Editing Suret language (section)

== Dialects ==
{{Further|List of Assyrian tribes}}
[[File:Syriac Dialects EN.svg|thumb|260px|Map of the Assyrian dialects]]
SIL Ethnologue distinguishes five dialect groups: Urmian, Northern, Central, Western and Sapna, each with sub-dialects. Mutual intelligibility between the Suret dialects is as high as 80%–90%.{{citation needed|date=June 2021}}

The [[Urmia]] dialect has become the prestige dialect of Suret after 1836, when that dialect was chosen by [[Justin Perkins]], an American [[Presbyterianism|Presbyterian]] missionary, for the creation of a standard literary dialect. A second standard dialect derived from General Urmian known as "Iraqi [[Koiné language|Koine]]", developed in the 20th century.<ref name="ReferenceA">{{Cite book|first=Justin |last=Perkins |title=A residence of eight years in Persia among the Nestorian Christians |location=New York |date=1843 |page=304}}</ref>

In 1852, Perkins's translation of the Bible into General Urmian was published by the [[American Bible Society]] with a parallel text of the Classical Syriac [[Peshitta]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Wilmshurst |first=David |title=The ecclesiastical organisation of the Church of the East, 1318–1913 |location=Leuven |publisher=Peeters Publishers |date=2000 |page=278}}</ref><ref>Odisho, Edward, 1988</ref>

=== Grouping ===
[[File:Urmianaccent.ogg|thumb|right|Sample of the Urmian dialect. Note the [[Persian language|Persian]] and [[Azerbaijani language|Azerbaijani]] influences on [[speech tempo|cadence]] and [[pronunciation]],{{sfn|Yildiz|2000a|p=42}} particularly the use of [v], [ʊj] and the frequency of [t͡ʃ].]]
* '''''Iranian group''''':
** [[Urmia]] (west of [[Lake Urmia]]) ([[Christian Neo-Aramaic dialect of Urmia]])
** [[Sopurghan]] (north of [[Urmia]])
** [[Naghadeh]] (south of [[Lake Urmia]])
** [[Salmas]] (north west of [[Lake Urmia]]) 
** [[Sanandaj]] ([[Iranian Kurdistan]]) ([[Christian Neo-Aramaic dialect of Senaya|Senaya dialect]])
*'''''Turkey group''''':
**[[Nochiya tribe|Nochiya]]
** [[Jilu]] (west of Gavar and south of Qudshanis)
** Gawar (between [[Salmas]] and [[Lake Van|Van]])
** Diza
** [[Baz, Turkey|Baz]]
** [[File:Tyariaccent.ogg|thumb|right|Sample of a Lower Tyari dialect (Ashita). Notice the usage of [θ], [ð] and [aw]. The flow and cadence of this dialect may sound similar to that of [[Iraqi Arabic]] dialect.]] Lower [[Tyari]] – Dialects of the Tyari group share features with both the Chaldean Neo-Aramaic dialects in Northern Iraq (below) and Urmian (above).
*** [[Çığlı, Çukurca|Ashita]]
*** [[Zawita]]
***[[Andaç, Uludere|Halmon/Geramon]]
***[[Mangesh, Iraq|Mangesh]]
**Upper Tyari
***Walto
**Upper [[Barwari]]
*** [[Qudshanis]] (just south of [[Lake Van]])
**[[Tkhuma]]
**Tal
**Lewin
**[[Bohtan]] ([[Neo-Aramaic dialect of Bohtan]])
*'''''Northern [[Iraq]] ([[Nineveh Plains]])''''': {{anchor|Nineveh Plains}}
**[[File:Chaldeandialect.ogg|thumb|right|Sample of the [[Alqosh]] dialect (voice by Bishop [[Amel Shamon Nona]]). Notice the usage of [ħ] and [ʕ], and the many Arabic loanwords (at least in this discourse)]] 
***[[Tel Keppe]]
*** [[Alqosh]]
*** [[Batnaya]]
*** [[Neo-Aramaic dialect of Qaraqosh|Qaraqosh]]
*** [[Tesqopa]]
*** [[Zakho]]
***[[Araden]]
** Lower Barwari – The dialect within this group has more in common with Tyari than with Upper Barwari dialect
*** Dooreh
*** Hayes

