Author: Charles G. Häberl
Publisher: Otto Harrassowitz Verlag
ISBN: 9783447058742
Category : Foreign Language Study
Languages : en
Pages : 416
Book Description
Neo-Mandaic is the only surviving dialect of Aramaic to be recognized as a direct descendant of any of the classical dialects of Late Antiquity. The Mandaeans who speak it are adherents of a pre-Islamic Gnostic sect, the only such sect to survive to the present day. As such, Mandaic may be considered as both a living language of the modern Middle East and also the vehicle of one of the great religious traditions of that region, along with Hebrew, Arabic, and Persian. Unfortunately, Neo-Mandaic is severely endangered, and all signs indicate that the current generation of speakers is likely to be the last. As a description of an endangered language, this work addresses one of the chief concerns of linguists in the 21st century, namely the impending loss of the majority of the world's languages and the immense threat to both linguistic and cultural diversity that it represents. This grammar is the fi rst account of a previously undocumented dialect of Neo-Mandaic, and most thorough description of any Neo-Mandaic dialect. In addition to a description of its phonology, inflectional paradigms, and morphosyntax, it includes a collection of ten texts, transcribed and translated, as well as a concise lexicon of the vocabulary found within these texts.
The Neo-Mandaic Dialect of Khorramshahr
Author: Charles G. Häberl
Publisher: Otto Harrassowitz Verlag
ISBN: 9783447058742
Category : Foreign Language Study
Languages : en
Pages : 416
Book Description
Neo-Mandaic is the only surviving dialect of Aramaic to be recognized as a direct descendant of any of the classical dialects of Late Antiquity. The Mandaeans who speak it are adherents of a pre-Islamic Gnostic sect, the only such sect to survive to the present day. As such, Mandaic may be considered as both a living language of the modern Middle East and also the vehicle of one of the great religious traditions of that region, along with Hebrew, Arabic, and Persian. Unfortunately, Neo-Mandaic is severely endangered, and all signs indicate that the current generation of speakers is likely to be the last. As a description of an endangered language, this work addresses one of the chief concerns of linguists in the 21st century, namely the impending loss of the majority of the world's languages and the immense threat to both linguistic and cultural diversity that it represents. This grammar is the fi rst account of a previously undocumented dialect of Neo-Mandaic, and most thorough description of any Neo-Mandaic dialect. In addition to a description of its phonology, inflectional paradigms, and morphosyntax, it includes a collection of ten texts, transcribed and translated, as well as a concise lexicon of the vocabulary found within these texts.
Publisher: Otto Harrassowitz Verlag
ISBN: 9783447058742
Category : Foreign Language Study
Languages : en
Pages : 416
Book Description
Neo-Mandaic is the only surviving dialect of Aramaic to be recognized as a direct descendant of any of the classical dialects of Late Antiquity. The Mandaeans who speak it are adherents of a pre-Islamic Gnostic sect, the only such sect to survive to the present day. As such, Mandaic may be considered as both a living language of the modern Middle East and also the vehicle of one of the great religious traditions of that region, along with Hebrew, Arabic, and Persian. Unfortunately, Neo-Mandaic is severely endangered, and all signs indicate that the current generation of speakers is likely to be the last. As a description of an endangered language, this work addresses one of the chief concerns of linguists in the 21st century, namely the impending loss of the majority of the world's languages and the immense threat to both linguistic and cultural diversity that it represents. This grammar is the fi rst account of a previously undocumented dialect of Neo-Mandaic, and most thorough description of any Neo-Mandaic dialect. In addition to a description of its phonology, inflectional paradigms, and morphosyntax, it includes a collection of ten texts, transcribed and translated, as well as a concise lexicon of the vocabulary found within these texts.
The Mandaean Book of John
Author: Charles G. Häberl
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
ISBN: 3110487861
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 476
Book Description
Given the degree of popular fascination with Gnostic religions, it is surprising how few pay attention to the one such religion that has survived from antiquity until the present day: Mandaism. Mandaeans, who esteem John the Baptist as the most famous adherent to their religion, have in our time found themselves driven from their historic homelands by war and oppression. Today, they are a community in crisis, but they provide us with unparalleled access to a library of ancient Gnostic scriptures, as part of the living tradition that has sustained them across the centuries. Gnostic texts such as these have caught popular interest in recent times, as traditional assumptions about the original forms and cultural contexts of related religious traditions, such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, have been called into question. However, we can learn only so much from texts in isolation from their own contexts. Mandaean literature uniquely allows us not only to increase our knowledge about Gnosticism, and by extension all these other religions, but also to observe the relationship between Gnostic texts, rituals, beliefs, and living practices, both historically and in the present day.
