The Syriac language is a dialect of the Aramaic language, which was widely spoken in the ancient Near East. It emerged around the 1st century AD and became a significant literary and liturgical language for various Christian communities, particularly the Syriac Orthodox Church and the Assyrian Church of the East. Syriac is written in a script derived from the Phoenician alphabet and has a rich literary tradition, including religious texts, poetry, and historical writings. Today, it is still spoken by some communities in the Middle East and by diaspora groups around the world, preserving its cultural and linguistic heritage.