| Population |
30,000 in Iraq (1994). Population total all countries: 219,330. Ethnic population: 4,250,000 (1994). |
| Region |
Northern Iraq, Baghdad, Basrah, Karkuk, Arbil. Also in Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Cyprus, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iran, Italy, Lebanon, Netherlands, New Zealand, Russian Federation (Europe), Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Turkey (Asia), United Kingdom, United States. |
| Language map |
Iraq
|
| Alternate names |
Aisorski, Assyrian, Assyrianci, Assyriski, Lishana Aturaya, Neo-Syriac, Sooreth, Suret, Sureth, Suryaya Swadaya |
| Dialects |
Urmi Assyrian (Urmi, Sipurghan, Solduz), Northern Assyrian (Salamas, Van, Jilu, Gavar, Qudshanis, Upper Barwari, Dez, Baz), Central Assyrian (Mar Bishu, Nochiya, Shamezdin, Tergawar, Anhar), Western Assyrian (Tkhuma, Lower Barwari, Tal, Lewin), Sapna (Aradhin, Tina, Daudiya, Inishke, Benatha). Similar linguistically to other Northeastern Aramaic varieties. Inherent intelligibility is difficult to estimate due to intense exposure throughout the Assyrian diaspora to many dialects, especially Urmi and Iraqi Koine. As a result, intelligibility between dialects is as high as 80%–90%. Urmian group subdialects: Urmi, Sipurghan, Solduz; Northern Group: Salamas, Van, Jilu, Gavar, Qudshanis, Upper Barwari, Dez, Baz; Central Group: Mar Bishu, Nochiya (Shamezdin), Tergawar, Anhar; Western Group: Tkhuma, Lower Barwari, Tal, Lewin; SapnaGroup: Aradhin, Tina, Daudiya, Inishke, Benatha. Standard literary Assyrian is based on Urmi. Many left original areas and developed a common spoken and written form based on the prestigious Urmi dialect as spoken in Baghdad, Chicago (USA), and elsewhere (Iraqi Koine). Most Christians understand it. This Urmi subdialect is different from Lishán Didán Urmi subdialect. All dialects of Western, Northern, and Central Assyrian are spoken in Syria. |
| Classification |
Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, Aramaic, Eastern, Central, Northeastern
A member of macrolanguage Syriac [syr] (Iraq). |
| Language development |
Radio programs. Bible: 1852–1919. |
| Writing system |
Cyrillic script. Syriac script. |
| Comments |
Religious separation of Assyrian and Chaldean happened in the 16th century. Christian (Nestorian and other). |
