Assyrian translation services
ܐܬܘܪܝܐLEXIGO provides Assyrian translation across Australia for one of the world's largest Assyrian diaspora communities, centred on Fairfield in Sydney's west. We translate Assyrian Neo-Aramaic to English and English to Assyrian in Syriac script with right-to-left typesetting, for health, settlement, community and government clients, and handle the Arabic-language Iraqi and Syrian documents most Assyrian Australians hold through NAATI certified Arabic translators.
Assyrian (also called Assyrian Neo-Aramaic or Syriac) is a Semitic language spoken by approximately 600,000 people worldwide, primarily descendants of the ancient Assyrian civilisation from what is now northern Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey, and northwestern Iran. The language is part of the Neo-Aramaic branch, making it a modern descendant of Aramaic — the language of the ancient Near East.
In Australia, Assyrian speakers number approximately 26,000 according to the 2021 Census, giving Australia one of the largest Assyrian diaspora communities in the world. Assyrian migration to Australia began in the 1960s and accelerated significantly following the Iraq wars, the fall of Saddam Hussein, and the rise of ISIS, which devastated Assyrian communities in the Nineveh Plains of Iraq and northeastern Syria. The community is concentrated in Sydney (particularly Fairfield and Liverpool), Melbourne, and smaller communities in other cities.
Assyrian is written in the Syriac script, a Semitic abjad that reads right-to-left. The Eastern Syriac form (Madnkhaya) is most commonly used by Assyrians, with distinctive letterforms that differ from the Western Syriac (Serto) script used by Syriac Orthodox communities. The script requires specialised font support and RTL layout handling.
The Assyrian-Australian community maintains strong cultural identity through the Assyrian Church of the East, Chaldean Catholic Church, and Syriac Orthodox Church, as well as secular cultural organisations, language schools, and community media. The community's Christian identity is central to their cultural heritage and distinguishes them from the broader Middle Eastern diaspora.
For organisations, Assyrian serves a well-established community with specific cultural and linguistic needs. Healthcare, settlement services, aged care, and community engagement programs benefit from Assyrian-language provision, particularly for older community members and recent humanitarian arrivals.
What makes Assyrian translation different?
Syriac Script and RTL Layout
Assyrian uses the Eastern Syriac (Madnkhaya) script, requiring right-to-left text rendering and proper Unicode support (Unicode block U+0700–U+074F). Not all fonts or systems support Syriac characters natively. Font selection should prioritise clarity and correct glyph rendering, particularly for the vowel diacritics that are essential to Eastern Syriac but differ from Western Syriac usage.
Denomination Awareness
The Assyrian community includes members of the Assyrian Church of the East, Chaldean Catholic Church, Syriac Orthodox Church, and other denominations. These groups share linguistic and ethnic heritage but have distinct religious practices and institutional affiliations. Communications should be sensitive to these distinctions rather than assuming a single denominational identity.
Dialect Variation
Spoken Assyrian Neo-Aramaic varies significantly by region of origin (Urmia, Hakkari, the Nineveh Plains, etc.). Written literary Assyrian provides a common standard, but community communications may need to account for dialectal preferences. Translators should be matched to the specific variety spoken by the target audience where possible.
NAATI Certification
NAATI certified Assyrian translators are available in Australia, concentrated in Sydney where the community is largest. Medical and community translation specialisations are accessible.
Frequently asked questions about Assyrian translation
Are Assyrian Australians' documents issued in Assyrian or Arabic?
Usually in Arabic. Iraqi and Syrian civil documents such as birth certificates, nationality certificates, marriage contracts and degrees are issued in Arabic even for Assyrian families, and are translated and certified by NAATI certified Arabic translators for Home Affairs and Australian authorities.
Where are Australia's Assyrian-speaking communities?
The 2021 Census recorded about 26,000 Assyrian speakers at home. Sydney's Fairfield, Greenfield Park, Bossley Park and Liverpool hold the largest community, followed by Melbourne's north around Broadmeadows and Craigieburn. Arrivals accelerated after 2003 and again after 2014.
Why does Assyrian need special typesetting?
Assyrian Neo-Aramaic is written in Syriac script, which runs right to left and needs specific fonts that most systems don't ship with. Translated health and community material is typeset in proper Syriac fonts so it renders correctly in print and on screen.
How much does Assyrian translation cost?
Assyrian translation is quoted on word count, subject matter and turnaround. Arabic-language personal documents from Iraq and Syria start from $69 per page for NAATI certified translation. Upload your file for a free quote.
Do you translate health and community content into Assyrian?
Yes. Assyrian is a priority language for Fairfield and Liverpool councils, south-western Sydney health services and settlement agencies, particularly for aged care, mental health and chronic disease resources aimed at older community members who read Assyrian rather than Arabic or English.