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.
[b-hebrew] Hebrew - dialect of canaanite,
Chris and Nel, 06/27/2006