Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Brian Tucker <music AT riverviewcog.org>]

Shalom

Could you critique the following statements, for a lecture I'm working
on, concerning:

A Study of Linguistic Roots of Hebrew
Linguistic origin: Where did Hebrew come from in the history of
languages?

1. It originated in a particular group within the Family of Shem (Gen
10:21ff).

2. The descendants of Shem are referred to as Shemites or Semites, i.e.
semitic.

3. The term Semitic was first used by Auguste Ludwig Schlozer to refer
to the whole family of languages stemming from the descendants of Shem
in J.G. Eichhorn's _Repertorium fur biblische und morenlandische
Luteratur_ (Leipzig, 1781), p. 161. This was the earliest designation
for this whole family of languages.

4. The name for the Hebrews (Ayin Beth Resh) has its origins in their
historical experience 'go over or pass over'

5. The similarities between the Semitic languages has been a matter of
great debate as to source and unity-diversity:

5.1 Some argue for a common origin:
5.2 Some argue for Invasionswellen:
5.3 Some argue for infiltration:
5.4 Some argue for dialect geography:
5.5 Some argue for the impact of linquae francae:

Which of the above argument do you prefer, are there other arguments
that I am missing?
--
Brian Tucker
15633 Pennsylvania
Riverview, Michigan 48192
jbtucker AT metroshores.net
music AT riverviewcog.org