Aramaism

/ˈɑːrəmeɪɪzəm/ noun

Definition

A linguistic feature, word, or phrase borrowed from Aramaic, or the cultural and linguistic influence of the Aramean people.

Etymology

From Aramaic combined with the suffix '-ism' (meaning 'practice or condition of'). This term is used in linguistics and historical studies when discussing language contact.

Kelly Says

Aramaic left fingerprints all over languages that came after it—biblical Hebrew has lots of 'aramaisms,' words that snuck in when Aramaic was the dominant language of the region.

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