Lishán Noshan
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A language of Israel
Alternate Names
Galihalu, Iranian Azerbaijan Jewish Neo-Aramaic, Lakhlokhi, Lakhlókh, Lishanid Nash Didán, Lishanán, Lishán Didán
Autonym
לשן דידן (Lišān Didān), לשנן (Lišānān)
User Population
4,000 in Israel (Leclerc 2018a). Total users in all countries: 4,120.
Location
HaMerkaz and Jerusalem districts: Jerusalem city, Tel-Aviv areas.
Language Status
8a (Moribund).
Dialects
Northern Cluster Lishán Noshan (Başkale, Gavar, Salmas, Urmi), Southern Cluster Lishán Noshan (Mahabad, Naghada, Ushno, Ṣablagh). 60%–70% intelligibility of Hulaulá [huy] and Inter-Zab Jewish Neo-Aramaic [aij], but not of other Aramaic languages. The Urmi variety of Lishán Noshan is extremely different from the Urmi variety of Assyrian Neo-Aramaic (2017 H. Mutzafi).
Language Use
Older adults only. Shifted to Hebrew [heb], some due to intermarriage.
Language Development
Grammar. Bible portions: 1986–1988.
Many loanwords from Kurdish, Turkish [tur], Arabic, Eastern Farsi [prs] or Western Farsi [pes], Hebrew [heb], and several European languages. Sometimes erroneously called ‘Judeo-Kurdish’ or ‘Azerbaijani Kurdish’. Originally from Iranian Azerbaijan and southeast Turkey. Jewish.