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Palestine Exploration Fund - Quarterly Statement for 1894/Language

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V.—Language.

The languages of everyday life were Aramaic and Greek, but that of the Mishnah is Hebrew. I have already given a list of Greek and Latin words from the Mishnah, but it requires to be considerably extended, and I here give the results of further study of the subject:—[1]
Money איסר `Ασσάριον "mite" Shebiith, vii, 4.
Edioth, ii, 9; iv, 7.
Kholin (end).
" בפונדיון Bipondion "shilling" Shebiith, vii, 4.
דרקון Persian daric "guinea" Shekalim, i, 1—4.
" דינאר Denarius "penny" Kethubim, x, 2—4
Δηνάριον Maaser Sheni, iv, 9.
Baba Kama, i, 4.
" קולבון Κόλλνβον "discount" Shekalim, i, 6.
Heathen Becoroth, ix.
words אפרודיטי Αφμοδτη "Venus" Aboda Zara, iii, 5.
" אפיקורוס Epicurus "Epicurean" Sanhedrin, xi, 1.
Beracoth, ix, 5.
" מרקולים Mercurius "Mercury" Aboda Zara, iv, 1.
Sanhedrin, vii 6.
" פלוספוס Φιλόσοφος "Philosopher" Aboda Zara, iii, 5.
Law אפוטרופוס Επίτροπος "Prefect" Baba Kama, iv, 7.
" קטיגור Κατᾐγορος "accuser" Pirki Aboth, iv. 11.
" נימוס Νόμος "Law" Gittin, vi.
" פרקליט Παράκλητος "advocate" Pirki Aboth, iv, 11.
" פרוזבול Προσβολή "Defence" Shebiith, x, 3.
Ouketzim, iii, 10.
Building אולם Aula "Court" Menakhoth, xi, 7.
Kelim, i, 9.
" בלן Balneator "bathman" Shebiith, viii, 5.
" בסילקי Βασιλική "Basilica" Aboda Zara i, 7.
" בימה Βῆμα "Tribune" Aboda Zara i, 7.
" אכסנדרה Εξέδρα "Porch" Erubin, viii, 4.
Middoth, i, 5.
Oheloth, vi, 2.
" ננס Νάνος "dwarf pillar" Middoth, iii, 5.
" פונדק Πανδοκεΐον "Inn" Demai, iii, 4.
סלון Σωλήν "gutter" Mikvaoth, iv, 3.
" אסטדיא Stadium "city square" Aboda Zara, i, 7.
" איצטבא Στοά "Cloister" Niddah, ix, 3.
Vessels אנפוריא Amphora "jar" Baba Metzia, ii, 1.
" אסכלא Εσχάρα "pot" Pesakhim, vii, 1.
" קד Κάδος Cadus "pail" Baba Kama, iii, 1.
" קנון Κανοΰν "basket" Kelim, xvi, 3.
" קומקום Cucuma "bottle" Kelim, xiv, 1.
" לבס Lebes "vase" Kelim, xiv, 1.
" מגם Μάγις "dish" Kelim, xvi, 1.
Vessels פילא Ψιύλη "vial" Sotah, ii, 4.
" פיטס Πίθος "pot" Kelim, iii, 5.
" אסקוטלא Scutella "dish" Moed Katon, iii.
Food קרוסטומלין Χρνσόμηλον "apple" Maaseroth, i, 3.
" אפיקומן Επίκωμος "desert" Pesakhim, x, 8.
" קולייס Κολίας "small fish" Sabbath, iii, 5.
Machsirin, vi, 3.
" מלפפון Melopepo "melon" Trumoth, ii, 6.
" אנומלין Οὶνόμελι "mead" Sabbath, xx, 2.
" אורז Oriza "rice" Shebiith, ii, 1.
" סיטון Σιτὡνης "provisioner" Demai, ii.
" זיתוס Ζύθος "beer" Pesakhim, iii, 1.
Various ירוקה Aurigo "water weed" Sabbath, ii, 1.
" אנגריא Αγγαρος "a porter" Baba Metzia.[2]
" ברסיא Βνρσεύς "a tanner" Ketuboth, vii.
" קלמרין Calamaria "pen case" Kelim, ii, 4.
" קמרון Καμάρα "oven" Kelimm xvi, 1.
" קמטריא Κάμτρια "wardrobe" Kelim, xvi, 1.
" קסרא Cassida "helmet" Kelim, xi, 8.
" קמוליא Cimolia "an earh" Sabbath, ix, 5.
Zabim, ix, 6.
" קולן Κόλλα "paste" Pesakhim, iii, 1.
" קרון Currus "oxcar" Kelaim, viii, 4.
Baba Bathra, v, 1.
" דלמטיקיון Dalmaticum "dalmatic" Kelaim, ix, 7.
" גמטריא Γεωμετρία "geometry" Pirki Aboth, iii, 18.
" גפסס Γίψος "gypsum" Kelim, x, 2.
" אליוסטן Ηλἰοστον "a kind of grape" Menakhoth, viii, 6.
" קרדיקוס Καρδιακός "heart disease" Gittin, vii.
" קטבוליא Καταβολη "a rug" Kelim, xvi, 1.
Kelim, xxvi, 5.
" קנטר Κέντρον "a spike" Kelim, xiv, 3.
" קנבוס Καύνβις "hemp" Kilaim, ii, 5.
" מלוגמא Μάλαγμα "a plaster" Sebiith, viii.
" פרגול Περίγρα "compass" Kelim, xxix.
" פולממוס Πάλεμος "war" Parah, vii, 9.
" אסטרטיא Στρατεἰα "name list" Kisdushim.[3]
Various אסטרובלין Στρόβιλος "millstone" Baba Bathra.[4]
" סרך Συρικὸν "Syricum" (red) Kelim, xv, 2.
" אספלניון Σπλήνιον "a plaster" Kelim, xxviii, 3.
" ספוג Σπόγγος "sponge" Kelim, ix, 14.
" טבלא Tabula "tablet" Erubin, v.
" טופס Τύπος "a type" Gittin.[5]

