Classical Syriac is the third language of early Christian literature after Greek and Latin, and as a dialect of Aramaic it has a special relationship with the words of Jesus. This sixth edition of the classic textbook continues to provide a clear introduction to the language, with larger text and improved explanations.

In the Author's Note to the first edition Professor Robinson wrote that there was "a need for something of an elementary nature which should be of value to the student who takes up Syriac for the first time. A book of paradigms and exercises is especially desirable in the case of those who have had no previous experience of Semitic languages ... it is designed as an introduction, and an introduction only." The steady demand for the grammar since then has shown that the need remains and that this grammar has gone some way to meet it. The printing of a new edition has given the opportunity of expanding the grammar slightly, chiefly by adding some explanatory notes and one or two further rules of syntax, and of providing more help to pronunciation by printing diacritic points more fully throughout. It remains an introduction only, and the more advanced student will still need to refer to larger grammars. - Preface to the fourth edition.

T. H. Robinson's Paradigms and exercises in Syriac Grammar was first published in 1915 to meet the need for 'something of an elementary nature which should be of value to the student who takes up Syriac for the first time'. Since then, the book has met this need for generations of students. The fifth edition of 2002 remains the grammar of choice for many teachers of Syriac classes as well as for students learning by themselves. The present revision, drawing on ten more years of university teaching experience and students' comments, clarifies some of the grammatical explanations and exercises. Improvements to the fonts and a larger format make for easier reading. As before, the West Syriac script and grammatical tradition are followed in the body of the lessons, and appendices introduce reading in the other (estrangela and Eastern) scripts. The book remains a plain and friendly introduction to this important language.

Excerpt from Paradigms and Exercises in Syriac Grammar Mr. Robinson is doing a public service in publishing a popular grammar of the Syriac language, the more so as nearly all the available grammars are either antiquated or out of print. It is one more sign of the revival of too-longr neglected Syriac studies. It is strange that so little has been done in the presentation of one of the most attractive of the Semitic languages. Perhaps if there were in this country a native Syrian Church, things might have been different. Divinity students, at least, would have found out sooner the value of the Syriac for their New Testament and their Church History. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.