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Hebrew

From CreationWiki, the encyclopedia of creation science

Hebrew 'עִבְרִית 'Ivrit
Spoken in:	Israel Worldwide as a liturgical language for Judaism
Region:	Middle East
Total Speakers:	Around 7 million speakers
Language family:	Afro-Asiatic Semitic West Semitic Central Semitic Northwest Semitic Canaanite Biblical Hebrew Modern Hebrew
Writing system:	Hebrew alphabet
Official Status
Official language of:	Israel
Regulated by:	Academy of the Hebrew Language האקדמיה ללשון העברית (HaAqademia LaLashon Ha‘Ivrit)
Language Codes
ISO 639-1:	`he`
ISO 639-2:	`heb`
ISO 639-3:	`heb`
{{{map}}}Extension of Hebrew

This article refers to the language. For Eber and his descendants, see Hebrews. For the specific descendants of Jacob, see Israel. For other uses, see Hebrew (disambiguation).

Hebrew (עִבְרִית, ‘Ivrit) is the name given to the language and/or persons claiming descent from Jacob. The language is one of the Semitic Afro-Asiatic language family, which also includes Arabic, Aramaic, Maltese, Syriac, and Amharic. While historically spoken as the language of the Torah and Jewish prayer books, the Hebrew language has been revived in modern times as the official language of the Jews or Israel. It is the only language that is common to all Jews, and the only one that can be properly called the "Jewish" language.

It is the classic language of the ancient Canaanites used by most of the writers of the Old Testament (except for parts of Daniel and Ezra). The Jews have always called it the לשון הקודש Lashon ha-Kodesh ("The Sacred Language") as the scriptures written in this language were considered sacred.

Go to the Hebrew CreationWiki

1 Biblical Hebrew language
2 Language tutorial
3 External links
4 See Also

Biblical Hebrew language

11th century manuscript of the Hebrew Bible with Targum.

Hebrew Papyrus - containing the Ten Commandments and the Shema Yisrael prayer. Originally dated to the 2nd century AD, but subsequent reappraisals have pushed the date back to the 2nd century BC.

Biblical Hebrew, sometimes called Classical Hebrew, is an archaic form of the Hebrew language, in which the Hebrew Bible or Tanakh was written, and which the ancient Israelites spoke.

Language tutorial

There are 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet - all consonants - and it is written and read from right to left. Hebrew words have a masculine form and a feminine form.

Hebrew pronunciations:

ch is a guttural sound from the throat.
The a is pronounced as ah.

Familiar Hebrew words:

amain (so be it, "ah’main". Anglicized to "amen")
hoshanah (save us, "ho sha nah". Anglicized to "hosanna")
halleluyah (praise Yah. Anglicized to "hallelujah")
David ("Dah`vid". Anglicized to "Dav`id")
Adam ("Ah`dahm". Anglicized to "Ad`am")
Shaul ("Sha’ul". Anglicized to "Saul")
Avraham (Anglicized to "Abraham". Note: The "b" and "v" sounds are the same sound in Semitic languages.)
Yerushalyim (Anglicized to "Jerusalem")
satan (adversary, "sah tahn". Anglicized to "say tan")
Sarah ("Sah`rah". Anglicized to "Sayrur")
Yosef (Anglicized to "Joseph")
Lot ("Loht". Anglicized to "Laht")
Gat-Shemanim (olive grove. Anglicized to "Gethsemane").