The Neo-Aramaic Dialect of Barwar

In this work, Khan (Semitic philology, U. of Cambridge, the UK) presents in separate volumes a grammar, lexicon, and selection of texts of the neo-Aramaic dialect of the Assyrian Christian villages of Barwar, in northern Iraq. The villages were razed by the Iraqi army in 1988, forcibly dispersing the inhabitants and threatening the survival of their ancient language: this work is based on Khan's extensive interviews with the oldest survivors. The volume on grammar is the largest of the three, containing sections on phonology, morphology, and syntax, with discussion and examples included for all parts of language and speech, noting exceptions and providing extensive sample sentences and phrases. The lexicon provides an introductory section on the language's history and its loanwords. The lexicon proper is divided into sections on semantic fields and also includes a glossary of verbs, a general glossary, and a section of drawings of material culture. The texts in Volume Three are presented in side-by-side Barwar dialect and English and include folktales, riddles, songs, proverbs, and history, including the speaker's personal history and memories of traditions and customs. Annotation c2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Geoffrey Khan, Ph.D. (1984) in Semitic languages, School of Oriental and African Studies, London, is professor of Semitic Philology at the University of Cambridge. He was awarded the Lidzbarski Gold Medal for Semitic Philology in 2004. His extensive publications in the field include full grammars of the neo-Aramaic dialects of Arbel, Qaraqosh and Suleimaniyya.