=== Iraqi Koine ===
[[File:IraqiKoine.ogg|thumb|right|Sample of the Iraqi Koine dialect (voice by [[Linda George (Assyrian singer)|Linda George]]). Notice how it combines the phonetic features of the Hakkari (Turkey) and Urmian (Iran) dialects]]
Iraqi Koine, also known as Iraqi Assyrian and "Standard" Assyrian, is a compromise between the rural Ashiret accents of Hakkari and [[Nineveh Plains]] (listed above) and the former prestigious dialect in [[Urmia]]. Iraqi Koine does not really constitute a new dialect, but an incomplete merger of dialects, with some speakers sounding more Urmian, such as those from [[Habbaniyah]], and others more Hakkarian, such as those who immigrated from northern [[Iraq]]. Koine is more analogous or similar to Urmian in terms of manner of articulation, place of articulation and its [[consonant cluster]] formations than it is to the Hakkari dialects, though it just lacks the regional [[Persian language|Persian]] influence in some consonants and vowels, as the [[front vowel]]s in Urmian tend to be more fronted and the [[back vowel|back ones]] more rounded.<ref name="Shamāshā Dāwīd 1963, p. 895"/> For an [[English accent]] equivalence, the difference between Iraqi Koine and Urmian dialect would be akin to the difference between [[Australian English|Australian]] and [[New Zealand English]].<ref name="ReferenceB"/>

During the [[World War I|First World War]], many Assyrians living in the [[Ottoman Empire]] were [[Sayfo|forced from their homes]], and many of their descendants now live in [[Iraq]]. The relocation has led to the creation of this dialect. Iraqi Koine was developed in the [[Urban area|urban]] areas of Iraq (i.e. [[Baghdad]], [[Basra]], Habbaniyah and [[Kirkuk]]), which became the meccas for the rural Assyrian population. By the end of the 1950s, vast number of Assyrians started to speak Iraqi Koine. Today, Iraqi Koine is the predominant use of communication between the majority of the Assyrians from [[List of largest cities of Iraq|Iraqi cities]] and it is also used as the standard dialect in music and formal speech.<ref name="ReferenceB"/>

Some modern Hakkari speakers from Iraq can switch [[accent reduction|back and forth]] from their Hakkari dialects to Iraqi Koine when conversing with Assyrian speakers of other dialects. Some [[Assyrians in Syria|Syrian-Assyrians]], who originate from Hakkari, may also speak or sing in Iraqi Koine. This is attributed to the growing exposure to Assyrian Standard-based literature, media and its use as a [[Sacred language|liturgical]] language by the [[Church of the East]], which is based in Iraq. Elements of original ''Ashiret'' dialects can still be observed in Iraqi Koine, especially in that of older speakers. Furthermore, [[Assyrian folk/pop music|Assyrian songs]] are generally sung in Iraqi Koine in order for them to be intelligible and have widespread recognition. To note, the emergence of Koine did not signify that the rest of the spoken dialects vanished. The ''Ashiret'' dialects are still active today and widely spoken in northern [[Iraq]] and northeastern Syria as some Assyrians remained in the rural areas and the fact that the [[Immigrant generations|first generation]] speakers who relocated in urban areas still maintained their native dialects.<ref name="ReferenceB"/>

=== Dialect continuum ===
Neo-Aramaic has a rather slightly defined [[dialect continuum]], starting from the Assyrians in northern [[Iraq]] (e.g. [[Alqosh]], [[Batnaya]]) and ending with those in Western [[Iran]] ([[Urmia]]). The dialects in Northern Iraq, such as those of Alqosh and Batnaya, would be minimally unintelligible to those in Western Iran.<ref name="Shamāshā Dāwīd 1963, p. 895">Beth-Zay'ā, Esha'yā Shamāshā Dāwīd, ''Tash'īthā d-Beth-Nahreyn'', Tehran: Assyrian Youth Cultural Society Press, 1963, p. 895</ref>

Nearing the Iraqi-Turkey border, the [[Barwari]] and [[Tyari]] dialects are more "traditionally Assyrian" and would sound like those in the [[Hakkari province]] in Turkey. Furthermore, the Barwar and Tyari dialects are "transitional", acquiring both Assyrian and Chaldean phonetic features (though they do not use /ħ/). Gawar, Diz and [[Jilu (tribe)|Jilu]] are in the "centre" of the spectrum, which lie halfway between Tyari and Urmia, having features of both respective dialects, though still being distinct in their own manner.<ref name="ReferenceB">Odisho, Edward: The Sound System of Modern Assyrian (Neo-Aramaic) - Weisbaden, Harrassowitz, 1988</ref>

In Hakkari, going east (towards [[Iran]]), the [[Nochiya (tribe)|Nochiya]] dialect would begin to sound distinct to the Tyari/Barwar dialects and more like the Urmian dialect in [[Urmia]], [[West Azerbaijan province]], containing a few Urmian features. The Urmian dialect, alongside Iraqi Koine, are considered to be "Standard Assyrian", though Iraqi Koine is more widespread and has thus become the more common standard dialect in recent times. Both Koine and Urmian share phonetic characteristics with the Nochiya dialect to some degree.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>