Aramaic is a Semitic language that was once widely spoken across the Middle East. Its history can be traced back to the time of the Assyrians and has had an important role in the Bible. It sounds similar to Hebrew. Despite being somewhat related to Hebrew, the two have several differences.
Aramaic vs Hebrew
The main difference between Aramaic and Hebrew is that they differ in their alphabet. The Aramaic alphabet is written right to left, while the Hebrew and Arabic alphabets are written left to right. Hebrew also has a set of sounds absent in Aramaic. Also, they differ in their place and date of origin and prevalent use around the world.
Aramaic is a Semitic language that originated in the area of Damascus as early as 1100 B.C. Aramaic is also one of the oldest languages that have continually existed. It was once an official language from countries such as Syria, Iraq, and part of Northern Arabia. With the expansion of Arabic during the Islamic Golden Age, the Arabic language took over, and it more or less died out.
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is regarded as the language of the Israelites and their ancestors. It is the only living Canaanite language to have left a survival of Old Hebrew.
Comparison Table Between Aramaic and Hebrew
What is Aramaic?
Aramaic is a language that was born in ancient Mesopotamia, which is in today’s Iraq, Iran, and Syria. It was the common language of the western half of the empire of Assyria, which is modern-day Syria and southern Turkey, and was adopted as the official language of the empire of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, which included modern-day Iraq.
Aramaic had its golden years when the Persian Empire adopted it as the official language, and it was still of some importance even after Persian rulers were replaced by Greek and Roman rulers. The language was most likely no longer commonly used by the 3rd century CE, and today, it is mostly learned by academics and is taught in religious schools.
Before its extinction, the language was written using a form of writing called Syriac script. Aramaic is an ancient Middle Eastern language that dates back to the days of the Old Testament. The earliest known version of Aramaic is in the Torah.
It’s believed that the New Testament was written in the Empire’s version of Aramaic. The language is still in use today by certain religious communities in the Middle East. This language is also known by names like Biblical Aramaic and Syriac.
What is Hebrew?
Hebrew is an ancient language that was used by ancient Hebrews. It is a Semitic language, which means that it is related to other ancient languages such as Arabic, Phoenician, and Aramaic, which are spoken today. Hebrew was used to write the Bible. Because of this, Hebrew is considered a sacred language in the religious context.
It is spoken by more than nine million people around the world. Modern Hebrew is a language that was developed by the Jewish people during their exile from Israel. Sometimes, it is also referred to as Ivri. Famous examples of Hebrew texts include the Torah, the Talmud, and the Book of Lamentations. Some of the other types of Hebrew include Biblical Hebrew and Samaritan Hebrew.
The word Hebrew comes from the ancient word Eber, meaning to pass or cross over. The word originates from the book Genesis found in the Bible. Another meaning for Hebrew, which is the symbolic language of the Jewish religion, comes from the word Hebru (to interpret), which is from the book of Ezra, one of the books of the Old Testament.
The present square Hebrew script, called Ashurst (Assyrian), was in use by the beginning of the 7th century CE and is still used today.
Main Differences Between Aramaic and Hebrew
- Both are derived from the same Semitic root language, but Aramaic is believed to be the older of the two and said to have influenced the other.
- Aramaic is an extinct language, while Hebrew is still used in Israel as an official language; therefore is still commonly used today.
- Unlike Aramaic, the Hebrew language does not have any vowels, but the language is written in consonants.
- Aramaic is a Semitic language, which is related to both Hebrew and Arabic, while Hebrew is classified as a Canaanite language.
- Aramaic is now more commonly used in a religious context, while Hebrew is the official language of Israel.
Conclusion
Aramaic and Hebrew are two of the most ancient languages to be spoken by humans. They both have roots in the Semitic language family, which is a subgroup of the larger Afro-Asiatic language family. The history of both languages is quite long, but it’s believed that Hebrew was derived from Aramaic.
The languages are close enough to each other to be mutually intelligible to understand each other. This is why some people mistakenly believe that Hebrew and Aramaic are the same languages. But they not only differ in the script but also in their vocabulary and therefore you must know clearly to differentiate between the two.
References
- https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=EZCgpaTgLm0C&oi=fnd&pg=PR9&dq=hebrew&ots=YhoyTVCDHx&sig=bUB-v2c0D7vBjvnKoGFPCxtaDj8
- https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=pZ53zpMQNLEC&oi=fnd&pg=PA7&dq=aramaic&ots=-i4CxD_HWE&sig=gHvVEvUVbc8vMI0MNJX3hl9bHwc