Last updated: April 16, 2013
221 Weaver Building
adr10 AT psu.edu
CURRENT POSITIONS HELD
Associate Professor of Classics & Ancient Mediterranean Studies, Jewish
Studies, and Linguistics, Penn State University, July 2010-present.
Director, Jewish Studies Program, Penn State University, July 2011-present.
PREVIOUS POSITIONS HELD
Mal and Lea Bank Early Career Professor of Jewish Studies and Assistant Professor of Classics & Ancient Mediterranean Studies and Linguistics.
Acting Director, Jewish Studies Program, January 2011-June
2011.
EDUCATION
Ph.D. Semitic Philology, Harvard University, 2004.
M.A. Linguistics, University of Pennsylvania, 1999.
B.A. Linguistics, University of Pennsylvania, 1998.
COURSES TAUGHT
Language Courses:
Introduction to Biblical Hebrew (2005-06, 2007-08, 2009-10, 2012-13)
Advanced Biblical Hebrew (Fall 2004, 2006-2007, 2008-2009, Fall 2010, scheduled 2013-14)
Rabbinic Hebrew (Fall 2004)
Modern Hebrew Songs (Spring 2005)
Targumic Aramaic (Spring 2005, Fall 2009)
Intermediate Modern Literary Arabic (Fall 2006)
Introduction to Classical Arabic (Spring 2009, Spring 2011)
Yiddish Grammar and
Lecture/Seminar Courses:
Introduction to the Hebrew Bible (Fall 2004, Spring 2010,
Spring 2012, scheduled Fall 2013)
Writing Systems of the World (Spring 2006, Fall 2008, Spring 2012)
Freshman Seminar: Literature of the Ancient Near East (Spring 2005)
GRADUATE TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Teaching Fellow and Instructor, Modern Hebrew, Harvard University (Fall
2000-Spring 2004)
Instructor, Advanced Biblical Hebrew, Temple Israel, Brookline, MA (Fall
2002-Spring 2003)
Teaching Fellow, Harvard University, Comparative Semitics (Fall 2003)
Instructor,
BOOKS AUTHORED
1. Studies
in Semitic Grammaticalization. Harvard Semitic Series.
2. Samuel
David Luzzatto, Prolegomena to a Grammar of the Hebrew Language.
3. The Mehri
Language of Oman.
4. A
Brief Introduction to the Semitic Languages.
· Review: Juan-Pedro Monferrer-Sala, Aula Orientalis 29 (2011): 325-27.
5. The Jibbali (Shahri) Language of Oman: Grammar and Texts. Leiden: Brill (forthcoming 2013/14).
BOOKS EDITED
1. Co-editor (with B. Richard Page), Studies in Classical Linguistics in Honor of Philip Baldi. Leiden: Brill, 2010.
2. Associate Editor (with Geoffrey Khan et al.), Encyclopedia
of Hebrew Language and Linguistics.
JOURNAL ARTICLES
1. “A Note on the Conjugation of Lamed-He Verbs in the Derived Patterns.” Zeitschrift für Althebraistik 14/1 (2001): 34-41.
2. “Notes on Genitive Exponents in some Modern Arabic Dialects.” Folia Orientalia 40 (2004): 327-36 (appeared 2006).
3. “On Syriac hārkā and Aramaic r < *n.” Journal of Near Eastern Studies 66/2 (2007): 123-24.
4. “On the Third Person Preformative n- / l- in Aramaic, and an Ethiopic Parallel.” Ancient Near Eastern Studies 44 (2007): 1-28.
5. “The Mehri Participle: Form, Function, and Evolution.” Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society (Series 3) 17 (2007): 381-88.
6. “The Subgrouping of the Semitic Languages.” Language and Linguistics Compass 2 (2008): 61-84.
7. “Interrogatives in Mehri: Their Use and Etymologies.” Zeitschrift für Arabische Linguistik 48 (2008): 75-90.
8. “The Paradigm Root in Hebrew.” Journal of Semitic Studies 53/1 (2008): 29-41.
9. “Two Peculiarities of Niphal Participles in Biblical Hebrew.” Journal of Northwest Semitic Languages 34/2 (2008): 123-30.
10. “The Functions of the Preposition k- in Mehri.” Journal of Semitic Studies 54/1 (2009): 221-26.
11. “Genesis 49:4 in Light of Arabic and Modern South Arabian.” Vetus Testamentum 59/3 (2009): 499-502.
12. “A Proper View of Arabic, Semitic, and More.” Co-authored with Gary Rendsburg and John Huehnergard. Journal of the American Oriental Society 128/3 (2008): 533-41 (appeared 2009).
13. “Ḥōm Sweet Ḥōm: The Unusual Mehri Verb ‘to want’.” Zeitschrift für Arabische Linguistik 51 (2009): 76-84.
14. “The Development of the Amharic Definite Article and an Indonesian Parallel.” Journal of Semitic Studies 55/1 (2010): 103-14.
