Saturday, March 13, 2004

NOT A DEAD LANGUAGE: Chaldean Christians hope Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ will help efforts to preserve Aramaic as a living language. I think I may have linked to a version of this Knight Ridder article earlier, but this version includes a few everyday phrases in spoken Aramaic:
A FEW COMMON PHRASES TRANSLATED

I love you (said to a woman). - K-haibinnakh.

What's for dinner? - Ma ittan ta ashaya?

Where's the bathroom? - Aika iyle betha d-maya?

Do you come here often (said to a woman)? - Kul gaha k-athyat akha?

Happy Birthday (said to a woman)! - Brykha aidha d-hwaithakh!

Source: Suad Gorial, who teaches a modern Aramaic dialect at St. Joseph Chaldean Catholic Church in Troy, Mich.

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