A History of the Hebrew Language
A History of the Hebrew Language
$62.99
USDA History of the Hebrew Language is a comprehensive description of Hebrew from its Semitic origins and the earliest settlement of the Israelite tribes in Canaan to the present day. Professor Sáenz-Badillos sets Hebrew in the context of the Northwest Semitic languages and examines the origins of Hebrew and its earliest manifestations in ancient Biblical poetry, inscriptions, and prose written before the Babylonian exile. He looks at the different medieval traditions of pointing classical Biblical Hebrew texts and the characteristic features of the post-exilic language, including the Hebrew of the Dead Sea Scrolls. He gives particular attention to Rabbinic and medieval Hebrew, especially as evidenced in writings from Spain. His survey concludes with the revival of the language in this century in the form of Israeli Hebrew.
- Only existing one-volume survey of the complete history of the hebrew language and its literature
- Gives linguistic detail while setting the language in the context of the history and diaspora of the Jewish people
- Includes invaluable bibliography, which is comprehensive and up-to-date
Reviews & endorsements
"This book is without any doubt the most comprehensive and up-to-date history of the Hebrew language ever written....setting the linguistic developments against the corresponding developments in the historical experience of the Jewish people." Nicholas de Lange, Cambridge University
"...a bona fide reference work with a good index, a most extensive bibliography, and an overview of the central issues and debates in the field--past as well as ongoing, with opposing points of view faithfully and fairly represented....The writing is attractively styled, flowing smoothly and flawlessly; the translation is good enough to cause one to forget that the monograph was originally written in Spanish." Modern Language Journal
"The title of this volume does not prepare one for that breadth and depth of information to be found on ever page. Sáenz-Badillos has produced a scholarlytour de force that is as much a history of the study of the Hebrew language as it is a history of the language itself." Shofar
"...the most comprehensive history of Hebrew to date....a must for every Hebraist's bookshelf..." Hebrew Studies
"For students of Hebrew, this is an invaluable book, at once providing a large historical conspectus and a detailed analysis of the evolution of the language." London Review of Books
"...the starting point for serious students in the future....a sober and straightforward description of the data and the scholarship....an unpretentious and valuable contribution: a basic history that provides us with a firm footing." Language
"It is with great pleasure that scholars and students of Hebrew should welcome the appearance of Angel Sáenz-Badillos'A History of the Henbrew Language." Domes
Product details
January 1996Paperback
9780521556347
384 pages
229 × 153 × 22 mm
0.54kg
Available
Table of Contents
- Foreword Shelomo Morag
- Acknowledgements
- Part I. Hebrew in the Context of the Semitic Languages:
- 1. Hebrew, a Semitic language
- 2. The Semitic languages
- 3. Common or Proto-Semitic
- 4. The Hamito-Semitic or Afro-Asiatic group
- 5. Hamito-Semitic and Indo-European
- Part II. Hebrew, a Northwest Semitic Language:
- 6. The northwest Semitic languages
- 7. Dialect development and its consequences
- Part III. Pre-exilic Hebrew:
- 8. The historical unity and development of Hebrew
- 9. The origins of Hebrew
- 10. The language of archaic biblical poetry
- 11. The language of the inscriptions
- 12. Pre-exilic Hebrew prose
- Part IV. Biblical Hebrew in its Various Traditions:
- 13. The transmission of Biblical Hebrew
- 14. The testimony of the Greek and Latin inscriptions
- 15. Biblical Hebrew according to the Palestinian tradition
- 16. Biblical Hebrew according to the Babylonian tradition
- 17. Biblical Hebrew according to the Tiberian tradition
- Part V. Hebrew in the Period of the Second Temple:
- 18. Post-exilic Biblical Hebrew
- 19. The language of the Dead Sea Scrolls
- 20. Samaritan Hebrew
- Part VI. Rabbinic Hebrew:
- 21. Early studies
- 22. Origins and classification of Rabbinic Hebrew
- 23. New approaches to the study of Rabbinic Hebrew
- 24. Orthography, phonetics, and phonology of Rabbinic Hebrew
- 25. Morphology of Rabbinic Hebrew
- 26. Grammar and vocabulary of Rabbinic Hebrew
- Part VII. Mediaeval Hebrew
- 27. Historical and geographical background
- 28. The language of the paytanim
- 29. The language of Saadiah Gaon
- 30. The language of the Hebrew poetry of Spain
- 31. The language of the Hebrew prose of Spain
- 32. Mediaeval Hebrew in Italy and central Europe
- Part VIII. Modern Hebrew:
- 33. The period of transition
- 34. The revival of Hebrew
- 35. Israeli Hebrew
- 36. Studies in Israeli Hebrew 37. Phonology, morphology, and syntax of Israeli Hebrew
- Bibliography
- Index.
