----- Original Message ----- From: "Yigal Levin" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, November 25, 2010 3:29 AM Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] cognate alphabet
Greek, as a non-Semitic language, does not even come close. As I wrote before, the Septuagint can be used as a witness to the text and its interpretation, but not as a "cognate".
Generations of seminary students have wished that they were cognate, because studying one cognate language after you've had another makes the second much easier. If you've had Hebrew, Aramaic is a walk in the park while the flowers are blooming and the birds are chirping (or at least, the camels making their guttaral hiccups). In Classics programs, there is a reason why Latin often precedes Greek, but start with either one, and the second one is easier, at least at the beginning levels. But start with Greek and move to Hebrew, or Hebrew and then to Greek -- it's just not the same (and I mean that on multiple levels).
N.E. Barry Hofstetter, semper melius Latine sonat... Classics and Bible Instructor, TAA http://www.theamericanacademy.net (2010 Salvatori Excellence in Education Winner) V-P of Academic Affairs, TNARS [email protected] http://www.tnars.net http://my.opera.com/barryhofstetter/blog http://mysite.verizon.net/nebarry _______________________________________________ b-hebrew mailing list [email protected] http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/b-hebrew
