Ghil'ad Zuckermann facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ghil'ad Zuckermann
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| גלעד צוקרמן | |
Zuckermann in 2011
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| Born | 1 June 1971 Tel Aviv, Israel
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| Education | University of Oxford (DPhil) University of Cambridge (PhD) Tel Aviv University (MA) 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 | Rubinlicht Prize (2023), President of the Australian Association for Jewish Studies (since 2017), Chair of the Jury for the Jeonju International Awards for Promoting Intangible Cultural Heritage (since 2024) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Linguistics, Revivalistics |
| Institutions | Churchill College, Cambridge The University of Queensland The University of Adelaide Flinders University |
Ghil'ad Zuckermann (Hebrew: גלעד צוקרמן, born June 1, 1971) is a famous linguist and expert in bringing languages back to life. He was born in Israel and now works on understanding how languages change when they meet each other. He also studies how language, culture, and who we are as people are all connected.
In 2023, Ghil'ad Zuckermann received the Rubinlicht Prize for his important work on how the Yiddish language greatly influenced modern Hebrew. In 2024, he was recognized as one of Australia's top 30 "living legends of research" by The Australian newspaper. Since 2024, he has been the head of the jury for the Jeonju International Awards, which celebrate efforts to protect cultural heritage.
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About Ghil'ad Zuckermann
Ghil'ad Zuckermann was born in Tel Aviv in 1971 and grew up in Eilat, Israel. He attended the United World College of the Adriatic from 1987 to 1989. He studied linguistics and earned his Master's degree from Tel Aviv University in 1997.
He continued his studies at the University of Oxford in England, where he earned his Doctor of Philosophy (D.Phil.) degree in 2000. He also studied at the University of Cambridge, receiving another Ph.D. in 2003.
His Work Around the World
Ghil'ad Zuckermann is known as a hyperpolyglot, meaning he knows many languages. He has been a professor at universities in many different countries. These include England, China, Australia, Singapore, Slovakia, Israel, and the United States. From 2010 to 2015, he was a special visiting professor in China.
He has also received important grants to support his research. For example, he studied how bringing Indigenous languages back to life can help people's well-being. He is an elected member of the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS). This group focuses on the cultures and histories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Since 2017, Ghil'ad Zuckermann has been the President of the Australian Association for Jewish Studies. From 2011 to 2024, he was a Professor of Linguistics at the University of Adelaide. He now works at Flinders University.
His Research and Ideas
Ghil'ad Zuckermann uses what he learned from the revival of Hebrew to help bring Aboriginal languages back to life in Australia. His work has inspired efforts like the Allira Aboriginal Knowledge IT Centre in Dubbo, Australia. This center helps preserve Aboriginal languages and culture.
He believes that when a language is lost, it causes a "loss of cultural freedom" and "loss of soul." He uses the term sleeping beauty to describe languages that are no longer spoken. He suggests that Australia should make the 330 Aboriginal languages, many of which are "sleeping beauties," 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.
Zuckermann has a unique idea about how Israeli Hebrew developed. He believes it's a "hybrid language," meaning it's a mix of different languages. He suggests that Hebrew and Yiddish were equally important in creating modern Hebrew. Some experts agree with his idea, while others do not.
Bringing the Barngarla Language Back
On September 14, 2011, Ghil'ad Zuckermann began working with the Barngarla people to revive the Barngarla language. This language had not been spoken for a long time. His work is based on a dictionary created in 1844 by a German pastor named Clamor Wilhelm Schürmann.
Since then, workshops have been held regularly 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 these important efforts.
Zuckermann also helped create a Barngarla Dictionary app. He has co-written a series of books with the Barngarla community. These books include Barngarlidhi Manoo ("Speaking Barngarla Together," 2019), Mangiri Yarda ("Healthy Country," 2021), and Wardlada Mardinidhi ("Bush Healing," 2023). He has also helped with the revival of other Aboriginal languages, such as the Burduna language in Western Australia.
Contributions to Language Studies
Ghil'ad Zuckermann's research focuses on how languages interact, how words are formed, and the process of bringing languages back to life. He also studies Jewish languages and the deep connections between language, culture, and identity.
He argues that Israeli Hebrew is a hybrid language. This means it has roots in both Indo-European languages (like German, Slavic, and Romance languages) and Afro-Asiatic languages (like Semitic languages). He believes that "Israeli" is not just a continuation of older Hebrew forms. It also comes from languages like Yiddish, Polish, Russian, German, English, Ladino, and Arabic. These were languages spoken by the people who helped revive Hebrew.
His idea is different from the traditional view that Israeli Hebrew is simply a revived form of ancient Hebrew. It also differs from the idea that it's just Yiddish with Hebrew words.
Zuckermann introduced a new field of study called "revivalistics." This field looks at how languages are brought back (like Barngarla), revitalized (like Adnyamathanha), and made stronger (like Irish).
He also studies how new words are created from two or more sources at the same time. He calls this "multisourced neologization." He has explored "camouflaged borrowing," where a word seems new but actually comes from another language in a hidden way. He also studies phono-semantic matching, where a new word sounds like an old one and has a similar meaning.
Zuckermann's work on Standard Mandarin Chinese and Meiji period Japanese shows that the Chinese writing system is very flexible. It can show meaning, sound, or both at the same time. He argues that how a language is written can actually affect how new words are created.
Books and Other Works
Books Written by Him
- Revivalistics: From the Genesis of Israeli to Language Reclamation in Australia and Beyond. New York: Oxford University Press, 2020. ISBN: 9780199812790.
- Language Contact and Lexical Enrichment in Israeli Hebrew. Palgrave Macmillan, 2003. ISBN: 9781403917232.
Books He Edited
- Jewish Language Contact (A special issue of the International Journal of the Sociology of Language), 2014.
- Burning Issues in Afro-Asiatic Linguistics, 2012. ISBN: 9781443840705.
Other Important Works
- Online Dictionary of the Barngarla Aboriginal Language, 2018.
- Engaging – A Guide to Interacting Respectfully and Reciprocally with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, and their Arts Practices and Intellectual Property, 2015.
Videos and Documentaries
- Fry's Planet Word, Stephen Fry talks with Zuckermann about how Hebrew was revived.
- The Politics of Language, Stephen Fry interviews Zuckermann about language.
- SBS: Living Black: S18 Ep9 - Linguicide (This video discusses the loss of languages).
- Babbel: Why Revive A Dead Language? - Interview with Ghil'ad Zuckermann
- edX MOOC: Language Revival: Securing the Future of Endangered Languages
- The Israeli Language: Hebrew Revived or Yiddish Survived? PART 1
- The Israeli Language: Hebrew Revived or Yiddish Survived? PART 2
- The Israeli Language: Hebrew Revived or Yiddish Survived? PART 3
See also
In Spanish: Ghil'ad Zuckermann para niños
