A glossary for the journey.
Short explanations of recurring terms, each linked to a longer reading entry. These definitions introduce the subject; the linked articles carry sources and fuller context.
Akkadian
An ancient Semitic language; Assyrian and Babylonian are conventionally described as its varieties. Read the sourced entry →
Aramaic
A language tradition with multiple ancient and modern varieties, including Syriac and Neo-Aramaic. Read the sourced entry →
Assur / Ashur
The name used for an ancient city, its associated deity and other related ancient references; context matters. Read the sourced entry →
Assyriology
The study of ancient Mesopotamian languages, texts, societies and material remains. Read the sourced entry →
Attribution
Identification of a source, author or rights holder, with the information needed to trace the material. Read the sourced entry →
Calah / Kalhu
The ancient city associated with the archaeological site now called Nimrud. Read the sourced entry →
Canon
The collection of books recognised as Scripture by a religious tradition. Canonical lists differ. Read the sourced entry →
Classical Syriac
A literary and liturgical form of Aramaic associated in its origins with Edessa. Read the sourced entry →
Cuneiform
A writing system using wedge-shaped signs, used for several languages. Read the sourced entry →
Deuterocanonical books
Books whose canonical status differs among Christian traditions; the local Bible reader labels its additional collection. Read the sourced entry →
Dialect
A regional or social language variety; precise speaker and locality information matters when documenting speech. Read the sourced entry →
Diaspora
Communities living beyond an ancestral or historical homeland, with varied experiences of migration and identity. Read the sourced entry →
Dur-Sharrukin
The ancient royal city associated with Sargon II and the site of Khorsabad. Read the sourced entry →
East Syriac
A designation used for a Syriac liturgical tradition and related writing practices; specify the context. Read the sourced entry →
Edessa / Urhay
Historical names associated with the city now called Urfa and its Syriac literary heritage. Read the sourced entry →
Estrangela
A historical Syriac manuscript and type style; letterforms vary with time and individual hands. Read the sourced entry →
Exile
Removal or displacement from a homeland; biblical and modern accounts require their own dates and contexts. Read the sourced entry →
Inscription
Writing placed on an object or surface. Its wording, date, provenance and purpose form part of its evidence. Read the sourced entry →
Khigga
A name associated with a widespread Assyrian line or circle dance tradition. Read the sourced entry →
Lamassu
A term associated with protective supernatural beings, including the monumental guardians displayed in this archive. Read the sourced entry →
Manuscript
A handwritten text-bearing object; its physical date may differ from the date of the work it copies. Read the sourced entry →
NENA
North-Eastern Neo-Aramaic, a diverse set of documented regional dialects; this is not one universal pronunciation. Read the sourced entry →
Neo-Aramaic
A designation for modern Aramaic language varieties, rather than a single uniform spoken language. Read the sourced entry →
Nineveh
An ancient Assyrian city, a biblical setting and an archaeological site near present-day Mosul. Read the sourced entry →
Oral history
Recorded testimony about lived experience, preserved with attribution, consent and contextual information. Read the sourced entry →
Peshitta
A Syriac biblical version and textual tradition; consult the retained reference for its different parts and transmission. Read the sourced entry →
Primary source
Material directly relevant to the subject being studied, such as a biblical passage, inscription or firsthand testimony. Read the sourced entry →
Provenance
The documented origin and ownership or transmission history of an object or record. Read the sourced entry →
Public domain
A rights status permitting reuse without copyright permission; it is distinct from merely being publicly accessible. Read the sourced entry →
Revision
An identifiable version of a text; retained references record the source revision and a file checksum. Read the sourced entry →
Serto
A West Syriac writing style documented across a range of manuscript hands, including mixed forms. Read the sourced entry →
Surayt / Turoyo
Names associated with the Neo-Aramaic language tradition of Tur Abdin and its diaspora. Read the sourced entry →
Sureth
A name used for several North-Eastern Neo-Aramaic varieties, with scope varying among speakers and publications. Read the sourced entry →
Syriac Unicode
The character encoding for Syriac text; a code point does not itself specify a historical font style or a pronunciation. Read the sourced entry →
Transcription
A written representation of speech or a source text, distinct from both translation and editorial normalisation. Read the sourced entry →
Transliteration
Representation of writing in another script, distinct from translating its meaning into another language. Read the sourced entry →
Tur Abdin
A historical region associated with Syriac Christian communities, monasteries and the Surayt language. Read the sourced entry →
West Syriac
A designation for a Syriac liturgical tradition and related writing practices; it does not automatically define ethnicity. Read the sourced entry →
Word count
A measurement of text volume, not a measure of historical reliability or independent scholarly review. Read the sourced entry →