Rare Semitic Languages
In the future, I will feature information about the rarer (or lesser-known) Semitic languages, such as Neo-Aramaic, Mandaic, Modern South Arabian, and minor Ethiopian Semitic languages. These are not my specialty but are nevertheless extremely important, especially as they provide windows into the cultural and linguistic heritage of its speakers’ communities. As such, I’m always interested in learning a little about them when I have the chance.
Neo-Aramaic Dialects
The Neo-Aramaic dialects are vernacular varieties of the Aramaic language spoken among small communities in Syria and Iraq as well as Turkey, Iran, Lebanon, and the Assyrian diaspora.
For information related to the study of Neo-Aramaic dialects, see here.
Mandaic and Mandaism
Classical and Modern Mandaic is a southeastern Aramaic language used among the Mandaean community in southern Iraq and southwest Iran. Neo-Mandaic is severely endangered with possible as few as just a few hundred native speakers who use it as a first language.
Modern South Arabian Languages
The Modern South Arabian languages are a group of West Semitic languages spoken in the southern regions of the Arabian Peninsula, primarily in Yemen and Oman.
MSA languages are considered endangered. They face various threats to their survival, including social, economic, and political factors, such as the ongoing civil war in Yemen.
Modern Ethiosemitic Languages
Modern Semitic languages of Ethiopia are a group of West Semitic languages spoken in the horn of Africa, especially Ethiopia and Eritrea. Previously thought to be an offshoot of Classical Gə’əz, the languages of South Ethiosemitic (e.g. Amharic, Gurage, and Harari) as well as Tigre and Tigrinya probably form independent branches from Gə’əz.
Right: Map of Ethiosemitic languages
About The Author
Two Cases of a Pseudo-Dual in Biblical Hebrew 
Semitic Consonant Correspondences 
Bir-Hadad Stele (=Melqart Stele; ca. 850-775 BCE; AB B.1.1 = KAI 201)