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Copyright

Aaron D. Hornkohl

Published On

2024-11-11

Page Range

pp. 127–138

Language

  • English

Print Length

12 pages

6. עצ " ק versus עז

  • Aaron D. Hornkohl (author)
Chapter of: Diachronic Diversity in Classical Biblical Hebrew(pp. 127–138)
The distribution of the Hebrew roots צע"ק and זע"ק reveals a significant diachronic trend in ancient Hebrew texts, indicating that the root זע"ק gradually supplanted צע"ק over time. While both roots are prominent in the Masoretic biblical tradition, as well as in late extrabiblical materials, צע"ק shows more prevalence in Classical Biblical Hebrew (CBH), particularly in the Torah. In contrast, Late Biblical Hebrew (LBH) exhibits marked preference for זע"ק. This shift is further supported by the absence of צע"ק in certain Dead Sea Scrolls and its rarity in Aramaic documents from the same period, suggesting influence of Aramaic on the transition towards זע"ק.
The analysis of distribution patterns indicates that the use of צע"ק persisted in certain late biblical and extrabiblical texts despite the encroachment of זע"ק. This trend raises questions about the nature of linguistic change within CBH and LBH, suggesting that while some late texts maintain older linguistic features, they do not represent a consistent classical style. The observed differences in the usage of צע"ק and זע"ק between the Torah and the Prophets may reflect a genuine historical linguistic divergence, revealing a deeper complexity in the diachronic development of Hebrew. The persistence of צע"ק in specific contexts, such as poetic texts, further indicates the nuanced evolution of Hebrew language and its literary traditions over time. Turning to the Documentary Hypothesis, P patterns as classically as J in terms of the use of צע"ק over זע"ק.

Contributors

Aaron D. Hornkohl

(author)
Associate Professor in Hebrew at University of Cambridge
https://www.ames.cam.ac.uk/people/dr-aaron-d-hornkohl

Aaron D. Hornkohl (PhD, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 2012) is University Associate Professor in Hebrew, Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Cambridge. His research focuses on ancient Hebrew philology and linguistics, especially historical linguistics and ancient Hebrew periodisation; the components of the standard Tiberian Masoretic biblical tradition; and that tradition’s profile in the context of other biblical traditions and extrabiblical sources. This is his third single-author monograph after The Historical Depth of the Tiberian Reading Tradition of Biblical Hebrew (Cambridge: Open Book Publishers, 2023) and Ancient Hebrew Periodization and the Book of Jeremiah (Leiden: Brill 2014). He has also co-edited several volumes and written numerous articles.