The following is the entry for this language as it appeared in the 14th edition (2000).
It was superseded by the corresponding entry in the 15th edition (2005). See also the corresponding entry in the current edition of Ethnologue.
SIL code: AMW
ISO 639-2: sem
| Population | 15,000 speakers including 8,000 in Maaloula (1996 Maalula Home Page, Internet). |
| Region | Qalamoun mts., 30 miles north of Damascus. Villages of Ma<lula, Bakh<a, and Jubb <Adin. Only in Syria. |
| Alternate names | MAALULA, SIRYON, LOGHTHA SIRYANOYTHA, NEO-WESTERN ARAMAIC |
| Dialects | MA<LULA (MAALULA, MAALOULA, MA<LU:LA), BAKH<A (BAX<A), JUB-<ADIN (JUBB <ADI:N). |
| Classification | Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, Aramaic, Western. |
| Comments | Little dialect variation. Bilingualism in Syrian Arabic. They use Aramaic in homes and as a literary and religious language. There are members of the ethnic group in the USA who now speak Arabic. Mountain slope. Peasant agriculturalists, vineyards, orchards. 1,500 meters. Christian (Melchite, 1 village), Sunni Muslim (2 villages). |