15. “The Form and Meaning of Hebrew ’ašrê.” Vetus Testamentum 60/3 (2010): 366-72.
16. “Samuel Archivolti and the Hebrew Vowel Point Controversy.” Jewish Quarterly Review 101/2 (2011): 233-43.
17. “The Value of Grammaticalization in Semitic.” Aula Orientalis 29 (2011) (Proceedings of the 3rd Symposium on Comparative Semitics, Turin 10/3-4/2008): 99-104.
18. “Mehri Dialect Studies: Omani and Šarqīyah Mehri.” Zeitschrift für Arabische Linguistik 54 (2011): 67-83.
19.
“Hulton’s Jibbali Word-List of 1836.” Bulletin of the
20. “Recent Developments in
Jibbali.” (under review).
BOOK CHAPTERS
1. “An
Outline of Comparative Egypto-Semitic Morphology.” In Egyptian and
Semito-Hamitic (Afro-Asiatic) Studies in Memoriam Werner Vycichl, ed.
Gábor Takács, pp. 454-86.
2. “Phyla
and Waves: Models of Classification of the Semitic Languages.”
Co-authored with John Huehnergard. In The Semitic Languages: An
International Handbook, ed. Stefan Weninger et al., pp. 259-78.
3. “Two Modern South Arabian Etymologies.” In Language and Nature: Papers presented to John Huehnergard on the Occasion of his 60th Birthday, ed. by R. Hasselbach and N. Pat-El, pp. 345-52. Chicago: The Oriental Institute, 2012.
4. “Grammaticalization and the Jibbali Future.” Grammaticalization in Semitic, ed. by Domenyk Eades, pp. 193-203. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012.
5. “Judeo-Italian.” (in progress)
REFERENCE ARTICLES
1.
“Hebrew.” Co-authored with Jeremy M. Hutton. In New
Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible, vol. 2, ed. Katharine D. Sakenfeld et al., pp. 768-78.
2.
“Hebrew Language and Literature.” In Encyclopedia of the Modern
World, ed. Peter N. Stearns, vol. 4, pp. 1-2.
3.
“Linguistics and Biblical Studies.” In New Interpreter’s
Dictionary of the Bible, vol. 3,
ed. Katharine D. Sakenfeld et al., pp. 667-68.
4.
“Hieroglyphics.” In Encyclopedia of World History. Vol. 1:
Ancient World, 8000 BCE to 600 CE, ed. Mark F. Whitters, pp. 198-99.
5.
“Abbreviations,” “Christian Hebraism (17th-18th
centuries),” “Definite Article (pre-Modern),” “Egyptian
and Hebrew,” “Egyptian Loanwords in Biblical Hebrew,”
“Grammaticalization,” “Hebrew and Afroasiatic,”
“Hebrew Loanwords in American Creoles,” “Hebrew Loanwords in
Polynesian Languages,” “Indefinite Article,” “Sumerian
Loanwords in Hebrew.” In Encyclopedia
of Hebrew Language and Linguistics, ed. G. Khan et al.
BOOK REVIEWS
1. M. Sokoloff,
A Dictionary of Judean Aramaic. Hebrew Studies 46 (2005): 387-89.
2. A. Dotan, The Awakening of Word Lore: From the Masora to the Beginnings of Hebrew Lexicography. Hebrew Studies 47 (2006): 460-62.
3. L. Jiménez Patón and A. Sáenz-Badillos, Abraham Ibn Ezra’s Sefer Moznayim. Journal of Semitic Studies 52 (2007): 166-68.
4. M. Ángeles Gallego, El judeo-árabe medieval: Edición, traducción, y estudio
lingüístico del Kitāb al-taswi’a de Yonah ibn Ğanāh. Collectanea
Christiana Orientalia 4 (2007): 412-15.
5. E. Ruiz González and A. Sáenz-Badillos, Abraham Ibn Ezra’s Safah Berurah: La Lengua Escogida. Journal of Semitic Studies 52 (2007): 399-400.
6. J.N.
Postgate, ed., Languages of
7. Émile Puech, ed., Qumrân
Grotte 4 (XXVII): Textes Araméens, Deuxième Partie (4Q550-4Q575a,
4Q580-4Q587, et appendices). Discoveries in the Judean Desert 37. Review of
Biblical Literature (2009).
8. Alan S.
Kaye, ed., The Morphologies of Asia and
9. R. Voigt,
ed., From Beyond the
10. M. Gómez Aranda, Dos comentarios de Abraham ibn Ezra al libro de Esther. Journal of Semitic Studies 55/1 (2010): 298-300.
11. Francesco
Aspesi et al., eds., Il mio cuore
è a Oriente: Studi di linguistica storica, filologia e cultura ebraica
dedicati a Maria Luisa Mayer Modena.”
Journal of the American Oriental
Society 129/2 (2009): 381.
12. Edward M. Cook, A Glossary of Targum Onkelos. Journal of Semitic Studies 55/2 (2010): 612-14.
13. Elvira Martín Contreras and
Guadalupe Seijas de los Ríos-Zarzosa, Masora: La transmisión de la tradición de la Biblia
Hebrea. Journal
of Hebrew Scriptures 10
(2010).
