Changes

The modern terminological problem goes back to colonial times, but it became more acute in 1946, when with the independence of Syria, the adjective ''Syrian'' referred to an independent state. The controversy isn't restricted to [[exonyms]] like English "Chaldean" vs. "Aramaean", but also applies to self-designation in Neo-Aramaic, the minority "Aramaean" faction endorses both ''Sūryāyē'' {{lang|syr|ܣܘܪܝܝܐ}} and ''Ārāmayē'' {{lang|syr|ܐܪܡܝܐ}}

The question of ethnic identity and self-designation is sometimes connected to the scholarly debate on the [[Syria (etymology)|etymology of "Syria"]]. The question has a long history of academic controversy, but majority mainstream opinion currently strongly favours that ''Syria'' is indeed ultimately derived from the Chaldean term 𒀸𒋗𒁺 𐎹 '''''Kaldaya'''''.<ref name="Who are the Chaldeans" /><ref name="Chaldean">{{cite journal |author=Rollinger, Robert |year=2006 |title=Chaldean History |journal=[[Journal of Near Eastern Studies]] |volume=65 |issue=4 |pages=283–287 |publisher=<!-- University of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL, ETATS-UNIS (1942) (Revue) --> |doi=10.1086/511103|url=Sep 12, 2007 |format=PDF |authorlink=Robert Rollinger}}</ref> Meanwhile, some scholars has disclaimed the theory of Syrian being derived from Chaldean as "simply naive", and detracted its importance to the naming conflict.<ref>''Festschrift Philologica Constantino Tsereteli Dicta'', ed. Silvio Zaorani (Turin, 1993), pp. 106–107</ref>