Perspectives on Linguistics and Ancient Languages
Publisher: Gorgias Press
Series Editorial Board: Lisa Agaiby, Terry Falla, Margherita Farina, Daniel King, Godwin Mushayabasa, Willem van Peursen (series editor), Rick Taylor

Perspectives on Linguistics and Ancient Languages (PLAL) contains peer-reviewed essays, monographs, and reference works. It focuses on the theory and practice of ancient-language research and lexicography that is informed by modern linguistics.

Syriac Lexis and Lexica

Compiling ancient and modern vocabularies
Format: Hardback
Pages: 220
ISBN: 9781463247898
Pub Date: 21 Nov 2024
Imprint: Gorgias Press
Description:
No time like the present, not even the glorious pioneering decades between 1870 and 1930, has seen such a high number of able and enthusiastic contributors to Syriac studies. 'Syriac Lexis and Lexica: Compiling ancient and modern vocabularies' brings together contributions from many different corners of lexicology and lexicography, and testifies to the richness of such subjects, which still offer scholars many possible approaches and research trajectories. This volume is the result of a round table 'Lexicologie et lexicographie syriaque', which took place at the 13th Syriac Symposium, held in Paris in July 2022.
Investigating the Text-Hierarchical Structures and Composition of Numbers Cover
Format: Hardback
Pages: 242
ISBN: 9781463244835
Pub Date: 31 May 2024
Imprint: Gorgias Press
Description:
The structure of the Book of Numbers and its division into textual units has long been of interest to scholars, and various theories have been put forward based on criteria such as time, location or theme. The present volume offers a syntactic-hierarchical analysis of the Book of Numbers, giving priority to syntax and secondary priority to participants and their roles.
Mallephana Rabba Cover
Format: Hardback
Pages: 445
ISBN: 9781463245832
Pub Date: 31 May 2024
Imprint: Gorgias Press
Description:
This volume of essays honors Edward M. Cook, Ordinary Professor of Semitic and Egyptian Languages and Literatures at The Catholic University of America. Cook is a leading figure in the vibrant and far-reaching field of Aramaic studies, and the essays reflect his range of interests, with lexical, linguistic, and literary analyses of dialects from the earliest inscriptions to the modern day.
Neologisms in Modern Literary Syriac Cover
Format: Hardback
Pages: 450
ISBN: 9781463239367
Pub Date: 25 Oct 2018
Imprint: Gorgias Press
Description:
This book is the culmination of the Turabdin Project, the goal of which is to monitor the development of Modern Literary Syriac from the 1980s to the present. The approach is descriptive and contrastive relative to the Classical language, significant differences between Modern Literary Syriac and Classical Syriac are noted. The main focus is on neologisms and new developments in the lexicon.
Multilingual and Multigraphic Documents and Manuscripts of East and West Cover
Format: Hardback
Pages: 541
ISBN: 9781463202835
Pub Date: 29 Jun 2018
Imprint: Gorgias Press
Description:
This volume deals with the evidence from manuscripts and handwritten documents with multilingual and multigraphic structures in Arabic, Hebrew, Latin and Greek, conceived and designed to display texts in different languages or scripts, as well as addressing the historical context of these testimonia (their production, use and circulation) and focusing on problems inherent to multicultural societies.
From Ancient Manuscripts to Modern Dictionaries Cover
Format: Hardback
Pages: 521
ISBN: 9781463206086
Pub Date: 06 Apr 2017
Imprint: Gorgias Press
Description:
These articles on Aramaic, Hebrew, and Greek lexicography have arisen from papers presented at the International Syriac Language Project's 14th International Conference in St. Petersburg in 2014.
Contemporary Examinations of Classical Languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, Syriac, and Greek) Cover
Format: Hardback
Pages: 281
ISBN: 9781463206567
Pub Date: 12 Dec 2016
Imprint: Gorgias Press
Description:
Ancient language study is becoming an increasingly sophisticated and complex discipline, as scholars not only consider methods being used by specialists of other languages, but also absorb developments in other disciplines to facilitate their own research investigations. This interdisciplinary approach is reflected in the scope of research papers offered here, invited and peer-reviewed by the ISLP.
Classical Syriac Phonology Cover
Format: Hardback
Pages: 204
ISBN: 9781463205256
Pub Date: 21 Oct 2015
Imprint: Gorgias Press
Description:
This book provides a description of Classical Syriac phonology based on fully vocalized biblical texts and the detailed comments by medieval Syriac grammarians. In addition to a description of Syriac consonants and vowels (including vowel quantity and stress), there are chapters on the compararive Semitic background of Syriac phonology and the grammatical features of the pre-classical inscriptions, and comparison with both eastern and western varieties of Jewish Aramaic. The modern dialect of Turoyo is also examined, and two appendices discuss the traditional pronunciation of West Syriac and the pronunciation of Modern Literary Syriac, and offer a sketch of Turoyo phonology.
Structural Lexicology and the Greek New Testament Cover Structural Lexicology and the Greek New Testament Cover
Format: 
Pages: 269
ISBN: 9781463205348
Pub Date: 11 Sep 2015
Imprint: Gorgias Press
Pages: 269
ISBN: 9781463242206
Pub Date: 24 Aug 2020
Imprint: Gorgias Press
Description:
This study demonstrates a method for using corpus linguistics to disambiguate polysemes in the Greek New Testament. Included are several examples applying the method to exegetically problematic texts.
Reflections on Lexicography Cover
Format: Hardback
Pages: 406
ISBN: 9781463202293
Pub Date: 31 Jan 2014
Imprint: Gorgias Press
Description:
Colloquia of the International Syriac Language Project. These essays offer a probing analysis of selected lexical tools and methods for working with ancient Syriac, Hebrew, and Greek sources, as well as offering reflections on methodological concerns for lexicographical tools of the future.
Greek Indicative Verbs in the Christian Palestinian Aramaic Gospels Cover
Format: Hardback
Pages: 218
ISBN: 9781611438956
Pub Date: 09 May 2013
Imprint: Gorgias Press
Description:
As virtually all Christian Palestinian Aramaic texts consist of translations, one cannot adequately discuss its verbal system without taking into account translation technique. The present study consists of a study of the translation of Greek Indicative verbs in the Christian Palestinian Aramaic Gospels and its implications for the understanding of the Christian Palestinian Aramaic verbal system.
A Comparative Dialectical Study of Genitive Constructions in Aramaic Translations of Exodus Cover
Format: Hardback
Pages: 214
ISBN: 9781611430028
Pub Date: 19 Oct 2012
Imprint: Gorgias Press
Description:
This book uses the multiple Aramaic translations of Exodus to reveal important similarities and differences between five Aramaic dialects in the use of genitive constructions: the Syriac Peshitta, Targum Onkelos, three corpora of the Palestinian Targum, the Samaritan Targum, and fragments of a Christian Palestinian Aramaic translation of Exodus.
Studies in the Historical Syntax of Aramaic Cover
Format: Hardback
Pages: 260
ISBN: 9781593336455
Pub Date: 06 Sep 2012
Imprint: Gorgias Press
Description:
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.