A person who either speaks Syriac or is a member of the Syriac Orthodox Church, or both
Of or pertaining to Syria, or its language; as, the Syriac version of the Pentateuch
(2 Kings 18: 26; Ezra 4: 7; Dan 2: 4), more correctly rendered "Aramaic," including both the Syriac and the Chaldee languages In the New Testament there are several Syriac words, such as "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" (Mark 15: 34; Matt 27: 46 gives the Heb form, "Eli, Eli"), "Raca" (Matt 5: 22), "Ephphatha" (Mark 7: 34), "Maran-atha" (1 Cor 16: 22)
(SEER ee ak): A language related to *Aramaic Syriac is divided into two basic dialects; eastern (centered in ancient *Nisibis and *Edessa, in modern-day southern Turkey), and western (centered in *Antioch and Palestine) Syriac survived as an academic language for several centuries, as the bible and many Greek classics were translated into Syriac; and a whole body of original Syriac literature exists It also served as a liturgical language in the Syriac *Churches (of which the *Maronite Church is one) even to this day The metrical homilies of St *Ephrem are a good example of the use of Syriac See ARAMAIC