Wednesday, September 1, 2021

Fairly good overview, but two remarks


Φιλολoγικά/Philologica: Fairly good overview, but two remarks · Assorted retorts from yahoo boards and elsewhere: Proto-Germanic Origins

The Israelites / Forging of a nation
by Robert Carter and Lita Sanders, Published: 2 September 2021 (GMT+10)
https://creation.com/israelites-forging-of-a-nation


  • 1. Let's not miss what present ethnicities descend from these : not just Shepharad and Marrano, not just Ashkenazi and what I call for lack of a better word "Nordic Marrano", not just Persian Jews, Falashas and Mitzrahi, but also : Christian Palestinians, and over these, Muslim Palestinians.
  • 2. Authors have misunderstood the meaning of Afro-Asiatic.


Here is the footnote:

Hebrew belongs to the Semitic language family, as opposed to the Afro-Asiatic language spoken in ancient Egypt. This is not to say that Hebrew has not changed. The language Moses spoke seems to have changed from the time of Jacob. For example, consider the spelling differences between Jacob’s grandsons listed in Genesis 46 and Numbers 26. Return to text.


I am thankful for the observation on language change within Hebrew, but I am less glad about the phrase "Semitic language family, as opposed to the Afro-Asiatic language spoken in ancient Egypt" which doesn't directly deny, but suggests the denial of Semitic also being "Afro-Asiatic"- in fact both Hebrew and Egyptian do count as Afro-Asiatic, the latter family having these branches, if such:

  • Berber
  • Chadic
  • Cushitic
  • Egyptian
  • Semitic
  • Omotic (disputed)


Formerly, all or most of the non-Semitic members were classified as Hamitic. Now, Afro-Asiatic is not a standing for "Hamitic" but for "Hamitic AND Semitic".

Don't you believe Semitic and especially Hebrew evolved from a proto-language that also gave rise to Coptic and Berber? Neither do I ... as I also put doubts on the Indo-European group being a family rather than a Sprachbund./HGL

PS, it may be mentioned, Christian Palestinians spoke Aramaic up to Counter-Crusade, and Muslim Palestinians shifted over the centuries after the Islamic Conquest. So, they spoke the language in which we have Abun Dbashmaya./HGL

No comments: