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  • From: James Read <J.Read-2 AT sms.ed.ac.uk>
  • To: George Athas <George.Athas AT moore.edu.au>
  • Cc: B-Hebrew <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] the value of loanwords was qohelet
  • Date: Sun, 20 Sep 2009 17:38:02 +0100

Hi,

are you suggesting that Aramaic was not the 'primary international language' in the Ancient East in pre-exilic times?

James Christian

Quoting George Athas <George.Athas AT moore.edu.au>:

James,

English is today's primary international language, proliferated through the use of modern mass media and the internet. English lingo has just about entered every language as a result. This modern phenomenon has absolutely no bearing on the question of Persian loanwords in Hebrew. The contexts are so vastly different that the comparison you are trying to draw is extremely far fetched.

But, let's work with your analogy anyway. Since when has English entered the lingo of Ukrainian and Italian? Was it there 300 years ago? 200 years? 100 years? I think you could argue that the influence has largely come in the last generation or so. You can use historical detail to figure this out. Same with Persian loanwords in Hebrew. When are they likely to have entered? Before there were any substantial contacts between Hebrew-speakers and Persians, or after? It's not a question of 'conquest', but of contact/interaction.

So, yes, the presence of Persian loanwords in Hebrew is significant.


Regards,

GEORGE ATHAS
Moore Theological College (Sydney, Australia)
www.moore.edu.au

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