Academy of the Hebrew Language facts for kids
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האקדמיה ללשון העברית
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| Formation | 1890 – Hebrew Language Committee 1953 – Academy of the Hebrew Language |
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| Founder | Eliezer Ben Yehuda |
| Type | Governmental organization |
| Legal status | Language regulator |
| Purpose | To regulate the Hebrew language |
| Headquarters | |
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Region served
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Hebrew-speaking population |
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Official language
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Modern Hebrew |
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President
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Aharon Maman |
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Staff
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38 |
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Formerly called
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Hebrew Language Committee |
The Academy of the Hebrew Language (Hebrew: הָאָקָדֶמְיָה לַלָּשׁוֹן הָעִבְרִית, ha-akademyah la-lashon ha-ivrit) is an important organization in Israel. It was created by the Israeli government in 1953. Its main job is to study and guide the Hebrew language. It is often called the "supreme institution for scholarship on the Hebrew language."
The Academy works to collect and research Hebrew words from all time periods. It also investigates how the Hebrew language has grown and changed. A big part of its mission is to help the language develop in areas like vocabulary (new words), grammar (rules for sentences), writing, spelling, and how words are written in other alphabets (transliteration).
Since 2022, Moshe Bar-Asher has been the head of the Academy. It has 42 members, plus academic advisors and honorary members. Anyone can ask the Academy questions about the Hebrew language and get an official answer.
History of Hebrew Language Development
The Academy of the Hebrew Language took over from an older group called the Hebrew Language Committee. This committee was started in 1890 by Eliezer Ben-Yehuda. He was its first president. Ben-Yehuda is famous for helping to bring Hebrew back as a spoken language.
As Hebrew became the main language spoken in Palestine (which is now Israel), the Hebrew Language Committee created many new words. They published special bulletins and dictionaries. Thousands of words they created are still used every day.
The Academy of the Hebrew Language continues this important work. It keeps creating new Hebrew words to match modern life and technology. This helps the language stay current. The Academy often creates new words using old Hebrew roots and structures. This helps avoid using too many words borrowed from other languages.
The Academy's main goal is to "direct the development of Hebrew based on its nature." This means they set the rules for modern Hebrew grammar, spelling, and punctuation. These rules are based on how the language has developed over time. The Academy is also writing a big Hebrew Historical Dictionary.
How the Academy Works
The Academy has 42 main members. It also has 8 academic advisors. These advisors are respected experts in language, linguistics, and Jewish studies. There are also 9 honorary members.
The decisions made by the Academy are very important. All government groups in Israel, including the national broadcasting company, must follow the Academy's rules for Hebrew.
See also
In Spanish: Academia de la Lengua Hebrea para niños
- Study of the Hebrew language
- List of language regulators
- Revival of the Hebrew language
- Historical Dictionary Project of the Hebrew Language
- Autoridad Nasionala del Ladino, a language regulator for Ladino
- YIVO (Yidisher Visnshaftlekher Institut), a language regulator for Yiddish
- Academy of the Arabic Language in Israel