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
ISBN: 3110487861
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 476
Book Description
Given the degree of popular fascination with Gnostic religions, it is surprising how few pay attention to the one such religion that has survived from antiquity until the present day: Mandaism. Mandaeans, who esteem John the Baptist as the most famous adherent to their religion, have in our time found themselves driven from their historic homelands by war and oppression. Today, they are a community in crisis, but they provide us with unparalleled access to a library of ancient Gnostic scriptures, as part of the living tradition that has sustained them across the centuries. Gnostic texts such as these have caught popular interest in recent times, as traditional assumptions about the original forms and cultural contexts of related religious traditions, such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, have been called into question. However, we can learn only so much from texts in isolation from their own contexts. Mandaean literature uniquely allows us not only to increase our knowledge about Gnosticism, and by extension all these other religions, but also to observe the relationship between Gnostic texts, rituals, beliefs, and living practices, both historically and in the present day.
Comparative Lexical Studies in Neo-Mandaic
Author: Hezy Mutzafi
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 9004257055
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 243
Book Description
Neo-Mandaic is the last phase of a pre-modern vernacular closely related to Classical Mandaic, a Mesopotamian Aramaic idiom of Late Antiquity. This unique language is critically endangered, being spoken by a few hundred adherents of Mandaeism, the only gnostic religion to have survived until the present day. All other Mandaeans, numbering several tens of thousands, are Arabic or Persian speakers. The present study concerns the least known aspect of the language, namely its lexicon as reflected in both its dialects, those of the cities of Ahvaz and Khorramshahr in the Iranian province of Khuzestan. Apart from lexicological and etymological studies in Neo-Mandaic itself, the book discusses the contribution of the Neo-Mandaic lexis to our knowledge of literary Mandaic as well as aspects of this lexis within the framework of Neo-Aramaic as a whole.
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 9004257055
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 243
Book Description
Neo-Mandaic is the last phase of a pre-modern vernacular closely related to Classical Mandaic, a Mesopotamian Aramaic idiom of Late Antiquity. This unique language is critically endangered, being spoken by a few hundred adherents of Mandaeism, the only gnostic religion to have survived until the present day. All other Mandaeans, numbering several tens of thousands, are Arabic or Persian speakers. The present study concerns the least known aspect of the language, namely its lexicon as reflected in both its dialects, those of the cities of Ahvaz and Khorramshahr in the Iranian province of Khuzestan. Apart from lexicological and etymological studies in Neo-Mandaic itself, the book discusses the contribution of the Neo-Mandaic lexis to our knowledge of literary Mandaic as well as aspects of this lexis within the framework of Neo-Aramaic as a whole.
Language Diversity in Iran
Author: Charles G. Häberl
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
ISBN: 3110637766
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 390
Book Description
The current companion will offer a survey of the Afroasiatic, Dravidian, Indo-Aryan, and Turkic languages in contact with Iranian languages. Comparatively few of Iran's minority languages are well-documented or even widely known outside of a small cadre of specialists. A volume that organizes sketches of the non-Iranian languages of Iran offers a unique perspective on the history and structure of the Iranian language.
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
ISBN: 3110637766
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 390
Book Description
The current companion will offer a survey of the Afroasiatic, Dravidian, Indo-Aryan, and Turkic languages in contact with Iranian languages. Comparatively few of Iran's minority languages are well-documented or even widely known outside of a small cadre of specialists. A volume that organizes sketches of the non-Iranian languages of Iran offers a unique perspective on the history and structure of the Iranian language.
New Inscriptions and Seals Relating to the Biblical World
Author: Meir Lubetski
Publisher: Society of Biblical Lit
ISBN: 1589835573
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 337
Book Description
This volume continues the tradition of New Seals and Inscriptions, Hebrew, Idumean and Cuneiform (Sheffield Phoenix, 2007) by featuring analyses by eminent scholars of some of the archaeological treasures from Dr. Shlomo Moussaieff’s outstanding collection. These contributions signal fresh approaches to the study of ancient artifacts and underscore the role of archaeological evidence in reconstructing the legacy of antiquity, especially that of the biblical period. The contributors are Kathleen Abraham, Chaim Cohen, Robert Deutsch, Claire Gottlieb, Martin Heide, Richard S. Hess, W. G. Lambert†, André Lemaire, Meir Lubetski, Matthew Morgenstern, Alan Millard, Lawrence J. Mykytiuk, and Peter van der Veen.
Publisher: Society of Biblical Lit
ISBN: 1589835573
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 337
Book Description
This volume continues the tradition of New Seals and Inscriptions, Hebrew, Idumean and Cuneiform (Sheffield Phoenix, 2007) by featuring analyses by eminent scholars of some of the archaeological treasures from Dr. Shlomo Moussaieff’s outstanding collection. These contributions signal fresh approaches to the study of ancient artifacts and underscore the role of archaeological evidence in reconstructing the legacy of antiquity, especially that of the biblical period. The contributors are Kathleen Abraham, Chaim Cohen, Robert Deutsch, Claire Gottlieb, Martin Heide, Richard S. Hess, W. G. Lambert†, André Lemaire, Meir Lubetski, Matthew Morgenstern, Alan Millard, Lawrence J. Mykytiuk, and Peter van der Veen.
