Meanings
- broadlyThe chronolect of the Aramaic language (mid-8th century–late 4th century BCE), intermediate between Old Aramaic and Middle Aramaic, that was used as a language of public life and administration in the late Neo-Assyrian Empire (from the reign of King Tiglath-Pileser III [r. 745–727 BCE] onward), the Neo-Babylonian Empire, and the Achaemenid Empire, until the latter’s conquest by Alexander the Great in 330 BCE.
Synonyms: Official Aramaic, Standard Aramaic
- narrow sense: dialectologyThe Imperial Aramaic of the Achaemenid Empire (550–330 BCE) only.
Synonyms: Achaemenid Aramaic, Egyptian Aramaic
Synonyms & antonyms
proper nounThe chronolect of the Aramaic language (mid-8th century–late 4th century BCE), intermediate between Old Aramaic and Middle Aramaic, that was used as a language of public life and administration in the late Neo-Assyrian Empire (from the reign of King Tiglath-Pileser III [r. 745–727 BCE] onward), the Neo-Babylonian Empire, and the Achaemenid Empire, until the latter’s conquest by Alexander the Great in 330 BCE.
proper nounThe Imperial Aramaic of the Achaemenid Empire (550–330 BCE) only.
Origin
Designated imperial for the Neo-Assyrian, Neo-Babylonian, and Achaemenid Empires.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic آرَامِيَّة إِمْبَرَاطُورِيَّة
- آرَامِيَّة إِمْبَرَاطُورِيَّةchronolect of Aramaic (745–330 BC) used by the Neo-Assyrian, Neo-Babylonian, and Achaemenid Empires
Dutch Rijksaramees
- Rijksarameeschronolect of Aramaic (745–330 BC) used by the Neo-Assyrian, Neo-Babylonian, and Achaemenid Empires
Finnish valtakunnan aramea
- valtakunnan arameachronolect of Aramaic (745–330 BC) used by the Neo-Assyrian, Neo-Babylonian, and Achaemenid Empires
German Reichsaramäisch
- Reichsaramäischchronolect of Aramaic (745–330 BC) used by the Neo-Assyrian, Neo-Babylonian, and Achaemenid Empires
Indonesian bahasa Aram Kekaisaran, bahasa Aram Baku Kuno
- bahasa Aram Kekaisaranchronolect of Aramaic (745–330 BC) used by the Neo-Assyrian, Neo-Babylonian, and Achaemenid Empires
- bahasa Aram Baku Kunochronolect of Aramaic (745–330 BC) used by the Neo-Assyrian, Neo-Babylonian, and Achaemenid Empires
Polish język aramejski urzędowy, język aramejski imperialny
- język aramejski urzędowychronolect of Aramaic (745–330 BC) used by the Neo-Assyrian, Neo-Babylonian, and Achaemenid Empires
- język aramejski imperialnychronolect of Aramaic (745–330 BC) used by the Neo-Assyrian, Neo-Babylonian, and Achaemenid Empires
- język aramejski urzędowyImperial Aramaic of the Achaemenid Empire (550–330 BC) only
- język aramejski imperialnyImperial Aramaic of the Achaemenid Empire (550–330 BC) only
Russian импе́рский араме́йский
- импе́рский араме́йский (impérskij araméjskij)chronolect of Aramaic (745–330 BC) used by the Neo-Assyrian, Neo-Babylonian, and Achaemenid Empires
Swedish riksarameiska
- riksarameiskachronolect of Aramaic (745–330 BC) used by the Neo-Assyrian, Neo-Babylonian, and Achaemenid Empires
Turkish İmparatorluk Aramicesi
- İmparatorluk Aramicesichronolect of Aramaic (745–330 BC) used by the Neo-Assyrian, Neo-Babylonian, and Achaemenid Empires
Cite this entry
Imperial Aramaic. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Imperial%20Aramaic
“Imperial Aramaic.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Imperial%20Aramaic. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Imperial Aramaic,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Imperial%20Aramaic.
Source: Imperial Aramaic on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.