Introduction to the Semitic Languages: Text Specimens and Grammatical Sketches

Gotthelf Bergstrasser (1886–1933) was one of the great Semitic linguists and philologists. This small volume encapsulates his learning, and every page yields concise statements of remarkable insight. He intended the book for elementary classes in Semitic linguistics, but only one familiar with the material can begin to appreciate the achievement in these brief chapters.

A translation seemed called for for several reasons: It is generally agreed that Bergstrasser’s “Einfuhrung” has not been ...