In this essential contribution to the study of Aramaisms in the Bible, noted linguist E. Kautzsch provides a thorough introduction to the subject. Since Aramaisms are not overly abundant in the Bible, Kautzsch has the space to dedicate a significant analysis. For linguists interested in how Aramaic influenced biblical Hebrew, as understood at the turn of the twentieth century, this little book will be of great value.

Samuel A. Rhea created a brief vocabulary and grammar while doing missionary work with the Kurds. His goal in creating a Kurdish grammar was to translate the Old and New Testaments into Kurdish.

Bhartrharinirveda of Harihara is a play that glorifies the Yoga philosophy, which teaches that the summum bonuzz is the discrimination and separation of soul from matter, thus leading through renunciation of the world to isolation of the ego.

The name Asur is difficult. In cuneiform, it is designated for the city, country, and deity. However, it appears that the deity was named after the city, which emerged first.

In Wit’s End, Sean Zwagerman offers an original perspective on women’s use of humor as a performative strategy as seen in works of twentieth-century American literature. He argues that women whose direct, explicit performative speech has been traditionally denied, or not taken seriously, have often turned to humor as a means of communicating with men.The book examines both the potential and limits of women’s humor as a rhetorical strategy in the writings of James Thurber, Zora Neale Hurston, Dorothy Parker, Edward Albee, Louise Erdrich, and others. For Zwagerman, these texts “talk back” to important arguments in humor studies and speech-act theory. He deconstructs the use of humor in select passages by employing the theories of J. L. Austin, John Searle, Jacques Derrida, Shoshana Felman, J. Hillis Miller, and Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick. Zwagerman offers arguments both for and against these approaches while advancing new thinking on humor as the “end”—both the goal and limit—of performative strategy, and as a means of expressing a full range of serious purposes.Zwagerman contends that women’s humor is not solely a subversive act, but instead it should be viewed in the total speech situation through context, motives, and intended audience. Not strictly a transgressive influence, women’s humor is seen as both a social corrective and a reinforcement of established ideologies. Humor has become an epistemology, an “attitude” or slant on one’s relation to society.Zwagerman seeks to broaden the scope of performativity theory beyond the logical pragmatism of deconstruction and looks to the use of humor in literature as a deliberate stylization of experiences found in real-world social structures, and as a tool for change.Zwagerman contends that women\u2019s humor is not solely a subversive act, but instead it should be viewed in the total speech situation through context, motives, and intended audience. Not strictly a transgressive influence, women\u2019s humor is seen as both a social corrective and a reinforcement of established ideologies. Humor has become an epistemology, an \u201cattitude\u201d or slant on one\u2019s relation to society.Zwagerman seeks to broaden the scope of performativity theory beyond the logical pragmatism of deconstruction and looks to the use of humor in literature as a deliberate stylization of experiences found in real-world social structures, and as a tool for change.

The JCSSS is an annual refereed journal containing the transcripts of public lectures presented at the Canadian Society for Syriac Studies Inc. It focuses on the literature, art, and archaeology of Syriac Christianity from the 2nd century to modern times. Contributors include Judith H. Newman, Frederick McLeod, George Bevan, Sidney H. Griffith, Mat Immerzeel, Mary Hansbury, and George Kiraz.

As a representation of Arabic verse art, this exploration by Freytag serves as a useful introduction to Arabic poetry for German readers. Following an introduction that presents the basics such as metrical considerations, verse structure, and important characters in the development of Arabic verse, Freytag moves on to specific examples. On all of these topics Freytag writes with authority and sets the standard for works that follow in this field. Useful for beginning students of Arabic and researchers alike, this volume will make a welcome supplement to any library on Arabic verse.

Al-Mashriq (1946-1947) and its sequel Lisān al-Mashriq (1948-1951) were the primary Arabic journals in Mosul, Iraq, entirely dedicated to the Eastern Christian tradition. Many of the articles were written by the journals’ founder and editor Boulus Behnam. The scope of the journal covers philosophy, history, religion, poetry, and literary criticism. The news section sheds light on the history of the Christian community in Mosul during the 1940s and early 1950s.

Al-Mashriq (1946-1947) and its sequel Lisān al-Mashriq (1948-1951) were the primary Arabic journals in Mosul, Iraq, entirely dedicated to the Eastern Christian tradition. Many of the articles were written by the journals’ founder and editor Boulus Behnam. The scope of the journal covers philosophy, history, religion, poetry, and literary criticism. The news section sheds light on the history of the Christian community in Mosul during the 1940s and early 1950s.

Al-Mashriq (1946-1947) and its sequel Lisān al-Mashriq (1948-1951) were the primary Arabic journals in Mosul, Iraq, entirely dedicated to the Eastern Christian tradition. Many of the articles were written by the journals’ founder and editor Boulus Behnam. The scope of the journal covers philosophy, history, religion, poetry, and literary criticism. The news section sheds light on the history of the Christian community in Mosul during the 1940s and early 1950s.

Al-Mashriq (1946-1947) and its sequel Lisān al-Mashriq (1948-1951) were the primary Arabic journals in Mosul, Iraq, entirely dedicated to the Eastern Christian tradition. Many of the articles were written by the journals’ founder and editor Boulus Behnam. The scope of the journal covers philosophy, history, religion, poetry, and literary criticism. The news section sheds light on the history of the Christian community in Mosul during the 1940s and early 1950s.

Al-Mashriq (1946-1947) and its sequel Lisān al-Mashriq (1948-1951) were the primary Arabic journals in Mosul, Iraq, entirely dedicated to the Eastern Christian tradition. Many of the articles were written by the journals’ founder and editor Boulus Behnam. The scope of the journal covers philosophy, history, religion, poetry, and literary criticism. The news section sheds light on the history of the Christian community in Mosul during the 1940s and early 1950s.

This handbook tabulates the most common verbal paradigms and conjugations. It begins by explaining the various types of verbs and how they differ from each other. Every table is spread over two pages in width. Columns and rows are marked to make easy references.

In this brief work, Larsow discusses the evidence for Syriac dialects, other than the well-known eastern and western varieties, and he especially makes use of material from the lexica of Bar Ali and Bar Bahlul.

This volume is Baethgen’s dissertation from the University of Leipzig, in which he presents the Syriac text, based on the only manuscript of the work (from Berlin), along with an annotated German translation and an introduction.

The cuneiform terms for sport introduce these studies on a variety of topics dealing with Akkadian and Sumerian lexicography. Other essays include an exploration of a cuneiform description of a volcanic eruption, the Assyrian words pâtu (blowy), pâţu (brim), miţpânu (longbow), talîmu (full brother), budulxu (bdellium), zâzu (halve), marçu (sick and arduous), xamâdu (to help), napšu (lust), and kamâsu, kanâšu, and qamâçu. Semitic and Classical descriptions of naphtha and asphalt, and a study of the cuneiform name of the home of ‘Omar Khayyâm are included. Sumerian lexicography is not neglected, with explorations of nimur (salt, smoke, salt-swamp), and azalak (fuller).