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[[Image:Gottlieb-Jews Praying in the Synagogue on Yom Kippur.jpg|thumb|Gottlieb Jews Praying in the Synagogue on Yom Kippur]]

[[Image:Gottlieb-Jews Praying in the Synagogue on Yom Kippur.jpg|thumb|Gottlieb Jews Praying in the Synagogue on Yom Kippur]]

'''Hebrew''' is a language spoken in its modern form in Israel and in its ancient form in which most of the Jewish religious (biblical and rabbinical) texts are written. Hebrew is a Semitic language, related to [[Aramaic]] and [[Arabic]]. Like Aramaic and Arabic, it is written from right to left.

'''Hebrew''' is a language spoken in its modern form in [[Israel]] and in its ancient form in which most of the [[Judaism|Jewish]] religious ([[biblical]] and rabbinical) texts are written. Hebrew is a [[Semitic language]], related to [[Aramaic]] and [[Arabic]]. Like Aramaic and Arabic, it is written from right to left.

The original Hebrew largely died out as a spoken language. Modern Hebrew is spoken in [[Israel]] and is a restoration of Ancient Hebrew with many differences to the older form.<ref>http://www.adath-shalom.ca/rabin_he.htm</ref>

The original Hebrew largely died out as a spoken language. Modern Hebrew is spoken in Israel and is a restoration of Ancient Hebrew with many differences to the older form.<ref>http://www.adath-shalom.ca/rabin_he.htm</ref>

The [[Old Testament]] is written almost entirely in [[Classical Hebrew]], with some portions in [[Aramaic]].

The [[Old Testament]] is written almost entirely in Classical Hebrew, with some portions (such as parts of the [[Book of Daniel]]) in [[Aramaic]].

== History ==

== History ==

'''Modern Hebrew''' is the Hebrew variant presently spoken in [[Israel]]. It is referred to as ''modern'' to distinguish it from its classical variant. The name of [[Eliezer Ben-Yehuda]] has an inextricable association with modern Hebrew. Without him, modern Hebrew might not today be spoken. Also, and more importantly, he more than any other man made Modern Hebrew what it is.

'''Modern Hebrew''' is the Hebrew variant presently spoken in [[Israel]]. It is referred to as ''modern'' to distinguish it from its classical variant. The name of [[Eliezer Ben-Yehuda]] has an inextricable association with modern Hebrew. Without him, modern Hebrew might not today be spoken. Also, and more importantly, he more than any other man made Modern Hebrew what it is.

Beginning in 1881, Ben-Yehuda, a Byelarussian émigré who anticipated (and perhaps provoked) the First Aliyah (1882-1904),<ref name=Naor>Naor M, "[http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1019876.html Flesh-and-blood Prophet]," ''Haaretz'', 13 September 2008. Accessesd 24 September 2009.</ref> campaigned assiduously to adapt classical Hebrew for use in normal everyday conversation and to encourage Jews everywhere to speak it.

Beginning in 1881, Ben-Yehuda, a [[Belarus]]ian émigré who anticipated (and perhaps provoked) the First Aliyah (1882-1904),<ref name=Naor>Naor M, "[https://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1019876.html Flesh-and-blood Prophet]," ''Haaretz'', 13 September 2008. Accessesd 24 September 2009.</ref> campaigned assiduously to adapt classical Hebrew for use in normal everyday conversation and to encourage Jews everywhere to speak it.

Ben-Yehuda had two principal goals. One was to convince all Jews to speak Hebrew as a primary or "native" language, not as a secondary or liturgical language. Ben-Yehuda had been told that a common language was one of two necessary marks of distinction for a self-determining people. When others told him that the Jews had no common language, he declared, "We shall create one!"<ref name=Naor/> He did not actually mean to create an entirely new language, but rather to convince Jews to use a language that they already knew how to read, for a much wider purpose than that for which Jews used it at the time.

Ben-Yehuda had two principal goals. One was to convince all Jews to speak Hebrew as a primary or "native" language, not as a secondary or liturgical language. Ben-Yehuda had been told that a common language was one of two necessary marks of distinction for a self-determining people. When others told him that the Jews had no common language, he declared, "We shall create one!"<ref name=Naor/> He did not actually mean to create an entirely new language, but rather to convince Jews to use a language that they already knew how to read, for a much wider purpose than that for which Jews used it at the time.

