| Author(s) | Mohammed Ahmed Saleh Hussein |
| Affiliation | Associate Professor, Department of Asiatic Languages and Translation, College of Languages and Translation, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia |
| Title | Hebrew Language and Zionist Efforts of Revival |
| Source | Journal of King Saud University. Languages & Translation. Volume 18, No 1. (2006/1426) |
| Abstract | This research aims at shedding light upon the Zionist efforts that aimed at the revival of the Hebrew language. Before the Zionist era, Hebrew was almost an obsolete language as its usage was limited on reciting prayers at synagogues. This research contains an introduction, five sections and a conclusion. The introduction shows that the Zionist interest in Hebrew was part and parcel of their cultural outlook (Weltanschauung). The first section deals with the history of Hebrew. It traces in general the different stages of its development and the characteristics of each stage. The second section shows that Hebrew was not the prevalent tongue of the Jews in Europe. They used to speak “yiddish” and “Ladino”. The third section shows the ideological motives that encouraged Zionist Movement to adopt Hebrew as its official language. The fourth section discusses the tools that the Zionist Movement relied upon in reviving Hebrew. These tools are used in establishing official associations that deal with Hebrew language and translation. The fifth section deals with the challenges that face the Hebrew language in Israel. Some of these challenges are related to the nature of the Israeli society. |
