Friday, July 03, 2015

Origin of Proto-Semitic Language

I'm way out of my element here, and I'm not going to offer many comments. Duncan sent along these links:

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=SyxDm67_qB8C&pg=PA121&lpg=PA121&dq=Homage+to+thee,+Horus,+mighty+king,+Bull,+conqueror+of+bulls.&source=bl&ots=QVX-y5xvW4&sig=pK-D_W63QJeYYGL4KZ-RUMaWbEU&hl=en&sa=X&ei=l5SVVZPVOMOX7QbgiLKgAg&ved=0CB8Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Homage%20to%20thee%2C%20Horus%2C%20mighty%20king%2C%20Bull%2C%20conqueror%20of%20bulls.&f=false

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=1HJxNdi5apkC&pg=PA397&lpg=PA397&dq=the+mighty+bull+that+rises+at+thebes&source=bl&ots=qPvL-6vTDg&sig=RpfcWpDOq6uyPddvGKZeKTgV5zI&hl=en&sa=X&ei=VZKVVdPuG8aI7Ab0vqv4Ag&ved=0CCQQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=the%20mighty%20bull%20that%20rises%20at%20thebes&f=false

Then he said: "Bearing in mind that protosemitic is seen as originating amongst workers in Egypt."

Good question. Just what is Proto-Semitic language, and if it existed, then who originated it? I believe that we must use Budge with extreme caution. It's the work found in these links.

See also: http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-artifacts/inscriptions/who-really-invented-the-alphabet%E2%80%94illiterate-miners-or-educated-sophisticates/

5 comments:

Duncan said...

There are many assumptions being made in his article which I suspect are politically motivated. He extrapolates a history from one sample. There are others samples - found in Egypt. So I am inclined to see this as a straw man article getting in the way of sensible debate on the possibilities. If you have read the BAR articles over the years regarding Ebalite then you will know why I think this.

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Appendix:Proto-Semitic/%CA%BEil-

As this states most of what we have is built on circumstantial evidence and perceived connections but I think there is enough to build up a picture from these cattle cultures as to how bull and oruchs imagery was use for levels of power and authority.

The word concept come from the symbols used, not from budge.

Duncan said...

also there are pointers in Hebrew to indicate the possibility of more than 22 symbols.

Duncan said...

http://www.jamshid-ibrahim.net/148.0.html

Duncan said...

https://www.academia.edu/472285/Scribal_Education_in_Ancient_Israel_The_Old_Hebrew_Epigraphic_Evidence

Duncan said...

Edgar,

I think this is a good example where the original symbol used was unclear but the simple base words combined give us the outline of the symbols meaning.

http://www.ancient-hebrew.org/3_tsad.html