Encyclopedia of Hebrew Language and Linguistics
Get access
Subject: Language And Linguistics
Edited by: Geoffrey Khan
Associate editors: Shmuel Bolozky, Steven Fassberg, Gary A. Rendsburg, Aaron D. Rubin, Ora R. Schwarzwald, Tamar Zewi
The Encyclopedia of Hebrew Language and Linguistics Online offers a systematic and comprehensive treatment of all aspects of the history and study of the Hebrew language from its earliest attested form to the present day.
The Encyclopedia of Hebrew Language and Linguistics Online features advanced search options, as well as extensive cross-references and full-text search functionality using the Hebrew character set. With over 850 entries and approximately 400 contributing scholars, the Encyclopedia of Hebrew Language and Linguistics Online is the authoritative reference work for students and researchers in the fields of Hebrew linguistics, general linguistics, Biblical studies, Hebrew and Jewish literature, and related fields.
Subscriptions: Brill.com
Associate editors: Shmuel Bolozky, Steven Fassberg, Gary A. Rendsburg, Aaron D. Rubin, Ora R. Schwarzwald, Tamar Zewi
| Help us improve our service |
The Encyclopedia of Hebrew Language and Linguistics Online offers a systematic and comprehensive treatment of all aspects of the history and study of the Hebrew language from its earliest attested form to the present day.
The Encyclopedia of Hebrew Language and Linguistics Online features advanced search options, as well as extensive cross-references and full-text search functionality using the Hebrew character set. With over 850 entries and approximately 400 contributing scholars, the Encyclopedia of Hebrew Language and Linguistics Online is the authoritative reference work for students and researchers in the fields of Hebrew linguistics, general linguistics, Biblical studies, Hebrew and Jewish literature, and related fields.
Subscriptions: Brill.com
Resh: Pre-Modern Hebrew
(3,567 words)
In the Tiberian Reading Tradition of Biblical Hebrew
resh was pronounced in two different ways, as was the case with the בגדכפת
bgdkpt letters. According to the 11th-century treatise
Hidāyat al-Qāriʾ ‘Guide for the Reader’ (Masoretic Treatises), its basic primary articulation was with ‘the middle third of the tongue’, as was the case with
qof and plosive
kaf, suggesting an advanced uvular position (Eldar 1984). It is not made clear whether it was a roll [ʀ] or frictionless continuant [ʁ̖]. The secondary pronunciation of
resh is said in the medieval sources to occur in the envir…
Result Clause: Biblical Hebrew
(2,467 words)
In modern linguistics the result clause is described as expressing “the notion of consequence or effect” (Crystal 2003:398), while for many scholars of Biblical Hebrew (BH) it is usually thought to include the notion of purpose, because “expression of purpose and consequence are not always readily distinguished” (Waltke and O’Connor 1990:638), or, even when they are distinguished, this is not always done properly (see Ewald 1870:825–827, 855–856; Driver 1892:66–69; König 1897:538–539, 570–574; G…
Result Clause: Modern Hebrew
(1,417 words)
Cause and result clauses (Causal Constructions) are one entity. They are distinguished only by focus and by which parts of the sentence contain new versus old information: (1) לא יצאנו לטיול כי ירד גשם
lo yaṣanu la-ṭiyul ki
yarad gešem ‘we did not go on the trip
because it was raining’ (2) ירד גשם ולכן לא יצאנו לטיול
yarad gešem ve-la-xen
lo yaṣanu la-ṭiyul ‘it was raining
and therefore we did not go on the trip’. In the first sentence the new information is the cause (the rain), while in the second sentence, the result construction, the new information is the effect (n…
Result Clause: Rabbinic Hebrew
(795 words)
A result clause describes the outcome of a previously described situation. According to some scholars, result clauses are most appropriately classified under the category of consecutive clauses. They also resemble final clauses, that is, clauses expressing purpose, In Rabbinic Hebrew the distinction between final and result clauses is not always clear: the degree to which a result is the outcome of direct intention or circumstantial causes is often a matter of contention. However, in certain cases, it is apparent that the intention is undesired or unavoidable, e.g., דחף אחד מהן את…
Revival of Hebrew: Grammatical Structure and Lexicon
(5,714 words)
The transformation of Hebrew from a traditional liturgical and literary language into a modern national language involved sweeping changes in its grammatical and lexical structure. Although members of the revival generation believed they were resurrecting the ancient language, renewing its development from the point at which it ceased to be spoken (Rabin 1985:274), it has long been agreed among scholars that the linguistic system that resulted from the process is fundamentally new (Kaddari 1980: יח–יט; Blau 1981:151; Kutscher 1982:196, 243–244). Modern Hebrew does not…
Revival of Hebrew: Hebrew Component of Jewish Languages
(1,908 words)
Over the centuries Jewish languages have absorbed numerous Hebrew words and expressions. When Hebrew began to be revived as a spoken language the Hebrew component in various Jewish languages also contributed its share. Since Modern Hebrew speech required the use of a Hebrew lexicon, the Jewish languages were mined for their numerous Hebrew words and phrases, which were easily integrated into the renewed Hebrew speech. The revival of spoken Hebrew in modern times did not take place in the form of an abrupt transition from speaking a foreign language to speakin…
Revival of Hebrew: Sociolinguistic Dimension
(5,173 words)
1. Introduction In the last decades of the 19th and the first decades of the 20th century a dramatic change occurred in the status of Hebrew and in the domains of its usage. Following the rise of national sentiments among Jews, this traditional liturgical and literary language was transformed into a modern national tongue, used by a newly-created speech community for all its communication needs. This development, commonly known as the ‘revival of Hebrew’, has no known parallel in any other languag…