Stefan Weninger Knihy

The handbook The Semitic Languages offers a comprehensive reference tool for Semitic Linguistics in its broad sense. It is not restricted to comparative Grammar, although it covers also comparative aspects, including classification. By comprising a chapter on typology and sections with sociolinguistic focus and language contact, the conception of the book aims at a rather complete, unbiased description of the state of the art in Semitics. Articles on individual languages and dialects give basic facts as location, numbers of speakers, scripts, numbers of extant texts and their nature, attestation where appropriate, and salient features of the grammar and lexicon of the respective variety. The handbook is the most comprehensive treatment of the Semitic language family since many decades.

Ge'ez, a South-Semitic language, is the classical tongue of Ethiopia. Extinct as a spoken language since the 10th century, it is still used by the Ethiopian church, and still influencing the modern languages of Ethiopia. In this regard it's comparable to the Classical tongues of Europe, Latin and Greek. After Egyptian and Meroitic it is one of the oldest attested languages of Africa. The present volumne A short outline of the problems connected with Ge'ez phonology; the basic structures of the morphology, with special reference to the verb; the principles of Ge'ez syntax; a sample text, thoroughly analyzed in interlinear translations. Comparative charts of the nomenclature of the verbal stems, a chapter on reseach tools and literature and an ample bibliography should function as a helpful guide to Ge'ez-studies for the non-specialist and faciliate reference. The second revised and enlarged edition takes account of new findings, the bibliography is updated and more examples are given.

Ge'ez (Altäthiopisch) ist die klassische Schriftsprache des christlichen Äthiopien, die vom vierten Jahrhundert bis an die Schwelle zur Gegenwart verwendet wurde. Das Buch untersucht eines der zentralen Gebiete der Syntax des Altäthiopischen, die Verwendung und Funktion des Verbalsystems. Um die historische Entwicklung der äthiopischen Schriftsprache nachzuzeichnen, wird dabei auf die Berücksichtigung der verschiedenen Textsorten und ihres sprachlichen Hintergrundes besonderer Wert gelegt. Auf diese Weise können die Einflüsse, die aus dem Griechischen, Arabischen und Amharischen auf das Verbalsystem der klassisch-äthiopischen Schriftsprache einwirken, festgestellt und bewertet werden. Ein Personen- und Sachindex, sowie ein Stellenregister erschließen die Darstellung.