The Rise and Fall of Ergativity in Aramaic
Author: Eleanor Coghill
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0198723806
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 404
Book Description
This book traces the changes in argument alignment that have taken place in Aramaic during its 3000-year documented history. Eastern Aramaic dialects first developed tense-conditioned ergative aligment in the perfect, which later developed into a past perfective. However, while some modern dialects preserve a degree of ergative aligment, it has been eroded by movement towards semantic/Split-S alignment and by the use of separate marking for the patient, and some dialects have lost ergative alignment altogether. These dialects therefore show an entire cycle of alignment change, something which had previously been considered unlikely. Eleanor Coghill examines evidence from ancient Aramaic texts, recent dialectal documentation, and cross-linguistic parallels to provide an account of the pathways through which this alignment change took place. She argues that what became the ergative construction was originally limited mostly to verbs with an experiencer role, such as 'see' and 'hear', which could encode the experiencer with a dative. While this dative-experiencer scenario shows some formal similarities with other proposed explanations for alignment change, the data analysed in this book show that it is clearly distinct. The book draws important theoretical conclusions on the development of tense-conditioned alignment cross-linguistically, and provides a valuable basis for further research.
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0198723806
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 404
Book Description
This book traces the changes in argument alignment that have taken place in Aramaic during its 3000-year documented history. Eastern Aramaic dialects first developed tense-conditioned ergative aligment in the perfect, which later developed into a past perfective. However, while some modern dialects preserve a degree of ergative aligment, it has been eroded by movement towards semantic/Split-S alignment and by the use of separate marking for the patient, and some dialects have lost ergative alignment altogether. These dialects therefore show an entire cycle of alignment change, something which had previously been considered unlikely. Eleanor Coghill examines evidence from ancient Aramaic texts, recent dialectal documentation, and cross-linguistic parallels to provide an account of the pathways through which this alignment change took place. She argues that what became the ergative construction was originally limited mostly to verbs with an experiencer role, such as 'see' and 'hear', which could encode the experiencer with a dative. While this dative-experiencer scenario shows some formal similarities with other proposed explanations for alignment change, the data analysed in this book show that it is clearly distinct. The book draws important theoretical conclusions on the development of tense-conditioned alignment cross-linguistically, and provides a valuable basis for further research.
Iranian and Minority Languages at Home and in Diaspora
Author: Anousha Sedighi
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
ISBN: 311069431X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 333
Book Description
While the typology, syntax, and morphology of Iranian languages have been widely explored, the sociolinguistic aspects remain largely understudied. The present companion addresses this essential yet overlooked area of research in two ways: (i) The book explores multilingualism within Iran and its neighbouring countries. (ii) It also investigates Iranian heritage languages within the diasporic context of the West. The scope of languages covered is vast: In addition to discussing Iranian minority languages such as Tati and Balochi, the book explores non-Iranian minority languages such as Azeri, Tukmen, Armenian and Mandaic. Furthermore, the companion investigates Iranian heritage languages such as Wakhi, Pashto, and Persian within their diasporic and global contexts. In the current era of migration and globalization, minority and heritage speakers are increasingly valuable resources. By focusing on the speakers, the companion provides new insights into a multitude of sociolinguistic issues including language attitude and identity, language use and literacy practices, language policy, language shift and loss. The companion is an essential reference for those interested in Iranian languages, minority languages, heritage languages, sociolinguistics, bilingualism, language policy and planning, diaspora and migration studies, as well as those researching in related fields.
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
ISBN: 311069431X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 333
Book Description
While the typology, syntax, and morphology of Iranian languages have been widely explored, the sociolinguistic aspects remain largely understudied. The present companion addresses this essential yet overlooked area of research in two ways: (i) The book explores multilingualism within Iran and its neighbouring countries. (ii) It also investigates Iranian heritage languages within the diasporic context of the West. The scope of languages covered is vast: In addition to discussing Iranian minority languages such as Tati and Balochi, the book explores non-Iranian minority languages such as Azeri, Tukmen, Armenian and Mandaic. Furthermore, the companion investigates Iranian heritage languages such as Wakhi, Pashto, and Persian within their diasporic and global contexts. In the current era of migration and globalization, minority and heritage speakers are increasingly valuable resources. By focusing on the speakers, the companion provides new insights into a multitude of sociolinguistic issues including language attitude and identity, language use and literacy practices, language policy, language shift and loss. The companion is an essential reference for those interested in Iranian languages, minority languages, heritage languages, sociolinguistics, bilingualism, language policy and planning, diaspora and migration studies, as well as those researching in related fields.
