Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Barry <nebarry AT verizon.net>]

On 4/27/2013 8:23 PM, K Randolph wrote:

> In closing, what do you want to do with your study of Biblical Hebrew?
> If you want to make it part of a broader study of linguistics, then a
> study of cognate languages is not only preferable, but needed. But if
> you merely want to maximize your understanding of Hebrew itself and of
> the Tanakh, then a study of cognate languages will actually hurt.

That's not my experience at all. I've been doing Latin and Greek 
(cognate languages) simultaneously since 1977. It hasn't hurt me at all, 
and in fact, has been quite helpful. Learning Aramaic was far easier 
since I already had some Hebrew under my belt. In the early stages of 
learning, if you do two languages at the same time, it can occasionally 
be confusing, but rarely (again in my experience) due to the cognate 
nature of the languages.


--
N.E. Barry Hofstetter
Semper melius Latine sonat
The American Academy
http://www.theamericanacademy.net
The North American Reformed Seminary
http://www.tnars.net
Bible Translation Magazine
http://www.bible-translation.net

http://my.opera.com/barryhofstetter/blog