07-23-2008, 05:31 AM
Shlama Kingskeep,
Unfortunately there is no written manual that will teach you the proper pronunciation. Several obstacles come into play, first and foremost is that there is no one dialect of Aramaic that is considered to be the standard. The major groupings, eastern and western, themselves have several sub-groupings usually related to tribal affiliation and church denomination.
If you would like to learn Eastern Aramaic as it is pronounced by the Church of the East, the best thing to do is to attend a parish and hear the sounds as the liturgy and readings are recited. I think you are in the Austin area, if so there's another option in Western Aramaic if you would like to visit Our Lady's Maronite (Catholic) Church, on 1320 E 51st St (tel. (512) 458-3693) I know portions of their liturgy are still in Aramaic.
Since there isn't a Church of the East near you, you can watch these clips:
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/holy-litur...--st-marys
This is from St. Mary's Church of the East (http://www.saintmarysdetroit.org/) in Michigan. They broadcast weekly. Having a copy of the written liturgy in Aramaic in hand, you can pause-rewind the recordings and get an idea of how the words are pronounced. It's a very tedious task, I don't mean to discourage you but take it slowly.
Also, Thackston's grammar provides a solid basis for pronunciation according to the eastern tradition.
Take care!
Shamasha Paul
Unfortunately there is no written manual that will teach you the proper pronunciation. Several obstacles come into play, first and foremost is that there is no one dialect of Aramaic that is considered to be the standard. The major groupings, eastern and western, themselves have several sub-groupings usually related to tribal affiliation and church denomination.
If you would like to learn Eastern Aramaic as it is pronounced by the Church of the East, the best thing to do is to attend a parish and hear the sounds as the liturgy and readings are recited. I think you are in the Austin area, if so there's another option in Western Aramaic if you would like to visit Our Lady's Maronite (Catholic) Church, on 1320 E 51st St (tel. (512) 458-3693) I know portions of their liturgy are still in Aramaic.
Since there isn't a Church of the East near you, you can watch these clips:
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/holy-litur...--st-marys
This is from St. Mary's Church of the East (http://www.saintmarysdetroit.org/) in Michigan. They broadcast weekly. Having a copy of the written liturgy in Aramaic in hand, you can pause-rewind the recordings and get an idea of how the words are pronounced. It's a very tedious task, I don't mean to discourage you but take it slowly.
Also, Thackston's grammar provides a solid basis for pronunciation according to the eastern tradition.
Take care!
Shamasha Paul