Semitic language (Semitic languages) belonging to the Northern Central, or Northwestern, group; it was an important Christian literary and liturgical language from the 3rd through the 7th century AD. Syriac was based on the East Aramaic dialect of Edessa (Şanlıurfa), Osroëne (present-day Şanlıurfa, in southeastern Turkey), which became one of the chief centres of Christianity in the Middle East at the end of the 2nd century.

The earliest Syriac inscriptions date from the first half of the 1st century; the earliest documents not inscribed on stone date from 243.

Because of theological disputes, Syriac-speaking Christians divided during the 5th century into Nestorians (Nestorian), or East Syrians, under the Persian sphere of influence, and Jacobites (Syrian Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch) (who were Monophysites), or West Syrians, under the Byzantine sphere. After this division the two groups developed distinct dialects differing chiefly in the pronunciation and written symbolization of vowels. See also Aramaic language.