In the Beginning: A Short History of the Hebrew Language Book PDF, ePub eBook

Join our eBook service for unlimited books & audiobooks. Get a free 7 day subscription! ↓↓↓↓↓


Book Descriptions:

Hebrew as a language is just over 3,000 years old, and the story of its alphabet is unique among the languages of the world. Hebrew set the stage for almost every modern alphabet, and was arguably the first written language simple enough for everyone, not just scribes, to learn, making it possible to make a written record available to the masses for the first time.

Written language has existed for so many years—since around 3500 BCE—that most of us take it for granted. But as Hoffman reveals in this entertaining and informative work, even the idea that speech can be divided into units called “words” and that these words can be represented with marks on a page, had to be discovered. As Hoffman points out, almost every modern system of writing descends from Hebrew; by studying the history of this language, we can learn a good deal about how we express ourselves today.

Hoffman follows and decodes the adventure that is the history of Hebrew, illuminating how the written record has survived, the significance of the Dead Sea Scrolls and ancient translations, and attempts to determine how the language actually sounded. He places these developments into a historical context, and shows their continuing impact on the modern world.

This sweeping history traces Hebrew's development as one of the first languages to make use of vowels. Hoffman also covers the dramatic story of the rebirth of Hebrew as a modern, spoken language.

Packed with lively information about language and linguistics and history, In the Beginning is essential reading for both newcomers and scholars interested in learning more about Hebrew and languages in general.

In the Beginning: A Short History of the Hebrew Language by Joel Hoffman

From reader reviews:

Adriana Cornell:

Inside other case, little folks like to read book In the Beginning: A Short History of the Hebrew Language. You can choose the best book if you'd prefer reading a book. Provided that we know about how is important some sort of book In the Beginning: A Short History of the Hebrew Language. You can add know-how and of course you can around the world by way of a book. Absolutely right, since from book you can know everything! From your country until finally foreign or abroad you will be known. About simple issue until wonderful thing you can know that. In this era, we can open a book as well as searching by internet product. It is called e-book. You may use it when you feel bored stiff to go to the library. Let's go through.

Scott Fisher:

Do you considered one of people who can't read enjoyable if the sentence chained in the straightway, hold on guys this aren't like that. This In the Beginning: A Short History of the Hebrew Language book is readable by you who hate those straight word style. You will find the details here are arrange for enjoyable reading through experience without leaving possibly decrease the knowledge that want to give to you. The writer connected with In the Beginning: A Short History of the Hebrew Language content conveys thinking easily to understand by many individuals. The printed and e-book are not different in the written content but it just different available as it. So , do you nevertheless thinking In the Beginning: A Short History of the Hebrew Language is not loveable to be your top list reading book?

Harold Morris:

Reading a reserve can be one of a lot of task that everyone in the world likes. Do you like reading book thus. There are a lot of reasons why people enjoyed. First reading a reserve will give you a lot of new information. When you read a publication you will get new information since book is one of several ways to share the information as well as their idea. Second, looking at a book will make you actually more imaginative. When you reading through a book especially tale fantasy book the author will bring someone to imagine the story how the people do it anything. Third, you are able to share your knowledge to some others. When you read this In the Beginning: A Short History of the Hebrew Language, you may tells your family, friends as well as soon about yours reserve. Your knowledge can inspire the others, make them reading a e-book.

Susan Brooks:

Reading a reserve tends to be new life style within this era globalization. With reading through you can get a lot of information that can give you benefit in your life. Having book everyone in this world may share their idea. Publications can also inspire a lot of people. A lot of author can inspire all their reader with their story as well as their experience. Not only situation that share in the textbooks. But also they write about the data about something that you need instance. How to get the good score toefl, or how to teach your sons or daughters, there are many kinds of book which exist now. The authors these days always try to improve their ability in writing, they also doing some investigation before they write for their book. One of them is this In the Beginning: A Short History of the Hebrew Language.