05-20-2004, 07:47 PM
My parents and two sisters learned to speak it while growing up in Beirut. It was very easy for them, since they spoke Assyrian (neo-Aramaic) at home.
Iraqi Arabic is also very influenced by Aramaic, from what I'm told...I can't speak or understand any dialect of Arabic, so I wouldn't know - although I was very happy while watching the LBN satellite channel and found a Maronite service chanting the Lord's Prayer in Aramaic. <!-- s:bigups: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/bigups.gif" alt=":bigups:" title="Big Ups" /><!-- s:bigups: -->
Iraqi Arabic is also very influenced by Aramaic, from what I'm told...I can't speak or understand any dialect of Arabic, so I wouldn't know - although I was very happy while watching the LBN satellite channel and found a Maronite service chanting the Lord's Prayer in Aramaic. <!-- s:bigups: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/bigups.gif" alt=":bigups:" title="Big Ups" /><!-- s:bigups: -->
+Shamasha Paul bar-Shimun de'Beth-Younan