14. Eugene Ulrich, ed. The Biblical
15. Geoffrey Khan, The Neo-Aramaic Dialect of Barwar; together with Geoffrey Khan, The Jewish Neo-Aramaic of Urmi. Journal of Semitic Studies 56/1 (2011): 199-202.
16. Janet C.E. Watson and Jan Retsö, eds. Relative Clauses and Genitive Constructions in Semitic. Zeitschrift der Deutschen Morgenländischen Gesellschaft 161/1 (2011): 160-62.
17. Alexander Sima, Mehri-Texte aus der jemenitischen Šarqīyah. Annotated and edited by Janet C.E. Watson and Werner Arnold. Journal of Semitic Studies 56/2 (2011): 427-28.
18. Kees
Versteegh et al., eds., Encyclopedia of Arabic Language and Linguistics,
Volume IV: Q-Z; together with idem, Volume V: Index. Journal of Semitic
Studies 56/2 (2011): 422-25.
19. Hayim Tawil, An Akkadian Lexical Companion for Biblical Hebrew: Etymological-Semantic and Idiomatic Equivalents with Supplement on Biblical Aramaic. Review of Biblical Literature (2011).
20. A. Sáenz-Badillos, Storia della lingua ebraica. Journal of Near Eastern Studies 70/2 (2011): 319-20.
21. Kees Versteegh et al., eds., Encyclopedia of Arabic Language and Linguistics, Volume III: Lat-Pu. Journal of Near Eastern Studies 70/2 (2011): 320-21.
22. Ronny
Meyer, Das Zay: Deskriptive Grammatik
einer Ostguragesprache (Äthiosemitisch); together with idem, Wolane:
Descriptive Grammar of an
23. Andreas Wetter, Das Argobba: Eine deskriptive Grammatik der Varietät von Shonke und T’ollaha. Journal of Semitic Studies 58 (forthcoming, 2013).
TALKS
1. “The Definite Article in Central Semitic.” Harvard University Semitic Workshop, December 5, 2003.
2. “The Definite Article in Central Semitic.” Penn State University, March, 2004.
3. “A Short History of the Hebrew Language.”
4. “The Preformative n- / l- in Aramaic, and
Parallels.” 2nd Meeting of the International Association for Comparative
Semitics,
5. “The Development of the Amharic Definite Article.” American Oriental Society Annual Meeting, Chicago, March 14, 2008.
6. “The Mehri Language of
7. “Grammaticalization and the Definite Article in
Semitic.” 3rd Meeting of the International Association for Comparative
Semitics,
8. “The Study of Hebrew Grammar from the Talmud to
Today.”
9. “The
Origins of Definite Articles in Semitic.” Groupe Linguistique
d’Études Chamito-Sémitique (GLECS),
10. “The Mehri Language of
11. “The Study of Hebrew Grammar from the Talmud to
Today.”
12. “Some Characteristics of Mehri Dialects.”
North American Conference on Afroasiatic Linguistics,
13. “Some Characteristics of Mehri Dialects.”
4th Meeting of the International Association for Comparative Semitics,
14. “A Short History of the Hebrew Language.”
15. “A Survey of the Modern South Arabian Languages.” Harvard University Semitic Workshop, March 9, 2011.
16. “Grammaticalization and the Jibbali Future.” Workshop on Grammaticalization, University of Salford, May 6, 2011.
17. “The Jibbali Future.” North American Conference on Afroasiatic Linguistics, New Brunswick, NJ, February 19, 2012.
18. “Leveling and Analogy in Modern Jibbali.” North American Conference on Afroasiatic Linguistics, New Haven, CT, February 16, 2013.
19. “A Comparison of Mehri and Jibbali Morphology.” Seminar for Arabian Studies, London, UK, July 27, 2013.
ADDITIONAL PROJECTS
Editorial Assistant for J.F. Coakley, Robinson’s
Paradigms and Exercises in Syriac Grammar, Oxford University Press, 2002.
Coordinator, Harvard University Workshop in Semitic Philology, 2003-2004.
Series Editor, Studies
in Semitic Languages and Linguistics,
Editorial Advisor, Journal of Semitic Studies, 2011-present.
Editorial Board, Journal of
Jewish Languages, 2012-present.
AWARDS AND GRANTS
Harvard University Certificate of Distinction in Teaching: Fall 2000, Spring
2001, Fall 2001, Spring 2002, Fall 2003, Spring 2004.
Penn State Institute for the Arts & Humanities
Individual Faculty Grant: Fall, 2007.
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Comparative Semitic Linguistics
Biblical and Modern Hebrew Historical Grammar
History of the Field of Hebrew Studies
Biblical Translation and Interpretation
Mehri and Jibbali Morphology and Syntax
Aramaic Historical Grammar and Dialectology
Masoretic Studies
Targumic Studies
Historical Linguistics
LINKS