Institutiones ad fundamenta linguae Hebraeae: Quibus via panditur ad ejusdem analogiam restituendam et vindicandam

Lugduni Batavorum (Leiden): Johannem Luzac, 1756. Editio altera. Hardcover. poor to good. Octavo. [32], 501, [81]pp (Index). Contemporary full calf. Rev. Joseph Jaquett*'s Ex-libris on inside of front cover. Title page in red and black lettering. Vignette on title. Decorative head-, tailpieces and initials. With his "Institutiones" (originally published in 1737), Albert Schultens laid Hebrew grammar on the new foundation of comparative Semitic philology. In this perspective Hebrew is no longer regarded as the first language, from which the other Oriental languages diverged, but as one Semitic language among the others. Barr evaluates Schultens' work thus: "Schultens emphasized with revolutionary exaggeration the extent of the change brought about by the new knowledge. Far from accepting the traditional view that Arabic (like other languages) was a degenerate form of Hebrew, Schultens maintained that Hebrew was only one Semitic dialect, while the purest and clearest such dialect was Arabic... But in spite of the high value accorded to Arabic by Schultens, his use of it was infelicitous and far from commendable even from the point of view of an Arabist. He nevertheless marked the beginning of an epoch which continued into the mid-20th century, in which one of the main forms of learned linguistic study was the use of cognate languages for the elucidation of difficulties in Hebrew" (Barr, "Literature," 1394-95). Age wear on binding with spine missing and front board detached (but present). Fly leaf detached, but present. Ex-library stamps on title page (Philadelphia Divinity School). Minor and sporadic foxing throughout. Text in Latin. Binding in overall poor, interior in good condition. * Rev. Joseph Jaquett (1794-1869) was born in Philadelphia, and was a descendant of Governor Jean Paul Jaquet. (Inventory #: 39134)