Study of the Hebrew language
Encyclopedia
Study of the Hebrew language
has an ancient history. Since Hebrew is the original language
of the Hebrew Bible
(known as the Torah
and Tanakh
), it is therefore a language that has always been central to Judaism
and valued by the Jewish people for over three thousand years and later by Christian
scholars as well.
and Midrash
, which have some grammatical
notes. The Masoretes
continued the study as they fixed the text and vocalization of the Hebrew Bible. Under the influence of the Arab grammarians, Rabbi Saadia Gaon
(tenth century) made the Jewish study of Hebrew grammar almost scientific. Later Jewish grammarians include David Qimhi
(known as the Radak), Abraham ibn Ezra
, and Judah ben David Hayyuj
.
Eliezer Ben Yehuda is credited by many as being almost single-handedly responsible for the Zionist movement's revitalization of Hebrew as a modern spoken language, although in his book "Language in Time of Revolution" the Israeli linguist and literature researcher Benjamin Harshav diminishes Ben-Yehuda's role and attributes the success of the revival to a wider movement in the Jewish society.
was studied on a secular, scientific level. The pioneer of this movement was Wilhelm Gesenius
, who published thirteen editions of his Hebräische Grammatik. After Gesenius' death in 1842, the 14th through 21st editions were published by E. Rödiger, and the 22nd through 28th editions were published by Emil Kautzsch. Many of these editions were translated into English; the 28th edition was done in 1910 by A. E. Cowley and is known today simply as Gesenius' Hebrew Grammar. It became the standard Hebrew reference grammar and although it is somewhat outdated by newer works, it is still widely used in the field in the 21st century.
The largest compendium of Hebrew grammatical material is E. König's Historisch-Kritisches Lehrgebäude der Hebräischen Sprache (1881-97).
Paul Joüon's Grammaire de l'hébreu biblique (1923) was recently edited and translated into English by T. Muraoka as A Grammar of Biblical Hebrew (1991; revised edition 2006). Muraoka made this into the most complete and up-to-date reference grammar. Also quite modern is Rudolf Meyer's Hebräische Grammatik (1966-72), but it is not quite as thorough as Joüon-Muraoka. Of note as well is Mayer Lambert's Traité de grammaire hébraïque (1931).
The most thorough, well-organized, and analytically incisive Hebrew grammar is the 29th edition of Gesenius' grammar by Gotthelf Bergsträsser
. However, the author only managed to complete the sections on Phonology (1918) and the Verb (1929) before his untimely death. Although other grammars are more current, Bergsträsser's is unsurpassed due to its depth and insight. Another excellent grammar is Hans Bauer and Pontus Leander's Historische Grammatik der Hebräischen Sprache des Alten Testaments (1917-22) although it, too, lacks syntax. Neither grammar has been translated into English, although Bergsträsser's has been translated into Hebrew (Jerusalem, 1972).
i scholars to the field of Hebrew linguistics, most notably Naftali Herz Tur-Sinai
, Chaim Menachem Rabin
, E. Y. Kutscher, Shelomo Morag, Joshua Blau, Ze'ev Ben-Hayyim, Elisha Qimron
and Moshe Bar-Asher
.
(האקדמיה ללשון העברית) in modern Israel
is the "Supreme Foundation for the Science of the Hebrew Language" founded by the Israeli Government in 1953. This academy is responsible for creating new Hebrew words to keep up with today's rapidly changing society. In addition, the academy has the "final say" concerning matters of spelling and grammar.
Hebrew language faculty
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
has an ancient history. Since Hebrew is the original language
Language
Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...
of the Hebrew Bible
Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible is a term used by biblical scholars outside of Judaism to refer to the Tanakh , a canonical collection of Jewish texts, and the common textual antecedent of the several canonical editions of the Christian Old Testament...
(known as the Torah
Torah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
and Tanakh
Tanakh
The Tanakh is a name used in Judaism for the canon of the Hebrew Bible. The Tanakh is also known as the Masoretic Text or the Miqra. The name is an acronym formed from the initial Hebrew letters of the Masoretic Text's three traditional subdivisions: The Torah , Nevi'im and Ketuvim —hence...
), it is therefore a language that has always been central to Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
and valued by the Jewish people for over three thousand years and later by Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
scholars as well.
Jewish scholars of Hebrew
The beginnings of the study of Hebrew are found in the TalmudTalmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
and Midrash
Midrash
The Hebrew term Midrash is a homiletic method of biblical exegesis. The term also refers to the whole compilation of homiletic teachings on the Bible....
, which have some grammatical
Grammar
In linguistics, grammar is the set of structural rules that govern the composition of clauses, phrases, and words in any given natural language. The term refers also to the study of such rules, and this field includes morphology, syntax, and phonology, often complemented by phonetics, semantics,...
notes. The Masoretes
Masoretes
The Masoretes were groups of mostly Karaite scribes and scholars working between the 7th and 11th centuries, based primarily in present-day Israel in the cities of Tiberias and Jerusalem, as well as in Iraq...
continued the study as they fixed the text and vocalization of the Hebrew Bible. Under the influence of the Arab grammarians, Rabbi Saadia Gaon
Saadia Gaon
Saʻadiah ben Yosef Gaon was a prominent rabbi, Jewish philosopher, and exegete of the Geonic period.The first important rabbinic figure to write extensively in Arabic, he is considered the founder of Judeo-Arabic literature...
