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Chapter 4. Sociolinguistics of Modern Hebrew

  • Roni Henkin
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Usage-Based Studies in Modern Hebrew
This chapter is in the book Usage-Based Studies in Modern Hebrew

Abstract

The chapter characterizes Modern Hebrew as having developed in a highly multilingual setting. This evolved, initially, from a century of Jewish immigrations starting in the 1880s, bringing languages from Europe, the Balkans, the Middle East, and North Africa. Subsequently, late 20th-century immigrations from the former Soviet Union and Ethiopia and an influx of global languages further increased multilingualism in the small area of what was known formerly as Palestine (or Eretz Yisrael ‘the Land of Israel’) and, since 1948, as Israel. The impact of these incoming languages on Modern Hebrew is described as depending on varying sociolinguistic factors of languages-in-contact, including an asymmetric interaction pattern that evolved between Hebrew and Palestinian Arabic which, together with more general socio-historical factors, created a multitude of communal varieties, and different registers, genres, styles, and codes of usage. The chapter also briefly considers issues of language, gender, and power as well as language policy and planning in this complex sociolinguistic setting, concluding with general comments on the current linguistic landscape of Modern Hebrew.

Abstract

The chapter characterizes Modern Hebrew as having developed in a highly multilingual setting. This evolved, initially, from a century of Jewish immigrations starting in the 1880s, bringing languages from Europe, the Balkans, the Middle East, and North Africa. Subsequently, late 20th-century immigrations from the former Soviet Union and Ethiopia and an influx of global languages further increased multilingualism in the small area of what was known formerly as Palestine (or Eretz Yisrael ‘the Land of Israel’) and, since 1948, as Israel. The impact of these incoming languages on Modern Hebrew is described as depending on varying sociolinguistic factors of languages-in-contact, including an asymmetric interaction pattern that evolved between Hebrew and Palestinian Arabic which, together with more general socio-historical factors, created a multitude of communal varieties, and different registers, genres, styles, and codes of usage. The chapter also briefly considers issues of language, gender, and power as well as language policy and planning in this complex sociolinguistic setting, concluding with general comments on the current linguistic landscape of Modern Hebrew.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. List of authors vii
  4. Acknowledgements ix
  5. Transcription and Coding. Transcription, transliteration, Hebrew-specific coding xi
  6. Introduction 1
  7. Part I. General background
  8. Chapter 1. Setting Modern Hebrew in space, time, and culture 19
  9. Chapter 2. Historical overview of Modern Hebrew 27
  10. Chapter 3. Genetic affiliation 41
  11. Chapter 4. Sociolinguistics of Modern Hebrew 51
  12. Chapter 5. Prescriptive activity in Modern Hebrew 97
  13. Chapter 6. Notes on Modern Hebrew phonology and orthography 131
  14. Part II. Morpho-lexicon
  15. Chapter 7. Inflection 147
  16. Chapter 8. Derivation 203
  17. Chapter 9. Parts of speech categories in the lexicon of Modern Hebrew 265
  18. Chapter 10. Voice distinctions 331
  19. Chapter 11. Nominalizations 375
  20. Part III. Syntax
  21. Chapter 12. Agreement alternations in Modern Hebrew 421
  22. Chapter 13. Transitivity and valence 465
  23. Chapter 14. Genitive ( smixut ) constructions in Modern Hebrew 507
  24. Chapter 15. Impersonal and pseudo-impersonal constructions 539
  25. Chapter 16. Negation in Modern Hebrew 583
  26. Chapter 17. List constructions 623
  27. Chapter 18. A usage-based typology of Modern Hebrew syntax 659
  28. Index 677
https://doi.org/10.1075/slcs.210.05hen

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. List of authors vii
  4. Acknowledgements ix
  5. Transcription and Coding. Transcription, transliteration, Hebrew-specific coding xi
  6. Introduction 1
  7. Part I. General background
  8. Chapter 1. Setting Modern Hebrew in space, time, and culture 19
  9. Chapter 2. Historical overview of Modern Hebrew 27
  10. Chapter 3. Genetic affiliation 41
  11. Chapter 4. Sociolinguistics of Modern Hebrew 51
  12. Chapter 5. Prescriptive activity in Modern Hebrew 97
  13. Chapter 6. Notes on Modern Hebrew phonology and orthography 131
  14. Part II. Morpho-lexicon
  15. Chapter 7. Inflection 147
  16. Chapter 8. Derivation 203
  17. Chapter 9. Parts of speech categories in the lexicon of Modern Hebrew 265
  18. Chapter 10. Voice distinctions 331
  19. Chapter 11. Nominalizations 375
  20. Part III. Syntax
  21. Chapter 12. Agreement alternations in Modern Hebrew 421
  22. Chapter 13. Transitivity and valence 465
  23. Chapter 14. Genitive ( smixut ) constructions in Modern Hebrew 507
  24. Chapter 15. Impersonal and pseudo-impersonal constructions 539
  25. Chapter 16. Negation in Modern Hebrew 583
  26. Chapter 17. List constructions 623
  27. Chapter 18. A usage-based typology of Modern Hebrew syntax 659
  28. Index 677
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