The Syriac World
Author: Daniel King
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317482115
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 1064
Book Description
This volume surveys the 'Syriac world', the culture that grew up among the Syriac-speaking communities from the second century CE and which continues to exist and flourish today, both in its original homeland of Syria and Mesopotamia, and in the worldwide diaspora of Syriac-speaking communities. The five sections examine the religion; the material, visual, and literary cultures; the history and social structures of this diverse community; and Syriac interactions with their neighbours ancient and modern. There are also detailed appendices detailing the patriarchs of the different Syriac denominations, and another appendix listing useful online resources for students. The Syriac World offers the first complete survey of Syriac culture and fills a significant gap in modern scholarship. This volume will be an invaluable resource to undergraduate and postgraduate students of Syriac and Middle Eastern culture from antiquity to the modern era. Chapter 26 of this book is freely available as a downloadable Open Access PDF at http://www.taylorfrancis.com under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND) 4.0 license.
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317482115
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 1064
Book Description
This volume surveys the 'Syriac world', the culture that grew up among the Syriac-speaking communities from the second century CE and which continues to exist and flourish today, both in its original homeland of Syria and Mesopotamia, and in the worldwide diaspora of Syriac-speaking communities. The five sections examine the religion; the material, visual, and literary cultures; the history and social structures of this diverse community; and Syriac interactions with their neighbours ancient and modern. There are also detailed appendices detailing the patriarchs of the different Syriac denominations, and another appendix listing useful online resources for students. The Syriac World offers the first complete survey of Syriac culture and fills a significant gap in modern scholarship. This volume will be an invaluable resource to undergraduate and postgraduate students of Syriac and Middle Eastern culture from antiquity to the modern era. Chapter 26 of this book is freely available as a downloadable Open Access PDF at http://www.taylorfrancis.com under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND) 4.0 license.
Babel und Bibel 9
Author: Leonid E. Kogan
Publisher: Penn State Press
ISBN: 1575064499
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 374
Book Description
This is the ninth volume of Babel und Bibel, an annual of ancient Near Eastern, Old Testament, and Semitic studies. The principal goal of the annual is to reveal the inherent relationship between Assyriology, Semitics, and biblical studies—a relationship that our predecessors comprehended and fruitfully explored but that is often neglected today. The title Babel und Bibel is intended to point to the possibility of fruitful collaboration among the three disciplines, in an effort to explore the various civilizations of the ancient Near East. This volume includes as a major portion of its contents selected papers from the 6th Biannual Meeting of the International Association for Comparative Semitics.
Publisher: Penn State Press
ISBN: 1575064499
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 374
Book Description
This is the ninth volume of Babel und Bibel, an annual of ancient Near Eastern, Old Testament, and Semitic studies. The principal goal of the annual is to reveal the inherent relationship between Assyriology, Semitics, and biblical studies—a relationship that our predecessors comprehended and fruitfully explored but that is often neglected today. The title Babel und Bibel is intended to point to the possibility of fruitful collaboration among the three disciplines, in an effort to explore the various civilizations of the ancient Near East. This volume includes as a major portion of its contents selected papers from the 6th Biannual Meeting of the International Association for Comparative Semitics.
The Semitic Languages
Author: Stefan Weninger
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter
ISBN: 3110251582
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 1298
Book Description
The handbook The Semitic Languages offers a comprehensive reference tool for Semitic Linguistics in its broad sense. It is not restricted to comparative Grammar, although it covers also comparative aspects, including classification. By comprising a chapter on typology and sections with sociolinguistic focus and language contact, the conception of the book aims at a rather complete, unbiased description of the state of the art in Semitics. Articles on individual languages and dialects give basic facts as location, numbers of speakers, scripts, numbers of extant texts and their nature, attestation where appropriate, and salient features of the grammar and lexicon of the respective variety. The handbook is the most comprehensive treatment of the Semitic language family since many decades.
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter
ISBN: 3110251582
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 1298
Book Description
The handbook The Semitic Languages offers a comprehensive reference tool for Semitic Linguistics in its broad sense. It is not restricted to comparative Grammar, although it covers also comparative aspects, including classification. By comprising a chapter on typology and sections with sociolinguistic focus and language contact, the conception of the book aims at a rather complete, unbiased description of the state of the art in Semitics. Articles on individual languages and dialects give basic facts as location, numbers of speakers, scripts, numbers of extant texts and their nature, attestation where appropriate, and salient features of the grammar and lexicon of the respective variety. The handbook is the most comprehensive treatment of the Semitic language family since many decades.