Are you someone who take interest in learning a new or ancient language? A few colleges in Kerala are offering students a chance to learn the liturgical language 'Syriac' as the second language. These institutions are imparting the basics of this 3,000-year-old Aramaic dialect to their students.

Legacy

Syriac, which was once spoken widely in the Middle East, has much greater significance as well as influence in Kerala's history and culture. “This symmetrical language forms the base of a large Christian community in Kerala which was later divided based on beliefs and ideologies. Till 1985, the church services of a number of Christian communities were in Syriac language,” said Fr Ebin Jose, Assistant Professor, St Thomas College, Pala. He added that a number of words in Malayalam has been derived from this ancient language.

Scope

Speaking about the potential opportunities of learning this subject, Fr Ebin said, “Most of the students opt for Syriac as their second language due to their fascination for ancient languages or their interest in knowing more about Christian Liturgy or Theology.”

“People mostly have this idea that this language is connected to a particular religion, but it is not. We have a lot of students who want to learn this language out of curiosity and their interest in ancient literary works,” he added. A post graduation in this language would be helpful for student who would like to pursue further studies in Christian Theology.

Subjects covered

The syllabus for Syriac language being taught in these institutions are formulated by the University of Kerala in Thiruvananthapuram or Mahatma Gandhi University in Kottayam. “The basics and structure of the language, literary works, Church history and chapters on Fathers of Syriac are being covered in this add-on subject for undergraduate courses,” said Fr Ebin.

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Colleges/institutes offering Syriac as core subject or as a second language

St Ephrem Ecumenical Research Institute, Kottayam

St Thomas College, Pala

St Gregorios College, Kottarakara

Baselius College, Kottayam

St Berchmans' College, Chanaganacherry

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