Samaritan Aramaic


Samaritan Aramaic was the dialect of Aramaic used by the Samaritans in their sacred and scholarly literature. This should not be confused with Samaritan Hebrew, the language of the Samaritan Pentateuch. Samaritan Aramaic became extinct some time between the 10th and the 12th centuries, with Samaritans switching to Palestinian Arabic as their vernacular.
In form, Samaritan Aramaic resembles the Aramaic of the Targumim, and is written in the Samaritan alphabet. Important works written in it include the translation of the Samaritan Pentateuch, legal, exegetical and liturgical texts.

Sample

20:1-6 in Samaritan Aramaic, transliterated:
Notice the similarities with Judeo-Aramaic as found in Targum Onqelos to this same passage :
  1. Umalleil Adonai yat kol pitgamayya ha'illein lemeimar
  2. Ana Adonai elahach de'appeiktach me'ar'a deMiṣrayim mibbeit avduta
  3. La yihvei lach elah achoran, bar minni
  4. La ta'aveid lach ṣeilam vechol demu devišmayya mille'eila vediv'ar'a millera vedivmayya millera le'ar'a
  5. La tisgod lehon vela tiflechinnin arei ana adonai elahach el kanna mas'ar chovei avahan al benin maradin al dar telitai ve'al dar revi'ai lesane'ai kad mašlemin benayya lemichtei batar avahatehon
  6. Ve'aveid teivu le'alfei darin lerachamai ulenaterei pikkodai