==Hebrew Language Structure==

==Hebrew Language Structure==

Hebrew is a "root" language with basic meanings of words derived from the consonants. This is different from English and other Indo-Eurpean languages in which the vowels have equal weight as the consonants. Thus, in Hebrew, the consonants KTB(or V) have something to do with "writing". From this basic root, there is derived KoTeV=writing or author, KaTTav= reporter, KaTuV=written, K'TuVim= Scriptures, KaTaVti= I wrote, eK(kh)ToV=I will write, K'ToVet=inscription or address, and so on. This "root" aspect of Hebrew is common to all Semitic languages. Thus, in Arabic, KTB appears in KaTaBa= "he wrote", maKTuB= "letter", KaaTiB= author, KuTiBat=it (fem.) was written, etc. In [[Aramaic]], KTB appears in KeTaV= "he wrote", KaTVat= "she wrote", KeTuBa= "marriage contract", KeTiVat= was written (feminine), KaaTiV= writing. (In Aramaic the definite article for "the" is A (Aleph) added at the end of a noun rather than at the front. Thus the Hebrew "HaMeLeKH"= the King, becomes in Aramaic MaLKA)

Hebrew is a "root" language with basic meanings of words derived from root words (words which cannot be broken down any further). Many roots are trilateral, meaning that they are composed of three consonants. Vowels, until the introduction of Niqqud, were not written.  

 

Thus, in Hebrew, the root KTB(or V) have something to do with "writing". From this basic root, there is derived KoTeV=writing or author, KaTTav= reporter, KaTuV=written, K'TuVim= Scriptures, KaTaVti= I wrote, eK(kh)ToV=I will write, K'ToVet=inscription or address, and so on. This "root" aspect of Hebrew is common to all Semitic languages. Thus, in Arabic, KTB appears in KaTaBa= "he wrote", maKTuB= "letter", KaaTiB= author, KuTiBat=it (fem.) was written, etc. In Aramaic, KTB appears in KeTaV= "he wrote", KaTVat= "she wrote", KeTuBa= "marriage contract", KeTiVat= was written (feminine), KaaTiV= writing. (In Aramaic the definite article for "the" is A (Aleph) added at the end of a noun rather than at the front. Thus the Hebrew "HaMeLeKH"= the King, becomes in Aramaic MaLKA)

 

===Noun, Adjective and Verb in singular===

===Noun, Adjective and Verb in singular===

1.

1.

Hebrew expresses the basic meaning of the word in consonants (capital letters in this article).

Hebrew writing expresses the basic meaning of the word in consonants (capital letters in this article).

Y,L,D are the 3 consonants for "child", "boy".

Y,L,D are the 3 consonants for "child", "boy".

YeLeD  is a boy. The feminine is formed usually by adding an "ah" sound (some of the inner vowels may change).

YeLeD  is a boy. The feminine is formed usually by adding an "ah" sound (some of the inner vowels may change).

1.

1.

The consonant B means "in" (It has only the slightest vowel sound).  It is [[clitic|attached]] to the next word.  

The consonant B means "in" (It has only the slightest vowel sound).  It is [[clitic|attached]] to the next word.  

Hebrew has no way of saying the word "a". You just leave it out.

Hebrew has no indefinite articles such as "a", a noun is indefinite simply by leaving the definite article out.

''Example:'' House is BaYiT. The big girl is in a house, HaYaLDah HaGeDoLah BBaYiT.

''Example:'' House is BaYiT. The big girl is in a house, HaYaLDah HaGeDoLah BBaYiT.

The Hebrew of the Old Testament, though "classical", is not uniform. Some of the Hebrew, as in the Song of Deborah, is very archaic. The narrative portions relating to Deborah are more "modern". The same is true of the poetic Song of Moses and its corresponding narrative. This indicates that the poetic portions were written much earlier than the narrative and very close to the time of the event itself. This suggests that the events were passed on orally and in song to the next generation before they were written down. Deuteronomy displays a type of Hebrew similar to some of the Prophetic literature.  What all this indicates is the "freedom" found in the Hebrew language of the Bible. In comparative terms to our modern sense and usage, it would be as if King James English with its magnificent cadences, Revised Standard English, more accessible and approachable to the modern man, and New International English, more familiar to the "man in the street", were to be used in one and the same version of the Bible to fit different "moods" and different usages and succeeding centuries. This evinces a most convincing and natural development of the language just as there is a most convincing and natural development of the culture and of the people of the Bible. Biblical Hebrew is thus shown to be very far different from an artificial or "school room" construct. It is a living language – or, more properly, living languages – used for different purposes and at different times.  

