Who speaks Aramaic?

While Aramaic is considered a dead language in the sense that it's not the primary language of any country or widely used in official settings, there are still communities that speak various forms of Aramaic:

1. Neo-Aramaic Speakers:

* Assyrian Neo-Aramaic: Spoken by Assyrian Christians in parts of Iraq, Iran, Syria, Turkey, and the diaspora.

* Syriac Neo-Aramaic: Spoken by Syriac Christians in parts of Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, and the diaspora.

* Jewish Neo-Aramaic: Spoken by Jewish communities in Iraq, Syria, Iran, and Turkey.

2. Modern Aramaic:

* Turoyo: Spoken by a Christian community in southeastern Turkey.

* Mandaic: Spoken by a small community of Mandaeans (a Gnostic religion) in Iraq and Iran.

It's important to note that:

* The number of speakers of Aramaic languages is decreasing due to various factors such as migration, assimilation, and political instability in their regions.

* The different varieties of Aramaic are not mutually intelligible.

* While Neo-Aramaic languages are often spoken as second languages in addition to Arabic, some communities still maintain Aramaic as their primary language.

Therefore, while Aramaic isn't spoken as a primary language on a large scale, there are several groups who still use different forms of Aramaic for communication and cultural preservation.