Words are the Same. Pronunciation's Changed. Oh, and Different Music

So, I'm watching a 2016 movie entitled Other People about a NYC writer who returns to Sacramento to take care of his terminally ill mother.
I have paused at a scene where he and a childhood friend are talking about thinking about mom after she's gone. I guess the friend's mom has died, and the writer's mom is still dying at this point. And I thought about what I would do when my own mother passed.
So I told G*d that I would make the most concerted effort to say the Mourner's Prayer. Here are random clips that I have found on the prayer.

"Written in Aramaic, the Mourner’s is the prayer traditionally recited in memory of the dead, although it makes no mention of death. It is included in all three daily prayer services."


TRANSLATION
Exalted and hallowed be G*d’s great name
in the world which G*d created, according to plan.
May G*d’s majesty be revealed in the days of our lifetime
and the life of all Israel — speedily, imminently,
To which we say: Amen.

Blessed be G*d’s great name to all eternity.

Blessed, praised, honored, exalted,
extolled, glorified, adored, and lauded
be the name of the Holy Blessed One,
beyond all earthly words and songs of blessing, praise, and comfort.
To which we say: Amen.

May there be abundant peace from heaven, and life, for us and all Israel.
To which we say: Amen.

May the One who creates harmony on high, bring peace to us and to all Israel.
To which we say: Amen.

The Mourner’s Kaddish
Kaddish is a 13th century, Aramaic prayer said during every traditional prayer service. Kaddish means ‘sanctification’ in Aramaic and it is related to the Hebrew word Kadosh, which means ‘holy.’

Of the five variations of the Kaddish; the best known is the Mourner’s Kaddish. The prayer never mentions death or dying, but instead proclaims the greatness of G*d. By reciting it, mourners show that even as their faith is b
eing tested by their loss, they are affirming G*d’s greatness.

Traditionally, the prayer is said only when there is a minyan, a quorum of 10 Jews. So that one can feel a part of the community even while grieving. The mourner must remain part of the community even as his or her instinct might be to withdraw.

A person mourning a parent says Kaddish 11 months. Historically, Kaddish was said for only 30 days for a child, spouse or sibling; many now say Kaddish for 11 months when in mourning for any family member. Kaddish is also said each year on the anniversary of the death (Yahrzeit) and at Yizkor.

The rhythmic cadences of Kaddish are soothing to us both in mourning and over the years as we say it at Yahrzeit and at Yizkor to remember our loved ones. We say the prayer as a community because none of us is alone in mourning.

I said it for 11 months. And I tried so hard to make it part of my daily ritual. I even bought a compass so that if I were on the road, I would know which direction was east when I prayed in the dark. If I forgot it after leaving the house, I would say in while driving eastward. I never missed a day.

It's written in Hebrew letters. The pronunciation has changed over time. I learned Hebrew from elderly Eastern Europeans teachers. Israel's national language is not Biblical Hebrew. The pronunciation is modernized. And lemme tell you, if you think English is a tough language, Hebrew takes the cake. Beginners get to learn the words with vowels. Once you have passed one or two years of study, the vowels are removed. And--unlike the anal retentive French who insist on all diacritical markings being correct when writing a word--the Hebrew writers make no effort to make things easier.

The prayer can be said or sung. The tune has changed over years. Of course, when I was younger there were not female rabbis or cantors. Yes, so much has changed in life and in death.