In the Beginning : A Short History of the Hebrew Language / Joel Hoffman.
Hoffman, Joel, author.
2004
PJ4545 .H58 2004
Available Online

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Title In the Beginning : A Short History of the Hebrew Language / Joel Hoffman.
Author Hoffman, Joel, author.
ISBN 9780814790908
DOI https://doi.org/10.18574/nyu/9780814790908.001.0001
Published New York, NY : : New York University Press, [2004]
Copyright ©2004
Language English
Language Note In English.
Description 1 online resource
Other Standard Identifiers 10.18574/nyu/9780814790908.001.0001 doi
Call Number PJ4545 .H58 2004
Dewey Decimal Classification 492.4/09
Summary Hebrew as a language is just over 3,000 years old, and the story of its alphabet is unique among the languages of the world. Hebrew set the stage for almost every modern alphabet, and was arguably the first written language simple enough for everyone, not just scribes, to learn, making it possible to make a written record available to the masses for the first time. Written language has existed for so many years-since around 3500 BCE-that most of us take it for granted. But as Hoffman reveals in this entertaining and informative work, even the idea that speech can be divided into units called "words" and that these words can be represented with marks on a page, had to be discovered. As Hoffman points out, almost every modern system of writing descends from Hebrew; by studying the history of this language, we can learn a good deal about how we express ourselves today.Hoffman follows and decodes the adventure that is the history of Hebrew, illuminating how the written record has survived, the significance of the Dead Sea Scrolls and ancient translations, and attempts to determine how the language actually sounded. He places these developments into a historical context, and shows their continuing impact on the modern world.This sweeping history traces Hebrew's development as one of the first languages to make use of vowels. Hoffman also covers the dramatic story of the rebirth of Hebrew as a modern, spoken language.Packed with lively information about language and linguistics and history, In the Beginning is essential reading for both newcomers and scholars interested in learning more about Hebrew and languages in general.
Access Note Access limited to authorized users.
System Details Note Mode of access: Internet via World Wide Web.
Digital File Characteristics text file PDF
Source of Description Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 18. Sep 2023)
In New York University Press Backlist eBook-Package 2000-2013
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Frontmatter
Contents
List of Tables
List of Figures
Acknowledgments
Part I Getting Started
Chapter 1 Introduction
Chapter 2 Rules of the Game
Part II Antiquity
Chapter 3 Writing
Chapter 4 Magic Letters and the Name of God
Chapter 5 The Masoretes
Chapter 6 Pronunciation
Part III Moving On
Chapter 7 The Dead Sea Scrolls
Chapter 8 Dialects in the Bible
Chapter 9 Post-Biblical Hebrew
Part IV Now
Chapter 10 Modern Hebrew
Chapter 11 Keep Your Voice from Weeping
Part V Appendices
Appendix A More about the Rules of the Game
Appendix B Further Reading
Bibliography
Index
About the Author

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