Western Semitic Languages B [ LGLOR2712 ]

To have followed courses at Bachelor level in a Semitic language such as Akkadian, Hebrew or Aramaic.

Study of the Phoenician language.

Alternating with LGLOR 2711 (Ugaritic), the course deals with the following themes:

1. An introduction to the Phoenician script;
2. Vocabulary and the specificities of the Phoenician grammar;
3. Translation of texts accompanied by a philological commentary

At the end of this course, the student will be capable to read, translate and analyse texts of average difficulty. In order to achieve this goal, he will have been introduced to Phoenician script, and will have acquired a basic vocabulary.

The evaluation of the students is continuous, but there is an oral exam at the end of the year on the reading and translation of a text seen during the year, as well as justification of grammar points.

This is not a course of lectures, the students prepare texts which are discussed during the course with the grammatical points highlighted.

Amongst the western Semitic languages, Phoenician is the language spoken from the 12th century B.C. in what is now the Lebanon (Byblos, Tyre and Sidon) and the later in Carthage (Punic).

The course deals with the important inscriptions especially Ahiram, Yehimlik, Kilamuwa  Karatepe, Yehawmilk, Tabnit, Eshmunazar.

- J. Hoftijzer et K. Jongeling, Dictionary of the North-West Semitic Inscriptions, Leyde-New York, 1995.
- J. Friedrich, W. Röllig et M.G. Amadasi Guzzo, Phönizisch-punische Grammatik, Rome, 1999.

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