Aramaic

/ˌæɹ.əˈmeɪ.ɪk/

UK: /ˌæ.ɹəˈmeɪ.ɪk/

æɹ · ƏMEꞮ · ɪk (3 syllables)

English Adj Top 46,045

Definition

Referring to the Aramaic language, alphabet, culture or poetry.

Etymology

From Latin Aramaicus, from Ancient Greek Ἀραμαϊκός (Aramaïkós), itself a calque of Aramaic ܐܪܡܝܐ / אָרָמָיָא (ʾārāmāyā, “Aramean”) using Ἀράμ f (Arám, “Aram”, the name of a land originally covering central regions of what is now Syria) (from Aramaic ܐܪܡ / ארם (ʾarām)) + -ικός (-ikós, adjective suffix) (compare with Ἀραμαῖος (Aramaîos, “Aramean”), and the latter with Χαναναῖος (Khananaîos, “Chananean”), from Χαναάν f (Khanaán, “Canaan”) + -αῖος (-aîos)). By surface analysis, Aram + -ic.