User talk:Zoupan/Terms for Syriac Christians

Names, by individual groups
As a whole, the Syriac Christians in the Middle East are collectively grouped as Syriacs, 'divided into diverse confessional, regional, and sub-ethnic groups'. In the 19th century, the various Syriac denominations did not view themselves as part of one group.


 * Followers of the Assyrian Church of the East today identify as Assyrians (Atoraye or Oturoye), and are known in history (and historiography) as Nestorians and Chaldeans. In Arabic, they were known as al-Nastariyun and al-Nasara al-Nastariyah. In Ottoman Turkish, they were known as Nesturi or Nasturi. The Nestorian name stems from Nestorianism; the Assyrian Church of the East claims continuity with the historical Church of the East (also known as the Nestorian Church). As evident from American evangelical missions in the 19th century, the Nestorians did not call themselves "Assyrians". When making a distinction from other (non-Syriac) ethnoreligious groups, the general name applied by themselves was Suryaye ("Syrians"), but on a day-to-day basis their village or tribal affilation was more common. When differentiating from other Syriac groups, they called themselves "Easterners". The name Aturaye ("Assyrians") was adopted gradually in the community after World War I, replacing Suraye ("Syrians"). They are also known as "East Syrians" or "East Syriacs" in scholarship, although that term may also be applied to Chaldeans.


 * Followers of the Syriac Orthodox Church in the Middle East today tend to identify as "Syriac" (Sūryōyē), or "Aramean" (Oromoye). The ethnic identification of Syriac Orthodox as "Assyrians" is contested by the community itself. The identification as "Assyrians" means that they share identity with non-Orthodox Syriacs, while the "Aramean" identity almost solely represents the Syriac Orthodox. In the diaspora, the Syriac Orthodox identify with the term Suryoye. In Arabic and Kurdish, they were identified as Suryani, and in Turkish as Süryaniler. In Tur Abdin (Turkey), the community does not consider converts to Protestantism (Prut) and Catholicism (Katholik, Kaldoye) as Suryoye, thus, in Tur Abdin the identification as Syriac only applies to the Syriac Orthodox, who share a collective identity and consciousness. Overall, the Syriac Orthodox of Turkey, Syria and to a lesser degree Iraq today identify as "Aramean". They have also been called "Jacobites", after bishop Jacob Baradaeus, and "Monophysites" (owing to the division of Syriac Church bodies). Other terms are "West Syrians" or "West Syriacs".


 * Followers of the Chaldean Catholic Church identify as "Chaldean" or "Assyrian". In Iraq, they are officialy known as "Chaldo-Assyrian" (as per Law of 2003).

In Turkey, most Syriac Orthodox identify as "Arameans", while the Chaldeans and Nestorians identify as "Assyrians".

Identity

 * Syriac identity
 * Assyrian identity
 * Aramean identity
 * Chaldean identity