught Ins people the pr.ayer which calls upon tlie Alniigiity (iod as 'our Father in heaven.' Finally, it was in this language that he himself prayed upon earth, and that
SHEMITIC LANGUAGES
657
SHEMITIC LANGUAGES
the Father spoke audibly to him from the heavens. Thus consecrated, it became a celestial laiij;iia<^e, a holy tongue, a chosen vehicle which conveyed I lie thounlits of the uncreated mind and the purposes of eternal love to the sons of men."
The Aramaean language may be said, in general terms, to have been distinguished into the Eastern and Western Aramaic. Of these a full account is given in this Cyclopmlia under the respective heads of Chai.- DEE Language and Sykiac Language. We there- fore here consider some of the more obscure dialects.
(1.) The Saniaritan. — This dialect occupies an inter- mediate position with reference to Hebrew and Aramaic, and is particularly characterized by changes in the gut- tural, also by containing many non-Shemitic (Cuthaic) words. The Samaritans have no means of distinguish- ing between the Hebrew letters TI3 and "C ; they have no Jinal or dilatable forms, like the Hebrews, for any of the letters, but use the same form under all circumstances. The character used is the most ancient of the Shemitic characters, which the Samaritans retained when tlie Hebrews adopted the square character. Few remains of this dialect are extant (comp. the articles Samaritan Language:, Literatuke, etc.).
(2.) The Sabian or Nazarean. — This language, known as yet only from the Codex Nazarceus, also called The Book of Adam (edited by M. Norberg, Gcittingen, 1815- 17, 3 vols.), occupies a place between the Syrian and Chaldee, makes frequent changes in gutturals and other letters, is in general incorrect in spelling and grammar, and has adopted many Persian words. The MSS. are written in a peculiar character; the letters are formed like those of the Nestorian Syriac, and the vowels are inserted as letters in the text.