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Elementary Syriac

Module description

Syriac is one of the most important types of Aramaic. It started as a dialect local to Edessa and its surroundings, but spread as the language of eastern Christianity throughout the Middle East and along the Silk Route into India and China. For many centuries, as the prestige Christian Arab language, a rich body of literature was produced in Syriac, and, especially in the Abbasid period, Syriac functioned alongside Arabic as the medium through which Greek, Sanskrit and Pahlavi (Middle Persian) literatures were interpreted and adapted. This elementary-level module will introduce you to the fundamentals of Syriac grammar, using a set textbook, as well as essential historical background from supplementary materials supplied by the lecturer. No prior knowledge of Syriac is assumed and there are no pre- or co-requisite modules.

Module aims - intentions of the module

On this module you will begin with the distinctive Syriac scripts, and then proceed to introduce the basic grammar (pronouns, nouns, adjectives, prepositions, verbs). Classes will involve reading aloud, and exercises will involve translating from Syriac into English and from English into Syriac. After covering the basics, we shall read and analyse passages from the Syriac translation of the Gospel of Matthew.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. demonstrate mastery of Syriac script;
• 2. read Syriac aloud with correct pronunciation;
• 3. demonstrate a sound grasp of basic Syriac grammar;
• 4. translate simple sentences from Syriac into English and from English into Syriac.

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 5. demonstrate an appreciation for the history of Syriac literature in relation to other literatures of the near east;
• 6. demonstrate an understanding of Syriac among the other types of Aramaic and the Semitic language family.

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 7. demonstrate organisational and time-management skills and conduct independent study;
• 8. demonstrate confidence in engaging positively with a foreign culture.

Syllabus plan

Whilst the precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:

• introduction to Syriac among the Semitic languages
• history of Syriac language and literature
• the Syriac writing system
• basic Syriac grammar (pronouns, nouns, adjectives, prepositions, verbs)
• readings from the Gospel of Matthew

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to redo the assessment(s) as defined above. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

• Theodore H. Robinson, Paradigms and Exercises in Syriac Grammar (fourth edition; Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1962)

Indicative learning resources - Other resources

• Jessie Payne Smith, A Compendious Syriac Dictionary (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1903)

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Elementary Syriac