Mandaic language
Mandaic, or more specifically Classical Mandaic, is the liturgical language of Mandaeism and a South Eastern Aramaic variety in use by the Mandaean community, traditionally based in southern parts of Iraq and southwest Iran, for their religious books. Mandaic, or Classical Mandaic is still used by Mandaean priests in liturgical rites.[3] The modern descendant of Mandaic or Classical Mandaic, known as Neo-Mandaic or Modern Mandaic, is spoken by a small group of Mandaeans around Ahvaz[4]: XXXVI–XXXVIII, 1–101 and Khorramshahr[5] in the southern Iranian Khuzestan province.
Liturgical use of Mandaic or Classical Mandaic is found in Iran (particularly the southern portions of the country), in Baghdad, Iraq and in the diaspora (particularly in the United States, Sweden, Australia and Germany). It is an Eastern Aramaic language notable for its abundant use of vowel letters (mater lectionis with aleph, he only in final position, ‘ayin, waw, yud) in writing, so-called plene spelling (Mandaic alphabet)[6] and the amount of Iranian[7] and Akkadian[8] language influence on its lexicon, especially in the area of religious and mystical terminology. Mandaic is influenced by Jewish Palestinian Aramaic, Samaritan Aramaic, Hebrew, Greek, Latin,[9][10] in addition to Akkadian[8] and Parthian.[11]
Classification[edit]
Classical Mandaic belongs to the Southeastern group of Aramaic and is closely related to the Jewish Babylonian Aramaic dialect in the major portions of the Babylonian Talmud,[12][13] but less to the various dialects of Aramaic appearing in the incantation texts on unglazed ceramic bowls (incantation bowls)[14] found mostly in central and south Iraq as well as the Khuzestan province of Iran.[15] It is considered a sister language to the northeastern Aramaic dialect of Suret.
Usage[edit]
This southeastern Aramaic dialect is transmitted through religious, liturgical, and esoteric texts,[16][17] most of them stored today in the Drower Collection, Bodleian Library (Oxford),[18] and in the Bibliothèque Nationale (Paris), the British Library (London) and in the households of various Mandaeans as religious texts. More specific written objects and of linguistic importance on account of their early transmission (5th – 7th centuries CE) are the earthenware incantation bowls and Mandaic lead rolls (amulets) (3rd–7th centuries CE),[19]: 4 including silver and gold specimens[20] that were often unearthed in archaeological excavations in the regions of their historical living sites between Wasiṭ and Baṣra,[21][22] and frequently in central Iraq, for example (Bismaya,[23] Kish,[24] Khouabir,[25] Kutha,[26] Uruk,[27] Nippur[28]), north and south of the confluences of the Euphrates and Tigris (Abu Shudhr,[29] al-Qurnah[30]), and the adjacent province of Khuzistan (Hamadan).[31][32]
Lexicography[edit]
Lexicographers of the Mandaic language include Theodor Nöldeke,[38] Mark Lidzbarski,[39] Ethel S. Drower, Rudolf Macúch,[40] and Matthew Morgenstern.
Sample Text[edit]
The following is a sample text in Mandaic of Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.[43]
Mandaic: ".ࡊࡅࡋ ࡀࡍࡀࡔࡀ ࡌࡀࡅࡃࡀࡋࡇ ࡀࡎࡐࡀࡎࡉࡅࡕࡀ ࡅࡁࡊࡅࡔࡈࡂࡉࡀࡕࡀ ࡊࡅࡉ ࡄࡃࡀࡃࡉࡀ. ࡄࡀࡁ ࡌࡅࡄࡀ ࡅࡕࡉࡓࡀࡕࡀ ࡏࡃࡋࡀ ࡏࡉࡕ ࡓࡄࡅࡌ ࡅࡆࡁࡓ ࡁࡄࡃࡀࡃࡉࡀ"
Transliteration: "kul ānāʃā māudālẖ āspāsiutā ubkuʃᵵgiātā kui hdādiā. hāb muhā utirātā ʿdlā ʿit rhum uzbr bhdādiā."
English original: "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood."