The vernaculars of the Jews of Iran can be divided into two major groups: Aramaic (Semitic) dialects and Iranian dialects.

The Aramaic dialects, also known as lishna yahudiya (Jewish Language), were spoken in the western parts of Iran, Kurdistan, and western Azerbaijan. They are eastern Neo-Aramaic dialects related to the old Aramaic dialects of the Jews referred to as Babylonian Talmudic. The dialect of the Jews of Urmia is probably the best known and most studied of these dialects. Proximity to Semitic-speaking areas is probably the reas…