Being Born in Neo-Aramaic

The article examines how the concept of ‘being born’ is expressed across Neo-Aramaic dialects, analysing its development from earlier Aramaic forms. In older Semitic languages, verbs for ‘to be born’ were typically derived from the root wld, with reflexes in languages like Akkadian, Arabic, and Syriac. However, in Neo-Aramaic, the original passive forms have been largely replaced by verbs meaning ‘to become’, including hwy in most dialects and xdr or tmm in others. Additional expressions, such as ‘God gave’ or Kurdish loanwords like mwalid, reflect significant influence from Kurdish and other neighbouring languages. The study identifies geographical variations, with dialects in regions like Turoyo, Zakho, and Urmi each exhibiting unique forms. The findings illustrate the interplay between inherited structures and contact-induced innovations in Neo-Aramaic.