Israel > The JTF Hebrew Club
The switching of the shin and sin in Hebrew and Arabic
rhayat1:
This is not a question I expect to get answered on this forum, but it is something that has vexed me for decades:
Hebrew: Shemesh Arabic: Shams
Hebrew: Semol Arabic: Shimal
Hebrew: Moshe Arabic: Musa
Hebrew: Nefesh Arabic: Nafs
Hebrew: Gesher Arabic: Gisr
Hebrew: Anashim Arabic: Nas
Hebrew: Shalom Arabic: Salam
Hebrew: Shamayim Arabic: Sama
Hebrew: Shisha Arabic: Sita
Hebrew: Tish'a Arabic: Tis'a
Hebrew: Midrash Arabic: Madras
Hebrew: Parash Arabic: Faras
Hebrew: Shokhen Arabic: Sakin
Hebrew: Hoshen Arabic: Hasan
Hebrew: Nasha Arabic: Nasa
Hebrew: Rosh Arabic: Ras
Hebrew: Hamisha Arabic: Khamsa
Hebrew: Shana Arabic: Sana
Hebrew: Shen Arabic: Sin
Hebrew: Nashim Arabic: Nisa
Of the two languages, Arabic is generally the more conservative. There are some words where the Hebrew Sin is Arabic Shin (Hebrew 'Asarah = 'Ashrah in Arabic) and a few where they stay the same. Yet others (such as the numbers Shenayim, Shalosha and Shemonah = Thenein, Thalatha and Thamaniya) where Hebrew shin is thaw in Arabic - which we find also in Aramaic (such as Hebrew Shor = Tor in Aramaic and Arabic). All this makes me wonder, from a historical perspective how did all this come about?
Many years ago, when I was but a lad, I brought this up with a rabbi in Jerusalem. His answer was that "Lashon haQqodhesh" does not mean "Hebrew" as we know it. I suppose one could say that Lashon haQqodhesh was what some would call "proto-Semitic".
Spectator:
As for the similarities, there is nothing strange because both Hebrew and Arabic belong to the Semitic language family. You can find even closer lexical similarities between English and German, Russian and Serbian, French and Italian, etc.
--- Quote from: rhayat1 on February 03, 2010, 10:53:37 AM ---Many years ago, when I was but a lad, I brought this up with a rabbi in Jerusalem. His answer was that "Lashon haQqodhesh" does not mean "Hebrew" as we know it.
--- End quote ---
Lashon haKodesh is Hebrew. The rabbi meant that modern Israeli Hebrew is very simplified, both in grammar and in phonetics.
--- Quote from: rhayat1 on February 03, 2010, 10:53:37 AM ---I suppose one could say that Lashon haQqodhesh was what some would call "proto-Semitic".
--- End quote ---
This is wrong. Even though Arabic and other Semitic languages are close to Hebrew, you cannot extend the concept of Lashon haKodesh (Holy Language) on them. Witten Torah was written in Hebrew, not in Arabic, Aramaic, Ammonite, Moavite, etc. (and it was written for the Jews but not for any of these peoples). Torah was given to the Children of Israel (bnei Yisra'el), not to the children of Sem ("bnei Shem") in general!
rhayat1:
I don't wonder about the similarities. I wonder about the switching, specifically, between the shin and the sin.
Spectator:
--- Quote from: rhayat1 on February 03, 2010, 11:26:06 AM ---I don't wonder about the similarities. I wonder about the switching, specifically, between the shin and the sin.
--- End quote ---
"Sh" is very rare in Arabic. It is almost always "sh" in Hebrew turns to "s" in Arabic, not vice versa. It is just hard for Arabs to say "sh".
In any case, neither similarities nor specific differences don't make Arabic or "proto-Semitic" Holy Language. The only Holy Language is Hebrew!
rhayat1:
--- Quote from: Spectator on February 03, 2010, 11:49:16 AM ---
--- Quote from: rhayat1 on February 03, 2010, 11:26:06 AM ---I don't wonder about the similarities. I wonder about the switching, specifically, between the shin and the sin.
--- End quote ---
"Sh" is very rare in Arabic. It is almost always "sh" in Hebrew turns to "s" in Arabic, not vice versa. It is just hard for Arabs to say "sh".
In any case, neither similarities nor specific differences don't make Arabic or "proto-Semitic" Holy Language.
--- End quote ---
Not so. I assure you, Arabs have no difficulty pronouncing the Shin.
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