So just curious, but is it allowable for those liturgies to be said in Malayalam or another vernacular language or must they be said in the corresponding version of Syriac? If not then how closely related (if at all) are Malayalam and Western or Easter Syriac? In otherwords is the liturgical language related to or completely divorced from the local language in those instances.
You will find a list of rites and languages used at this page by James Likoudis:
It depends on the particular church, although the norm is that the vernacular should be used. The Malankara Syriac churches commonly use the local language - English in the US, Canada, UK; Hindi in North India; Tamil in Tamil Nadu; Malayalam in Kerala; German in Germany; but the use of Syriac is always allowed (the exact use depends on the celebrant) and certain phrases and prayers are always said in Syriac.
Generally, the Eastern Churches have always preferred to use the vernacular (not necessary the common dialect of the people, but a more formal or elevated form) rather than completely in the Traditional liturgical language - although, even this can be found commonly. Although the vernacular is used, it’s not common to have a Liturgy like the Latin Church where the Extraordinary Form is purely in Liturgical Latin with no vernacular. This can also be seen rarely, or on certain occasions, but normally even when the vernacular is used, the Liturgical language can be inserted from some limited phrases to heavy usage (depending on the celebrating priest, the parish preferences, the learning of the people to respond and participate, pastoral need, etc).
I must respectfully disagree, SyroMalankara. It seems to be a revisionist narrative - this is the case only in recent collective memory. If one takes a look at the history of printed liturgical texts, vernacularization is really something that has become really prevalent in the last century. The Maronites are an example of this - if one looks at the 16th century diaconal missal, everything is in Syriac with an option here and there for Arabic (and Arabic in Syriac Garshuni, at that). Looking at the Maronite missal printings of the 20th century (I’m thinking 1908, 1950s and 1992) 1908 follows the pattern of supplying Garshuni prayers with Garshuni rubrics, as well as the Allahuma singularly in Arabic (despite being present in the 16th century missal in Syriac). The '50s introduces Arabic rubrics and some parts solely in Arabic. By 2005 the only parts available in Syriac are tokens.
Actually, the allahoumma is an embolism (or expansion) of a very ancient Syriac prayer, but itself was not in Syriac. In the 1594 Missal, it appears in its proper place at the very beginning of the Rite of Preparation. Eventually, by way of latinization, it was moved in imitation of the latin confiteor. Now it’s pretty much history, albeit that it still exists as one of the options for a “vesting” prayer.
Generally, speaking, no. The actual Greek Byzantine Catholic Church (not Greek Catholic in the broader sense, which includes all the Catholic Churches using the Byzantine rite), which has only a few thousand members, uses Greek. The Melkites tend to use the vernacular or a combination of Greek, Arabic, and the vernacular. The Greek Catholics of Slavic origin tend to use the vernacular or a combination of the vernacular and Church Slavonic.
Not to forget the Italo-Greeks, at least at Grottaferrata, who do use Greek in large part.
In the Melkite Greek Catholic churches this is this is the Eastern tradition I am most familiar with, when they have the Divine Liturgy it is generally in the vernacular generally but the Church’s official language is Arabic
In the same way as the Latin Church’s “official language” is Italian. Just because formal documents are published in Italian does not negate the fact that Latin remains “official” and formally the liturgical language. So, too, for the Melkites and the AOC with Koine Greek. So, too, for the Maronites (and SOC/SCC) and Syriac. Or the Slav Byzantines and staroslavenski, or the Ethiopians an Ge’ez. Or the Copts and Coptic
No I mean if you go to the Melkite Greek Catholic Church website it will tell you the official language is Arabic and it is the most common one used in the liturgy other than the vernacular. And the Latin church’s official language is in fact Latin
That may well be, (I have no patience to do a look-up just now), but the fact remains that Koine Greek, though it’s not often used these days, survives even among the Melkites and the AOC.
These days, formal documents are promulgated in Italian and sometimes in Latin, but it’s normally Italian first. Liturgical texts remain in Latin, for the editio typica, anyway.