| Title | Loan Translation or Independent Development |
|---|---|
| Subtitle | The Figura Etymologica in Semitic and in Yiddish |
| Contributor | Lutz Edzard (author) |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.11647/obp.0463.20 |
| Landing page | https://www.openbookpublishers.com/books/10.11647/obp.0463/chapters/10.11647/obp.0463.20 |
| License | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ |
| Copyright | Lutz Edzard; |
| Publisher | Open Book Publishers |
| Published on | 2025-03-07 |
| Long abstract | The study examines the figura etymologica, particularly the tautological infinitive, in Semitic and Yiddish. It evaluates whether this linguistic phenomenon arises from loan translation, as with Semitic influence on Jewish languages, or through independent development across languages. Examples from classical Semitic languages, like Akkadian, Arabic, and Hebrew, as well as Yiddish, German dialects, and Indo-European languages, illustrate the construction’s versatility. While the tautological infinitive often emphasises intensity or stylistic reinforcement, it also serves other discourse functions. In Yiddish, arguments for Semitic origin, especially through Hebrew influence, compete with claims for an autochthonous development rooted in Germanic dialects and broader typological trends. The analysis supports a hybrid understanding, recognising both external influences and independent emergence within Yiddish and other languages. |
| Page range | pp. 555–576 |
| Print length | 22 pages |
| Language | English (Original) |
| Landing Page | Full text URL | Platform | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| https://www.openbookpublishers.com/books/10.11647/obp.0463/chapters/10.11647/obp.0463.20 | Landing page | https://books.openbookpublishers.com/10.11647/obp.0463.20.pdf | Full text URL |
Lutz Edzard (PhD, University of California, Berkeley) is Officer for the Prevention of Antisemitism and Professor of Arabic and Semitic linguistics at the Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg. His research interests include comparative Semitic and Afroasiatic linguistics with a focus on phonology, Arabic and Hebrew linguistics, and the history of diplomatic documents in Semitic languages. He is the editor, together with Rudolf de Jong, of the Encyclopedia of Arabic Language and Linguistics online at Brill, and, with Stephan Guth, of the online Journal of Arabic and Islamic Studies. He serves as the Semitics editor for Zeitschrift der Deutschen Morgenländischen Gesellschaft and, with Stephan Guth, as the editor for the series Porta Linguarum Orientalium at Harrassowitz.