Syllabus: Hebrew 605, Syriac I

Fall, 1998 — Dr. Ronald L. Troxel

rltroxel@facstaff.wisc.edu

Course goals:

  1. To attain a solid knowledge of Syriac grammar and a good basic vocabulary.
  2. To attain a reading knowledge of Syriac.
  3. To cultivate the art of reading Syriac orally.
  4. To become acquainted with some elements of comparative Semitic linguistics, especially as they relate to Biblical Hebrew.

Texts:

  • Required:

    • T. H. Robinson, Paradigms and Exercises in Syriac Grammar.

    T. Muraoka, Classical Syriac: A Basic Grammar with a Chrestomathy.

    Sebastian Brock, "An Introduction to Syriac Studies."

    Dictionary

    R. Payne Smith, Lexicon of the Syriac Language (just reprinted by Eisenbrauns; a copy is in the Grad Reading Room)

    Reference Grammar

    Th. Noeldeke, A Compendious Syriac Grammar.

    Assignments:

  • Weeks 1-10 will focus on acquiring the elements of Syriac, using Robinson's Paradigms and Exercises as a structure for learning the language, supplemented by the more up-to-date grammatical discussions of Muraoka. Read Muraoka on the matters covered by Robinson, regarding Muraoka as the more accurate presentation of grammar and syntax. (See below for a schedule.) The quantity of grammar in each chapter of Robinson is unbalanced, so when you hit a shorter assignment, read ahead into the next chapter. [Note: each chapter in Robinson is numbered by the exercise that concludes it. I have listed them according to §§ on the schedule] We will read all of Robinson and, eventually (and more important), all of Muraoka.

    • For each exercise in Robinson, translate all of the Syriac sentences into English. Selected English sentences for translation into Syriac will also be assigned.

    By the 5th week we will begin reading in the Peshitta, as time permits. Keep 7 verses ahead.

    There will be several quizzes during the semester (not always announced in advance), as well as three exams: 1) Thursday of the 4th week (9/24); 2) Tuesday of the 11th week (11/10); 3) the final.

    Grades:

  • You will earn your grade for the course through performance on quizzes (ca. 20%), exams (ca. 75%), and class participation (ca. 5%).
    •

    Schedule:

    W Session Topic Robinson §§ Muraoka §§

    1

    9/3

    		 Writing & Phonology 1-4 1-6

    2

    9/8

    		 Pronouns & Particles [1-4 ]; 5-6 [1-6]; 9-10, 13-15, 74-77
     

    9/10

    		 Nouns 7-8 7, 16-19, 21-22 40-42, 69-72, 90-91b, 73

    3

    9/15

    		 Nouns & Prn. Suffixes 9-10 31
     

    9/17

    		 Nouns & Prn. Suffixes 11 32, 36, 38

    4

    9/22

    		 Nouns & Prn. Suffixes 12-13 43
     

    9/24

    — EXAM —

    		  

    5

    9/29

    		 Verbal system; G Perfect

    14-15

    		   48-49, 81, 12
     

    10/1

    		 G Impf, Impv, Inf, Ptc. 16 51-52, 55-56, 58, 82-89

    6

    10/6

    		 Ethpe‘el & D-stems 17-18 50, 80, 94
     

    10/8

    		 ’Aph‘el & Ettaph‘al 19  

    7

    10/13

    		 Objective prn. suffixes 20 68, 97
     

    10/15

    		 pe-nun & lamed gutturals 21-23 61

    8

    10/20

    		 verbs pe-’aleph 24 62
     

    10/22

    		 verbs pe-yodh & verbs ‘ayin-’aleph 25-26 63, 59

    9

    10/27

    		 verbs ‘ayin-yodh/waw 27 65
     

    10/29

    		 verbs double-‘ayin 28 66

    10

    11/3

    		 verbs lamedh-’aleph/yodh 29-30 60, 64

    11/5

    		 Numerals 31-32 44-45, 91c

    11

    11/10

    — EXAM —

    14

    12/1

    Syriac literature (TBA)
     

    11/12

    Syriac literature (TBA)

    		  

    12/3

    "

    12

    11/17

    "

    15

    12/8

    "
     

    11/19

    "

    		  

    12/8

    "

    13

    11/24

    SBL Annual Meeting

    16

    12/15

    "
       

    Thanksgiving

    		    

    "