The Gemara (Talmud) - A Brief Explanation

The Gemara (Tamud) both are synonymous and derive from words meaning "study" or "learning." "Talmud" is Hebrew, whereas "Gemara" (in the present sense) is found only in the Aramaic dialect of the Babylonian Talmud. The Talmud is composed in a mixture of Hebrew and Aramaic (which was the spoken vernacular of Babylonian Jews). The Talmud is a commentary on the Mishnah. [Texts][Rabinnical Works]