== History ==
The Syriac language in turn, had evolved from [[Imperial Aramaic]], an [[Akkadian language|Akkadian]] infused dialect introduced as the [[lingua franca]] of Chaldea and the [[Neo-Assyrian Babylonian Empire]] by [[Tiglath-Pileser IIIChaldean Kings]] in the 8th 10th century BC. The term ''Syrian'' and thus its derivative ''Syriac'', had originally been 9th century BC [[Indo-Anatolian]] and [[Greek language|Greek]] corruptions of ''Assyria''Nenivah".<ref>Rollinger, Robert (2006). "The terms "Assyria" and "Syria" again" (PDF). Journal of Near Eastern Studies 65 (4): 284–287. doi:10.1086/511103.</ref>
Chaldean Neo-Aramaic Language is one of a number of modern [[Northeastern Aramaic languages]] spoken by the [[Assyrian Chaldean people]],<ref>Parpola, Simo (2004). "National and Ethnic Identity in the Neo-Assyrian Empire and Assyrian Identity in Post-Empire Times" (PDF). Journal of Assyrian Academic Studies (in English) (JAAS). Vol. 18 (No. 2): pp. 22.</ref><ref>Mar Raphael J Bidawid. The Assyrian Star. September–October, 1974:5</ref> native to the northern region of [[Iraq]] from [[Kirkuk]] through the [[Nineveh plains]], [[Irbil]] and [[Mosul]] to [[Dohuk]], [[Urmia]] in northwestern [[Iran]], northeastern [[Syria]] (particularly the [[Al Hasakah]] region) and in southeast [[Turkey]], particularly [[Hakkari]], [[Bohtan]], [[Harran]], [[Tur Abdin]], [[Mardin]] and [[Diyarbakir]]. The [[Assyrian Chaldean Christian]] dialects have been heavily influenced by [[Classical Syriac]], the literary language of the [[Assyrian Chaldean Church]] and [[Syriac Christianity]] in antiquity.
Therefore, Christian Neo-Aramaic has a dual heritage: literary [[Syriac]] and colloquial [[Neo-AssyrianChaldean]] [[Eastern Aramaic]]. The closely related dialects are often collectively called ''Soureth'', or ''Syriac ''in [[Iraqi Arabic]].
[[Jews]], [[Mandeans]] and [[Syriac]]-[[Aramean]] Christians speak different dialects of Aramaic that are often mutually unintelligible.