Language and Linguistics

This volume records and describes the 483 Turkish manuscripts in the British Museum at the time of the author. Most of the manuscripts are in Western Turkish, and a few in Eastern. The material is helpfully categorized according to the area of particular concern to the manuscript. Various aspects of Islamic religious practice are covered by several manuscripts. Other general areas represented are history, sciences, the arts, philology, and poetry. The Eastern Turkish materials are given their own section. Each manuscript is meticulously described, and the volume contains useful indices of titles, personal names, and subjects. A must have for any Turkologist, this historic catalogue is once again available.

The introduction to the Arabic language by the renowned linguist Georg Freytag is fast becoming difficult to find. Written in German, this precise presentation is intended for a general readership which has no background in previous Semitic language study. The Arabic period covered for this historic grammar is that of Mohammed and later. In some ways an unconventional approach Freytag introduces topics such as Arabic names and the history of the Arabs, even prior to Mohammed’s time. An outline of the Arabic language and its dialects is presented. A period piece that retains its functionality, this introduction to Arabic is more than a grammar, it is a view into the life of the Arabian world.

For the student of ancient Iranian documents, this time-honored source for using the sacred texts of the Zoroastrians, this glossary and index is an historical dictionary of an unusual sort. The materials from three works provide the basis for this glossary: the Pahlavi text of Arda Viraf, the tale of Gosht-I Fryano, the Hadokht Nask, and extracts from the Din-Kard and Nirangistan. All of these documents pertaining to Zoroastrian belief and practice are facilitated by this historic glossary. Based on the edition of E. W. West, the text was revised by Martin Haug. A work of scholarly erudition in the nineteenth century, this book, now difficult to find, has now claimed a place among Gorgias Historical Dictionaries.

In an historic attempt to map out the major tribes and families of the Arabic world, Wüstenfeld prepared this work based on three major types of documents. Taken together these sources provide a wealth of information on family names. Wüstenfeld has organized the entries for his register alphabetically, providing a starting point for current day researchers on the Arabic past.

As the title of the volume ably indicates, this historical catalogue is a record of the Arabic, Persian and Turkish codices in the library of the Royal University of Uppsala. After a substantial introduction in Latin he divides the materials into the different types of documents they represent. A wide variety of topics are covered. A set of indices help to locate specific topics addressed in this wide variety of materials. An unsurpassed catalogue of the holdings in Uppsala, this reference is now once again accessible to scholars and general readers alike.

This historic catalogue documents the oriental manuscripts of what is now the Saxon State Library at the Dresden University of Technology. Formerly the Royal Library of Dresden, this repository houses numerous manuscripts from antiquity. Catalogued before the tragic bombing of Dresden during WWII, this historic record, written in Latin, briefly describes the nearly 600 documents in the collections of Dresden and Guelferbytan at that time. Valued more as a historical memento, this catalogue provides a sense of importance of the manuscripts housed in the library of the early 19th century capital of Saxony. Adding to the utility of his register are the indices to the codices included with the collection.

Did scribes intentionally change the text of the New Testament? This book argues they did not and disputes the claims that variant readings are theologically motivated. Using evidence gathered from some of the earliest surviving biblical manuscripts these essays reconstruct the copying habits of scribes and explore the contexts in which they worked. Alongside these are studies of selected early Christian writings, which illustrate attitudes to and examples of textual change.

Eager to preserve the Spanish and Arabic heritage, Miguel Casiri set out to catalogue the 1800 Arabic manuscripts in the Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo El Real, known generally by the title El Escorial. The resulting work was a monument of scholarship in the eighteenth century. Containing a number of quotes from Arabic sources on history, geographical and historical manuscripts, full text of both volumes, indicies, and subject divisions, this edition, part of Gorgias Historical Catalogues, serves as a historic and linguistic study, as well as a reference work.

The famous Persian dictionary of Sayyid Abdurrashid, now quite difficult to locate, is an historic dictionary to which linguists still make reference. The Farhang I Rashidi was compiled by the Persian scholar Abd ur-Rashid bin Abd ul-Ghafur Husaini al-Madani al-Tattawi (d. 1653) who lived in Thatta, now the Sindh province of Pakistan. One of two dictionaries compiled by Abd ur-Rashid, this lexicon, presented entirely in Classic Persian, marks a turning point in Persian lexicography and ranks as one of the cultural and literary achievements of the seventeenth century. The two volumes of this historic dictionary are here bound together, providing an affordable alternative to earlier two-part editions.

The invaluable Chronicle of Michael the Great makes the scholarly resources on this unique manuscript available together for the first time. Now inaccessible, the Chronicle is the largest medieval chronicle known, and is available here for the first time in history as a facsimile copy of the original manuscript. The Chronicle is one of the most important primary sources on the history of the Middle East, especially the period between the rise of Islam and the Crusades.

Originally published in two small volumes of Semitic ephemera written in German, this collection of observations of Paul de Lagarde still contains his cogent insights into the world of Semitic linguistics. Critical remarks on the book of Isaiah introduce his characteristic detail on a number of verses in the prophetic book. The second selection concerns the clarification of Akkadian (Chaldean) words occurring in the Hebrew Bible. In the second major section of the work, de Lagarde presents the leaves of the Septuagint of Codex Sarravianus found in Paris. This annotated Greek material comes from the books of Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers.

As the title of the volume ably indicates, this historical catalogue is a record of the Oriental codices in the library of the Royal University of Lund. After a brief introduction in Latin he divides the materials into different religious or language groups, beginning with Islamic materials, the largest category. Hebrew, Syriac, and Sabaean codices complete the collection.

