aramaic
UK[ˌærəˈmeɪɪk]US[ˌærəˈmeɪɪk]
adj
Relating to an ancient Semitic language, or the people who spoke it, of the Near East.
n
The ancient Semitic language of the Arameans, still used in some forms as a liturgical language.
Etymology
The term 'Aramaic' originates from the Greek 'Aramaios', meaning 'pertaining to Aram', which itself derives from the Hebrew 'Aram', the name for a region and people in ancient Syria. The Greek suffix '-ikos' was added to form an adjective, which passed into Latin as 'Aramaicus' and subsequently into English. The core of the word is thus an ethnonym, a name for a people, which came to denote their language. This linguistic label has persisted for millennia, evolving from a geographic and ethnic identifier into the primary term for a major historical language of the ancient Near East and biblical texts.
Analysis
The word is a proper adjective/noun derived from the name of a people (Arameans) and their land (Aram). It functions as a simplex unit in English.
Examples
Several passages in the biblical Book of Daniel were written in Aramaic.
The Aramaic script was the precursor to many modern writing systems, including Arabic and Hebrew.
Scholars study Aramaic inscriptions to understand the administration of the Persian Empire.