Abstract
After seventeen centuries of lethargy, Hebrew, which had been a literary and
religious tongue, has recovered its vitality in the wake of the emancipation of
the Jews of Europe. Influenced by assimilatory trends, Hebrew enjoyed a
revival as a literary language. This renewal became the basis for the
reemergence of modern Hebrew as a spoken language: the Zionists, in a totally
different ideological setting, committed themselves to Hebrew as a symbol of
nationhood. The pioneers of this linguistic revival, particularly Eliezer Ben
Yehuda, standardized and diffused modern Hebrew. Their dedication, and the
conditions existing in Palestine, with the influx of immigrants of diverse
origins, shaped this “dead” language into a living one. This article describes the
historical, ideological and practical aspects of this unique success.
religious tongue, has recovered its vitality in the wake of the emancipation of
the Jews of Europe. Influenced by assimilatory trends, Hebrew enjoyed a
revival as a literary language. This renewal became the basis for the
reemergence of modern Hebrew as a spoken language: the Zionists, in a totally
different ideological setting, committed themselves to Hebrew as a symbol of
nationhood. The pioneers of this linguistic revival, particularly Eliezer Ben
Yehuda, standardized and diffused modern Hebrew. Their dedication, and the
conditions existing in Palestine, with the influx of immigrants of diverse
origins, shaped this “dead” language into a living one. This article describes the
historical, ideological and practical aspects of this unique success.
Original language | French |
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Pages (from-to) | 19-29 |
Number of pages | 11 |
Journal | Culture (Canadian Anthropology Society) |
Volume | 6 |
Issue number | 1 |
State | Published - 1986 |
Keywords
- Haskalah
- Hebrew language
- Zionism -- History