The Hebrew of the Old Testament, though "classical", is not uniform. Some of the Hebrew, as in the Song of Deborah, is very archaic. The narrative portions relating to Deborah are more "modern". The same is true of the poetic Song of Moses and its corresponding narrative. This indicates that the poetic portions were written much earlier than the narrative and very close to the time of the event itself. This suggests that the events were passed on orally and in song to the next generation before they were written down. Deuteronomy displays a type of Hebrew similar to some of the Prophetic literature.  What all this indicates is the "freedom" found in the Hebrew language of the Bible. In comparative terms to our modern sense and usage, it would be as if King James English with its magnificent cadences, Revised Standard English, more accessible and approachable to the modern man, and New International English, more familiar to the "man in the street", were to be used in one and the same version of the Bible to fit different "moods" and different usages and succeeding centuries. This evinces a most convincing and natural development of the language just as there is a most convincing and natural development of the culture and of the people of the Bible. Biblical Hebrew is thus shown to be very far different from an artificial or "school room" construct. It is a living language – or, more properly, living languages – used for different purposes and at different times.  

Unlike [[Greek]], which has an ample vocabulary, and case ending to determine which words are to be read with which words, what parts of speech (subject, object etc.). Hebrew is a contextual language - that is relatively few words but each word having a variety of meanings. This requires knowledge of the literature, and literatures - that is, knowledge of the context to determine the precise meaning. Biblical Hebrew has a help in this, though, and that is "signs" (t'amey Hamikr'a) that accompany the text, usually above the letters, sometimes to the side, which are divided into two main categories - conjunctive and disjunctive. The conjunctive tie two words together, the disjunctive indicate that the words are separate in thought. These two categories of signs also serve as punctuation - full stop (period), semi-stop (coma),and even thought groupings. they were written down by the [[Masoretes]] of the 5th cent A.D., that is the people that carried on the earlier tradition of how things were understood. Masoret=tradition. Thus, In [[Book of Isaiah|Isaiah]] 9:6, the Hebrew words themselves can bear the meaning "His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor of the Mighty God..." or His name shall be called " Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God...". But the T'amey Hamikr'a decide the case. Between "Counsellor" and Mighty God" there is a disjunctive. Therefore His name shall be called Counsellor, the Mighty God..." is correct - according to the understanding that the Masoretes received.  

Unlike [[Greek]], which has an ample vocabulary, and case ending to determine which words are to be read with which words, what parts of speech (subject, object etc.). Hebrew is a contextual language - that is relatively few words but each word having a variety of meanings. This requires knowledge of the literature, and literatures - that is, knowledge of the context to determine the precise meaning. Biblical Hebrew has a help in this, though, and that is "signs" (t'amey Hamikr'a) that accompany the text, usually above the letters, sometimes to the side, which are divided into two main categories - conjunctive and disjunctive. The conjunctive tie two words together, the disjunctive indicate that the words are separate in thought. These two categories of signs also serve as punctuation - full stop (period), semi-stop (coma),and even thought groupings. they were written down by the [[Masoretes]] of the 5th cent A.D., that is the people that carried on the earlier tradition of how things were understood. Masoret=tradition. Thus, In [[Book of Isaiah|Isaiah]] 9:6, the Hebrew words themselves can bear the meaning "His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor of the Mighty God..." or His name shall be called " Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God...". But the T'amey Hamikr'a decide the case. Between "Counsellor" and Mighty God" there is a disjunctive. Therefore, His name shall be called Counsellor, the Mighty God..." is correct - according to the understanding that the Masoretes received.  

These "signs" also bear traditional melodies that vary according to the various dispersions of the Jews - Babylonian, Yemenite, Ashkenazic, Sephardic,etc. Yet, there are  melody lines common to all the dispersions. This could only have occurred when all the dispersion were together. That was in the 1st Century before the Exile of the Jews by the Romans at 70 A.D. It is thus possible to reconstruct the melody, in part, that Jesus used when he sang, as was the custom, the prophetic portion in the [[synagogue]]. Some of these themes reappear in the [[Gregorian chant]] of the Church.

These "signs" also bear traditional melodies that vary according to the various dispersions of the Jews - Babylonian, Yemenite, Ashkenazic, Sephardic,etc. Yet, there are  melody lines common to all the dispersions. This could only have occurred when all the dispersion were together. That was in the 1st Century before the Exile of the Jews by the Romans at 70 A.D. It is thus possible to reconstruct the melody, in part, that Jesus used when he sang, as was the custom, the prophetic portion in the [[synagogue]]. Some of these themes reappear in the [[Gregorian chant]] of the Church.

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[[Category:Semitic Languages]]

[[Category:Semitic Languages]]

[[Category:Judaism]]

[[Category:Judaism]]

[[Category:Israel]]

[[Category:Israel]]