Turning his keen linguistic eye toward various influences on the Syriac language, Lagarde he addresses the various Persian, Armenian, and Indic words that occur in Syriac literature. Arranged alphabetically according to the Syriac spelling of the words, Lagarde ably addresses 222 loan words with frequently detailed entries tracing roots of the words back through their linguistic pedigree. For the scholar of comparative Semitic philology who is interested in the wider background and origins of these specific words, this booklet will prove to be a powerful and much-used tool.

This set of essays originate in Lagarde’s printed collection Orientalia. The first contribution to this booklet is Lagarde’s analysis of the Coptic manuscripts of the Göttingen library. In addition to describing the manuscripts, he provides data concerning the content, including the biblical passages slated for various liturgical seasons, in keeping with the character of the material. To this is attached an article on selections of the Coptic translation of the Old Testament. Here annotated extracts of the Bible are presented in their original Coptic script, along with relevant apparatus by the author.

In this study on relative pronouns and relative sentences in Assyrian, Kraetzschmar begins with the origin and demonstrative use of relative pronouns, noting the primary position of ša as a genitive and a preposition. Kraetzschmar also addresses relative sentences without ša. He also addresses the conjunctive relative sentence in Akkadian, considering subjective, objective, and sentences with time and syllogistic elements. Although a technical study, this exploration into a key form of expression in the burgeoning era of Akkadian studies will still find a place in libraries of specialists in Mesopotamian languages.

As a scholar of the languages of early Christianity, including Ethiopic and Syriac, Johannes Flemming felt a debt to the learned scholar of the seventeenth century, Job Leutholf (also Hiob Ludolf). Still cited as one of the essential pieces of Leutholf’s biography, this article is required reading for those interested in the life of this remarkable scholar. After sketching an outline of Leutholf’s life, Flemming then moves on to focus on his Ethiopic studies. Flemming concludes his articles with the correspondence between Leutholf and the abbot Gregorius who initially taught him the Ethiopic language.

The cuneiform terms for sport introduce these studies on a variety of topics dealing with Akkadian and Sumerian lexicography. Other essays include an exploration of a cuneiform description of a volcanic eruption, the Assyrian words pâtu (blowy), pâţu (brim), miţpânu (longbow), talîmu (full brother), budulxu (bdellium), zâzu (halve), marçu (sick and arduous), xamâdu (to help), napšu (lust), and kamâsu, kanâšu, and qamâçu. Semitic and Classical descriptions of naphtha and asphalt, and a study of the cuneiform name of the home of ‘Omar Khayyâm are included. Sumerian lexicography is not neglected, with explorations of nimur (salt, smoke, salt-swamp), and azalak (fuller).

A renowned linguist, Franz Praetorius explored several ancient languages in his career. This work concerns his observations of the grammar and various etymologies of Ethiopic. He accomplishes this by discussing 57 lexemes worthy of note and also considering nominal forms with prefixed t and the imperfect preformative with a. These acute observations by a scholar with such finesse are not easily ignored.

This volume is part of a series that addresses issues of Classical Syriac lexicography, and the lexicography of other ancient languages. The international team of authors invited to participate represents a wide range of disciplines and opens new horizons in lexical thinking. Essays in this volume discuss the place for enclitics in lexica, the grammatical classification of words, translation technique, and using new technologies to aid in the lexicographer’s task. This book represents the forefront of Syriac lexical studies, and has much to offer those studying Greek and other Semitic languages as well.

This coursebook is designed for students who have completed at least one year of college study in Biblical Hebrew. It helps students make the transition from the basic grammar books to use of the comprehensive reference grammars and to more advanced analysis of Biblical Hebrew. Constant reference is made to recent works of grammar, and also to the grammatical comments of the medieval Jewish exegetes. A central theme is that medieval and modern Biblical Hebrew scholars have reached essentially similar conclusions, even if the medievals lacked modern terminology

Historical syntax has long been neglected in the study of the Semitic languages, although it holds great value for the subgrouping of this diverse language family. Focusing on the development of adverbial subordination, nominal modifiers and direct speech marking, as well as reviewing changes through language contact and drift, this book is the first step in the syntactic reconstruction of the Aramaic dialect group, the longest-attested branch of the Semitic language family.

The Ostraca of the Coptic Museum, written on pottery pieces, limestone flakes and wood, present the lives of ordinary people in their interactions with one another, and includes their economic and personal affairs. This volume is a catalog of the 1,127 ostraca in the museum.

In the west centuries ago manuscripts were replaced by printed books, and relegated to mostly secular libraries as a result of religious and political upheavals. In the Christian Orient such changes were slower and remain less advanced. Manuscripts have not entirely vanished from regular use, and Christian communities retain ownership of significant collections of their historic manuscripts. The vital connection between manuscripts and religious culture endures, even if attenuated by persecution, diaspora, technology, and other aspects of modernity. This essay provides an historical survey of these issues in both Europe and the Christian Orient (limited here to the Middle East, the Caucasus, and Ethiopia/Eritrea).

This volume is part of a series that addresses issues of Classical Syriac lexicography, and the lexicography of other ancient languages. The international team of authors invited to participate represents a wide range of disciplines and opens new horizons in lexical thinking. Essays in this volume discuss taxonomy, the Syriac passive participle, translating Greek verbs with alpha privatives into Syriac, the translation of Syriac particles, and the history of Syriac lexica. This book represents the forefront of Syriac lexical studies, and has much to offer those studying Greek and other Semitic languages as well.

This book is a reprint of Murad’s Arabic-Syriac dictionary, the first such dictionary ever composed, and the only work of the author. The present volume extends from the letter alif to the beginning of the letter sin; the second half of the dictionary has unfortunately been lost. For each Arabic word given, a number of Syriac equivalents are recorded. The dictionary also gives Syriac equivalents to Arabic idioms.