Old Aramaic and Neo-Aramaic : some reflections on language history

  • Aramaic is not among the oldest Semitic languages in a strictly chronological sense, but among those languages which are still spoken today, it has the longest continuous written tradition. The existing written documents span a period of three millennia and thus enable us to study language history in a long-term perspective. It is very important, in this respect, that the latest stage of development of Aramaic, Neo-Aramaic, still exists in a multitude of spoken varieties which can be studied in vivo. We can thus describe the phonetics and phonology of the modern varieties with more precision than is possible for the older language stages, which in turn enables us to draw conclusions on diachronic sound change. Likewise, we can study morphology and syntax not only from recorded texts, but we also have recourse to native speakers in order to clarify doubtful points. Thus the latest stage of Aramaic casts a strong light back into the past. It is therefore most unfortunate that many Aramaicists and Syrologists show so little interest in this living heritage.

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Metadaten
Author:Otto JastrowGND
URN:urn:nbn:de:hebis:30-1155672
Parent Title (German):Sonderdr. aus: Aramaic in its Historical and Linguistic Setting. - ed. by Holger Gzella
Publisher:Harrassowitz Verlag
Place of publication:Wiesbaden
Document Type:Part of a Book
Language:English
Date of Publication (online):2010/06/21
Year of first Publication:2008
Publishing Institution:Universitätsbibliothek Johann Christian Senckenberg
Release Date:2010/06/21
GND Keyword:Aramäisch; Semitische Sprachen
Page Number:11
First Page:1
Last Page:10
Source:Sonderdr. aus: Aramaic in its Historical and Linguistic Setting. - ed. by Holger Gzella ... - Wiesbaden : Harrassowitz, 2008, S. 1-10
HeBIS-PPN:228907780
Dewey Decimal Classification:4 Sprache / 40 Sprache / 400 Sprache
Sammlungen:Linguistik
Linguistik-Klassifikation:Linguistik-Klassifikation: Sprachgeschichte / History of language
Licence (German):License LogoDeutsches Urheberrecht