Need to get this CP in to production!

http://www.logos.com/product/33588/ethiopic-grammar-2nd-ed-enlarged-and-improved

Dillmann's Ethiopic Grammar is in community pricing at the moment.

I am a beginner at Classical Ethiopic, but I have gotten the picture that while this grammar is old it is still essential for any student of Ge'ez. Classical Ethiopic is a Semitic language. Don't let the script intimidate you, the language isn't any harder than Hebrew. It may help you at Biblical Hebrew too, you can compare the languages, and eventually read the Bible in Ge'ez.

One might at some point want a more recent grammar, like Lambdin, but Dillmann uses the Ethiopic script from the start, so you get familiar with it right away.

I don't think that the A or B companies still have anything Ethiopic, so having this in Logos, would certainly be nice.

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Comments

Bruce Dunning

Niko, thanks for posting about this. This is actually one resource that I have not bid on in CP because I don't have any background in Ethiopic and really don't see myself as studying it considering there is still so much on my "to learn list" that I have not yet accomplished.

That being said it is interesting to hear that you are studying it. Perhaps you could share your reasons for this and explain how you view the value. Not only may it help me but I think it could help others as well.

Niko

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/511807#Comment_511807

Personally I am still quite unfamiliar with the grammar by Dillmann, it is on my to read list.

But like I said "I have gotten the picture" from reading for example a review from Amazon.

I have also downloaded a bibliography of semitic languages from year 2012 by two notable scholars in comparative semitics:

LANGUAGES OF THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY

John Huehnergard and Na’ama Pat-El, The University of Texas at Austin.

In this bibliography they state:

Reference grammars
Dillmann, August. 1907. Ethiopic Grammar. Transl. by J. Crichton. London: Williams & Norgate.

Although now over a century old, this remains the standard reference grammar of classical Ethiopic,

with many examples of each point of grammar.

As for me, I am just a student of theology (old testament, six years). After I fell in love with hebrew, I have tried to study as many semitic languages as possible. I have studied Ge'ez only for a half year introductory course.

Bruce Dunning

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/511821#Comment_511821

As for me, I am just a student of theology (old testament, six years). After I fell in love with hebrew, I have tried to study as many semitic languages as possible.

Thanks for sharing. I too have several years of Hebrew at seminary but still wonder about the value of Ethiopic.

Niko

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/511824#Comment_511824

Sometimes it just is nice to compare things. The rest of Matt. 28:19 is ( by using Lambdin's transliteration):

ba-sema ʾab wa-wald wa-manfas qeddus

In the name of Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. With a bit of knowledge from hebrew you can see the parts that constitute the sentence.

1) š in hebrew is s in Geʿez: sem (the a marks st. cstr.) compared to hebrew šem, manfas compared to nep̄eš,qeddus compared to hebrew qāḏōš.

2) initial w does not become y : wald compared to hebrew yeled, you can also see that in ethiopic the word has not undergone segholization.

3) in all cases hebrew p is f

4) no begadkephat-rule

5) genitive is constructed in the same order: owned-owner

Bruce Dunning

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/511829#Comment_511829

Interesting. Perhaps I will place my bid since it is not much money. Thanks for sharing your perspective.

Niko

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/511839#Comment_511839

Thanks