Meaning of ARAMAIC (Tongue)

The Aramaic language is a Semitic (northwestern) language, originally the Semitic dialect of the Aramaic tribes that around 1200 BC. They penetrated the region of Syro-Palestinian culture, founding several cities there.

Aramaic evolved in diverse forms and dialects and is subdivided into ancient, middle, and modern Aramaic. The language, being a branch of the Semitic, is characterized by triliteralism and the importance of consonants over vowels.

Aramaic was spoken in the second millennium BC. In the Bible there is an indication that Laban spoke Aramaic in the name Jegar Sahaduta that he gave to the monument erected to remember the alliance with Jacob, which the latter called in Hebrew Gilead (Gen. 31:47).

Already in the 8th century BC, Aramaic was a kind of common language, especially due to the influence of the Persian Empire. These spread Aramaic throughout Mesopotamia, and from this time we have written documents left on the monuments and in different forms.

In Greek times, the Jews used Aramaic and intensified it in daily life in order to resist Hellenic culture and customs. Several commentaries on the Jewish Scriptures date from this time. As a dialect it is still used in certain populations of Anti-Lebanon.

In the New Testament several Aramaic expressions appear that have not been translated into Greek and which will be found in their respective article. One is: "ELÍ, ELÍ, LAMA SABACTANI?" and another is: "MARANATA".