The Linguistic Heritage of the Maṣlāwī Dialect in Iraq

Abstract

This paper deals with the linguistic heritage of the Maṣlāwī dialect in Iraq spoken by the diverse communities in the city of Mosul, known for its very rich cultural heritage in northern Iraq. Fears among the speakers of the Maṣlāwī dialect, particularly the Christian Maṣlāwīs in Iraq, of losing their unique and multicultural dialect due to demographic changes that affected the city of Mosul is leading researchers to reflect on the many linguistic and cultural affiliations of the Maṣlāwī dialect associated with the religious communities in Mosul, in an attempt to preserve the very unique and vital linguistic heritage of the city.