Ghil'ad Zuckermann facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ghil'ad Zuckermann
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Zuckermann in 2011
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| Born | 1 June 1971 Tel Aviv, Israel
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| Alma mater | University of Oxford (D.Phil.) University of Cambridge (Ph.D.) Tel Aviv University (M.A.) United World College of the Adriatic |
| Known for | Hybridic theory of Israeli Hebrew, Classification of camouflaged borrowing, Phono-semantic matching, Revivalistics, Language reclamation and mental health |
| Awards | President of the Australian Association for Jewish Studies (since 2017) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Linguistics, Revivalistics |
| Institutions | Churchill College, Cambridge Shanghai Jiao Tong University Weizmann Institute of Science National University of Singapore University of Texas at Austin Middlebury College Shanghai International Studies University The University of Adelaide Flinders University La Trobe University East China Normal University |
Ghil'ad Zuckermann (born June 1, 1971) is a linguist and language revivalist. He was born in Israel and now works in Australia. He studies how languages change when they meet, how words are made, and the connection between language, culture, and identity.
Contents
About Ghil'ad Zuckermann
Ghil'ad Zuckermann was born in Tel Aviv in 1971 and grew up in Eilat. He went to the United World College of the Adriatic from 1987 to 1989. He earned his Master's degree in Linguistics from Tel Aviv University. Later, he studied at the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge, where he received his PhDs.
He has taught at many universities around the world, including in England, China, Australia, Singapore, and the United States. In 2023, he won the Rubinlicht Prize for his work on how Yiddish influenced modern Hebrew. In 2024, he was named one of Australia's top researchers.
Since 2011, Professor Zuckermann has been teaching linguistics at the University of Adelaide. He also leads the Australian Association for Jewish Studies.
Helping Languages Come Back
Professor Zuckermann uses what he learned from the revival of Hebrew to help bring back Australian Aboriginal languages. He believes that losing a language means losing a lot of culture and identity. He suggests that Australia should make the 330 Aboriginal languages official languages in their regions. He also thinks there should be signs in both English and Aboriginal languages. For example, Port Lincoln could also be called Galinyala, its original Barngarla name.
He uses the term sleeping beauty for languages that are no longer spoken. He wants to help these languages "wake up" again.
The Barngarla Language Project
In 2012, Professor Zuckermann started working with the Barngarla people to bring back their language. This language had not been spoken for a long time. They used an old dictionary created by a German pastor in 1844.
Since then, they have held many workshops in places like Port Augusta, Whyalla, and Port Lincoln. These workshops help the Barngarla community learn and use their language again. The Australian government helps fund this important work.
Professor Zuckermann has also written books with the Barngarla community:
- Barngarlidhi Manoo ("Speaking Barngarla Together") – an alphabet and picture book.
- Mangiri Yarda ("Healthy Country") – about wellbeing and nature.
- Wardlada Mardinidhi ("Bush Healing") – about traditional plant medicines.
He has also helped with other Aboriginal languages, like Bayoongoo. He also started the Adelaide Language Festival.
Ideas About Israeli Hebrew
Professor Zuckermann has a special idea about how Israeli Hebrew developed. He believes it's a "hybrid language." This means it's a mix of different languages, not just ancient Hebrew. He thinks that Hebrew and Yiddish were both very important in shaping modern Israeli Hebrew. He also suggests that languages like Polish, Russian, German, English, Ladino, and Arabic also played a role.
His idea is different from others who think Israeli Hebrew is either just a continuation of old Hebrew or mostly Yiddish with Hebrew words. He sees it as a blend of many languages.
Understanding Language Revival
Professor Zuckermann has created a new field of study called "revivalistics." This field looks at how languages are brought back to life. It includes:
- Reclamation: Bringing back languages that are no longer spoken, like Barngarla.
- Revitalization: Making languages stronger that are at risk of disappearing, like Adnyamathanha.
- Reinvigoration: Helping languages that are still spoken but need more support, like Irish.
This field helps us understand the best ways to save and revive languages around the world.
How New Words Are Made
Professor Zuckermann also studies how new words are created, especially when they come from more than one source. He looks at "camouflaged borrowing," where a word seems to come from one language but actually has roots in another.
He also explores something called phono-semantic matching. This is when a new word sounds like an old word and also has a similar meaning. He found this often happens in Standard Mandarin Chinese and Meiji period Japanese. He argues that the way a language is written can affect how new words are made. For example, if Chinese was written with roman letters, many words would be different.
Books and Films
Professor Zuckermann has written several books about his research:
Books He Wrote
- Revivalistics: From the Genesis of Israeli to Language Reclamation in Australia and Beyond. This book explores how languages are revived, from Israeli Hebrew to Aboriginal languages.
- Language Contact and Lexical Enrichment in Israeli Hebrew. This book looks at how different languages influenced Israeli Hebrew.
Books He Edited
- Jewish Language Contact (a special issue of a journal).
- Burning Issues in Afro-Asiatic Linguistics.
Other Works
- Online Dictionary of the Barngarla Aboriginal Language.
- Engaging – A Guide to Interacting Respectfully and Reciprocally with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, and their Arts Practices and Intellectual Property.
Films and Videos
Professor Zuckermann has also appeared in films and online courses about language:
- Stephen Fry interviewed him about the revival of Hebrew in Fry's Planet Word.
- He was featured in SBS: Living Black: S18 Ep9 - Linguicide, which discusses language loss.
- He gave an interview for Babbel called Why Revive A Dead Language?.
- He teaches an online course on edX called Language Revival: Securing the Future of Endangered Languages.
See also
In Spanish: Ghil'ad Zuckermann para niños
