Loan words (Aramaic vs. Greek)?

[Paul Younan]

Are these a listing of the words found in the CoE/CCC version of the Peshitta? I am not concerned about the SOC version.

Thanks again,

-NImrod Warda-

Shlama lukh Akhan Nimrod,

Welcome to the forum! I believe these are a list of the CoE version, there is very little difference between the two texts.

Normally the Greek loan-words found in the Peshitta, like this list shows, fall into predictable categories:

(a) units of measure and weight in use at the time in the Roman empire
(b) titles of officer ranks, government officials, etc
© names of locales

This is to be expected since these Aramaic-speakers lived within a Greek-language dominated empire.

For instance, we neo-Aramaic speakers here in the U.S. will commonly say something like:

"Ahu Poleesa qam yawillee ticket. Zilee court (beth-deena) oo preelee 100 dollare".
(that policeman gave me a ticket. I went to court and paid 100 dollars.)

Notice that of course we have English loan-words here in American Neo-Aramaic that perhaps they do not have in Iraqi Neo-Aramaic (poleesa and dollare). This is to be expected of all languages.

If we did not see Greek loan-words, especially of that nature, in the text of the Peshitta then it would be impossible that it were written by Jewish Aramaic-speakers living in 1st-century Palestine.

As to your other question: in our liturgy there are a number of Greek loan-words, especially in book titles like "Takhsa" (Greek "Taxis", "order"), "Ewangeleeyon", "Tronos" (Greek for "throne"), etc.

In the liturgy, only a small portion (the center) is of Mari and Addai. It is really rather short and reflects a Jewish prayer service or seder meal. The rest has been expanded upon during the centuries by various Synods and Patriarchs.