A Grammar of the Eastern European Hasidic Hebrew Tale

A Grammar of the Eastern European Hasidic Hebrew Tale provides the first detailed linguistic analysis of the Hebrew narrative literature composed in late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Eastern Europe by followers of the Hasidic spiritual movement. It presents a thorough description of Hasidic Hebrew orthography, morphology, syntax, and lexis illustrated with extensive examples. Attention is devoted to the relationship between Hasidic Hebrew and its biblical, rabbinic, and medieval antecedents; to its links with Aramaic, contemporaneous Maskilic Hebrew, and its authors' native Yiddish; and to its contributions to Modern (Israeli) Hebrew. The grammar fills a major scholarly gap on the diachronic development of Hebrew and as such will be a key resource for anyone interested in the language's history.

Review:

The contribution of Kahn's book to our familiarity with Hasidic Hebrew is unquestionable [...] - Yael Reshef, Hebrew University of Jerusalem.