These words are by themselves sufficient to show the age of the Mishnah and the communication between the Jews and the Greek and Roman population. It is clear that vessels and medicines, with various articles of food, were bought from Gentiles. The list is not perhaps exhaustive, and several doubtful words have been omitted; but out of about 70 words only about a fourth are Latin, and three fourths may be older than the Roman conquest. Some of the words are not Greek or Latin in origin, though received apparently from such sources. Among these are Cucuma, Oryza, and Angaros, with probably Calamaria, Dalmaticum, and Cannabis.

A good many of these words occur on the contemporary Greek texts of Syria, and some survive in the language of the peasantry, such as Funduk (فندق‎) "inn"; Kumkum (قمقم‎) "bottle"; Roz (رز‎) "rice"; Kinnib (قنّب‎) "hemp"; Asfinjah (اسفنجه‎) "sponge"; Tawala (طاوله‎) "table," with others of Greek and Latin origin noted in my former paper.

In addition to Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, and Latin, other dialects were spoken in Palestine, such as the Aramaic of the Palmyrene inscriptions and of Bashan, and the Sabean dialect of the Arab tribes from Yemen settling south of Damascus, and the Nabathean of Petra, of the Sinaitic Desert, and of Moab; to which Persian and Mongol dialects, and those of the Aryans of Asia Minor, might perhaps be added in Northern Syria. From the earliest historic age other dialects besides Hebrew have always been spoken in Palestine, but the traces of the Persian domination seem to have been very faint as compared with the Greek influence, and are mainly found, in 500 A.D., in the Hagadah or legendary lore of the Babylonian Talmud. The Phœnician dialect was no doubt still extant, and though we have no known Phœnician texts of the age, Phœnician personal names occur in Greek texts near Beirut. The Samaritan dialect was also distinct, and that of Galilee differed from the Hebrew of Jerusalem. In the Galilean Synagogue texts, and the tomb texts of Jerusalem, Jaffa, and Galilee, dating from the Christian era to the third century A.D., we find evidence both of the language, and of the characters used in writing by the Jews.

  1. Quarterly Statement, October, 1890.
  2. According to Buxtorff, col. 131.
  3. Buxtorff, col. 163.
  4. Buxtorff, col. 162.
  5. Buxtorff, col. 904. These four words I have not verified in the Misnnah.