(tenth century) made the Jewish study of Hebrew grammar almost scientific. Later Jewish grammarians include David Qimhi
David Kimhi
David Kimhi , also known by the Hebrew acronym as the RaDaK , was a medieval rabbi, biblical commentator, philosopher, and grammarian. Born in Narbonne, Provence, he was the son of Rabbi Joseph Kimhi and the brother of Rabbi Moses Kimhi, both biblical commentators and grammarians...
(known as the Radak), Abraham ibn Ezra
Abraham ibn Ezra
Rabbi Abraham ben Meir Ibn Ezra was born at Tudela, Navarre in 1089, and died c. 1167, apparently in Calahorra....
, and Judah ben David Hayyuj
Judah ben David Hayyuj
Judah ben David Hayyuj was a Jewish linguist. He is regarded as the father of scientific grammar of Hebrew language. He was born in Fez, Morocco, about 945...
.
Eliezer Ben Yehuda is credited by many as being almost single-handedly responsible for the Zionist movement's revitalization of Hebrew as a modern spoken language, although in his book "Language in Time of Revolution" the Israeli linguist and literature researcher Benjamin Harshav diminishes Ben-Yehuda's role and attributes the success of the revival to a wider movement in the Jewish society.
Non-Jewish scholars of Hebrew
The first major non-Jewish grammarian was John Reuchlin (16th century), but it was not until the early 19th century that Hebrew linguisticsLinguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
was studied on a secular, scientific level. The pioneer of this movement was Wilhelm Gesenius
Wilhelm Gesenius
Heinrich Friedrich Wilhelm Gesenius was a German orientalist and Biblical critic.-Biography:He was born at Nordhausen...
, who published thirteen editions of his Hebräische Grammatik. After Gesenius' death in 1842, the 14th through 21st editions were published by E. Rödiger, and the 22nd through 28th editions were published by Emil Kautzsch. Many of these editions were translated into English; the 28th edition was done in 1910 by A. E. Cowley and is known today simply as Gesenius' Hebrew Grammar. It became the standard Hebrew reference grammar and although it is somewhat outdated by newer works, it is still widely used in the field in the 21st century.
The largest compendium of Hebrew grammatical material is E. König's Historisch-Kritisches Lehrgebäude der Hebräischen Sprache (1881-97).
Paul Joüon's Grammaire de l'hébreu biblique (1923) was recently edited and translated into English by T. Muraoka as A Grammar of Biblical Hebrew (1991; revised edition 2006). Muraoka made this into the most complete and up-to-date reference grammar. Also quite modern is Rudolf Meyer's Hebräische Grammatik (1966-72), but it is not quite as thorough as Joüon-Muraoka. Of note as well is Mayer Lambert's Traité de grammaire hébraïque (1931).
The most thorough, well-organized, and analytically incisive Hebrew grammar is the 29th edition of Gesenius' grammar by Gotthelf Bergsträsser
Gotthelf Bergsträsser
Gotthelf Bergsträsser was a German linguist specializing in Semitic studies, usually considered to be one of the greatest of the twentieth century...
. However, the author only managed to complete the sections on Phonology (1918) and the Verb (1929) before his untimely death. Although other grammars are more current, Bergsträsser's is unsurpassed due to its depth and insight. Another excellent grammar is Hans Bauer and Pontus Leander's Historische Grammatik der Hebräischen Sprache des Alten Testaments (1917-22) although it, too, lacks syntax. Neither grammar has been translated into English, although Bergsträsser's has been translated into Hebrew (Jerusalem, 1972).
Israeli Hebrew scholars
One must note the contributions, in recent years, of IsraelIsrael
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i scholars to the field of Hebrew linguistics, most notably Naftali Herz Tur-Sinai
Naftali Herz Tur-Sinai
Naftali Herz Tur-Sinai was a Bible scholar, author, and linguist instrumental in the revival of the Hebrew language as a modern, spoken language...
, Chaim Menachem Rabin
Chaim Menachem Rabin
Chaim Menachem Rabin was an Israeli professor of Hebrew and Semitic languages.Chaim Rabin was born in Giessen, Germany, 22 November 1915, the son of Israel and Martel Rabin. He studied first at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 1933-1934. He then studied in England, at the School of Oriental...
, E. Y. Kutscher, Shelomo Morag, Joshua Blau, Ze'ev Ben-Hayyim, Elisha Qimron
Elisha Qimron
Dr Elisha Qimron is a leading academic in the study of ancient Hebrew, in which he took his PhD in 1976 at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, writing his dissertation on The Hebrew of the Scrolls. Currently, he is a professor in the Department of Hebrew Language at Ben-Gurion University of the...
and Moshe Bar-Asher
Moshe Bar-Asher
Moshe Bar-Asher is an Israeli linguist and the president of the Academy of the Hebrew Language in Jerusalem.-Background:Bar-Asher was born in Ksar es Souk , Morocco, in 1939. He immigrated to Israel in 1951 when he was twelve years old....
.
The Academy of the Hebrew Language
The Academy of the Hebrew LanguageAcademy of the Hebrew Language
The Academy of the Hebrew Language was established by the Israeli government in 1953 as the "supreme institution for scholarship on the Hebrew language."-History:...
(האקדמיה ללשון העברית) in modern Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
is the "Supreme Foundation for the Science of the Hebrew Language" founded by the Israeli Government in 1953. This academy is responsible for creating new Hebrew words to keep up with today's rapidly changing society. In addition, the academy has the "final say" concerning matters of spelling and grammar.
See also
Hebrew language faculty
Further reading
- Horbury, William. 2000. Hebrew Study from Ezra to Ben-Yehuda. T. & T. Clark Publishers, Ltd.