Barzani Jewish Neo-Aramaic is a modern Jewish Aramaic language, often called Neo-Aramaic or Judeo-Aramaic. It was originally spoken in three villages near Akre in Iraqi Kurdistan. The native name of the language is Lishanid Janan, which means 'our language', and is similar to names used by other Jewish Neo-Aramaic dialects (Lishan Didan, Lishanid Noshan).
It is nearly extinct, with only about 20 elderly speakers in 2004.
Origin and use today
The Jewish inhabitants of a wide area from northern Iraq, eastern Turkey and north western Iran, corresponding to the area of Kurdistan, mostly spoke various dialects of modern Aramaic. The turmoil near the end of World War I and resettlement in Israel in 1951 (when eight families from Bijil moved to the new Jewish state) led to the decline of these traditional languages. This particular and distinct dialect of Jewish Neo-Aramaic was spoken in the villages of Bijil, Barzan and Shahe. It was known as Bijili until recently.
The last native speaker of Bijil Neo-Aramaic, Mrs. Rahel Avraham, died in Jerusalem in 1998. The remaining second-language speakers are all related and over 70 years of age, and most from Barzan. Other speakers are from Akre. Barzan and Akre are both located in Iraqi Kurdistan. The first language of these speakers is either Hebrew or Kurdish, and some also speak Arabic or another Neo-Aramaic dialect. Thus, the language is effectively extinct.
Most of the speakers of Barzani Jewish Neo-Aramaic live in Jerusalem, Israel today.