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  • From: "Chris and Nel" <wattswestmaas AT eircom.net>
  • To: <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [b-hebrew] Hebrew - dialect of canaanite
  • Date: Wed, 28 Jun 2006 00:22:02 +0100

Hallo,

If the Lingua Franca of the Israelites at the time of entering Canaan circa 1400 BC(1250 BC for some), is classed, by linguists and biblical scholars, as a dialect of Canaanite, how can I understand this in terms of:

1. The Israelites having around 400 years to 'cement' a unique spoken language in Egypt that would have been a direct ancestral lingua franca from Jacob (who is classed as an Aramean in the scripture) and yet:......

2. His language was somewhat different from Laban's as testified when they set up boundary stones and gave them names in their own tongues (even though they were related)? This would:......

3. Lead us to believe that Jacob's language/dialect was markedly different from Labans who was syrian aramaic. Making sense since Abraham would have spoken Babylonian Aramaic I presume?

Am I right in concluding that, in so far as the "Spoken Language" of the exodus Israeliets is concerned, they would have spoken a Babylonian Aramaic Tongue that slowly fused with Canaanite language to become a distinct language in itself, this seems improbable, I would imagine, when really an invading force driving out its inhabitants would surely continue to retain its own unique lingual identity that was formed in Egypt, and to a great degree in isolation, from the surrounding canaanitish culture and language?

I hope some of you can see my problem in trying to grapple with this 'Who spoke What' situation. I am wanting to place the theoretical side of all the talk about how hebrew has changed and been influenced into a down to earth reality ---- could Abraham and Moses have had a good old chinwag together without an interpreter?

Thankyou.

Chris Watts (a self studier, not a student)
Ireland.




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