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  • From: Yigal Levin <leviny1 AT mail.biu.ac.il>
  • To: b-hebrew <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Genesis 20: 1
  • Date: Sun, 14 Oct 2007 08:22:44 +0200

Shoshanna,

"Dibrah Torah bilshon benei adam" - "The Torah spoke in human language". The belief that the Torah pre-existed creation, even if taken literally, does not mean that the Written Torah was "already there" in its exact wording, and even if it does, since God knew what generation He intended to give the Torah to, He obviously would write the Torah in the language that was spoken by that generation. This does not mean that Hebrew did not evolve naturally, just like every other language.

Yigal Levin

----- Original Message ----- From: "Shoshanna Walker" <rosewalk AT concentric.net>
To: <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Sunday, October 14, 2007 3:44 AM
Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Genesis 20: 1


That is all very nice, but the Torah, which existed prior to
Creation, is independent of arabic.

If there are any similarities, the Torah was the original basis, and
the arabs took from there, what they wanted, just as they are trying
to do today.

Shoshanan




Why don't you start finding out by reading some of the works of the early
grammarians of Hebrew? You can start with Saadiah Gaon's "Book of the
pure Hebrew language" (Kita:b fasi:x lug'at al-(ibra:niyyah), and find out?

But make sure also to read Ibn Barun's work, "Book of comparison between
the Hebrew and Arabic language" ("Kita:b al-muwa:zanah bayn al-lug'ah al-
(ibra:niyyah wa-l-(arabiyyah") about whom you can read here:
http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=7&letter=I

More seriously, Arabic and Ancient Hebrew are related languages.
They both developed out of a language called Central Semitic. The
significant innovation of Central Semitic is the leveling of the suffix -t
for the verbal suffixes (as in "katavti", whereas previously the first
person suffix was -ku like "anoki"). Anyone who learns even a little
about Arabic will see the significant relationship between both Hebrew
and Arabic. For example, compare above the Arabic word "Kita:b" =
book, and the Hebrew root KTB. "bayn" with Hebrew "ben" = between.
muwa:zanah with Hebrew M)ZNYM "balances".

Yitzhak Sapir
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