Betanure Jewish Neo-Aramaic, the local language variety of Betanure in Iraqi Kurdistan, is among the rarest and most seriously endangered varieties of Aramaic spoken at the present time.^[1] It is also one of the most conservative of both Jewish Neo-Aramaic languages and the Northeastern Neo-Aramaic languages in particular.^[1]

History

In the 1940s, Betanure Jewish Neo-Aramaic was spoken by seventeen large families in the Jewish village of Betanure.^[1] The community migrated in its entirety to Israel in 1951.^[1] Ever since the dialect has been facing erosion from Israeli Hebrew and from other Neo-Aramaic varieties spoken in Israel.^[1]

Phonology

See also

• Jewish Neo-Aramaic dialect of Zakho
• Inter-Zab Jewish Neo-Aramaic
• Judeo-Aramaic languages

References

Bibliography

• Mutzafi, Hezy (2008). The Jewish Neo-Aramaic Dialect of Betanure (PDF). ISBN 978-3-447-05710-3.