Semitic Languages

This book offers a thorough authoritative account of the branches of Semitic. These include some of the world's oldest attested languages among them Akkadian Aramaic Hebrew Arabic and Ethiopic as well as various modern languages. Gideon Goldenberg describes their history geographical distribution writing systems and genetic classi?cation. He examines their main features and distinctive characteristics including their phonology morphemes derivational morphology verbal systems syntactic relationships and their typological signi?cance. He also discusses the pioneering work and achievements of medieval Arabic and Hebrew scholars in theoretical and descriptive aspects of grammar lexicography and philology. Professor Goldenberg's balanced undogmatic account presents the fruits of a lifetime of original research: it will be widely welcomed by scholars and advanced students of the Semitic languages and linguistic typology.