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Syr·i·ac

(sîrē-ăk′)

1. An Aramaic language of ancient and medieval Syria and adjacent regions that was used to write a large body of literature from the 3rd to the 13th century and is still used today as the liturgical language of several Eastern Christian churches.

2. Any of several modern Aramaic languages spoken by Eastern Christian communities of Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and Iran and by immigrants from these communities elsewhere.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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