Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-09-02

was formally opened this morning with IN
address by Rev. F. A. Cast, D. D., of tho
theological seminary, whose paper was
&c A Plea for the Semitic Languages" and
tho following abstract will convey an idea
of its character:
Though popularity supposed to interest |
only the theological student, the Semitic
languages, and especially the Hebrew, arc
coming to be moro and moro regarded as
properly constituting part Of q liberal ed
ucation. The Hebrew was formerly a
part Of the college curriculum and is grad
ually being reintrOduced as at least an Op-
tional study of the senior year. This is a
very brief time to devote to SO wide q
study, but NO branch Of knowledge is fully
mastered before graduation, and few grad
yates become specialists in any of their
college studies. The foundation may be
laid In Hebrew for valuable future ac-
quirements in tho language and literature.
Two or three hours instruction a week
for a,yesr will give the faithful olas-
sical student the main outlines of tho Ian
guage and enable him to translate the
book Of Genesis with facility it will give
him an insight in the general structure and
character of tho Semitic family of languages
in contrast with the moro familiar Aryan.
The Semitic languages should be studied
because of tho important part played in the
worlds history by the nations speaking
them. A peoples language always faith
fully reflects their mental characteristics.
Tho native home of the Semitic family
lies between the highlands Of Armenia
and tho lower border of Arabia, extending
east and west from the Mediterranean and
parts of Asia Minor to tho Tigris and
the hither mountain ranges. Though the
Semitic nations carried their language,
their culture and their religion to far re-
mote regions, oven their permanent settle
ments there have been as strangers in q
strange land, never unfolding a rich, fresh,
independent life. Tho Semitic only rightly
fiourished In the narrow confines Of the
southeast corner of Asia. Tho Aryan
nations have extended in accordance with
Noah's blessing that Japhet should be en-
larged by God. The events that have Oc-
Cured on Semitic territory, however, have
exercised tho mightiest influence on mans
destiny. Its seaboard and desert bOun-
Diary protect it from hostile incursiOn; its
rivers facilitate external and internal inter-
course, and its central geographical posi-
tion, where Europe, Asia and Africa
"corner," marks it as specially adapted
for tho quiet unfolding of a peculiar life,
which being developed may communicate
its blessing to the outlying world.
Though the smallest Of the three great
families of languages, the Semitic is the
most unique in matter and form. It is not
lacking in dialects, but there is an easy
transition from one to the other. They
have peculiar unity of type. While the
dialects Of other languages are but the
shattered slabs or widespread ruins of
their original structures, the Semitic is q
temple entire, though presenting tokens
of the catastrophes which have affected it.
The student of other languages is at first
bcwildcred with Hebrew or Arabic. He
is surprised by unusual phenomena or
the operation of new laws. The first of
these noticed is law of tho roots, accord
ing to which nearly all Semitic Roots as
they have come down to US are composed
of three consonants, carrying always with
them the same fundamental meaning.
While tho Aryan to express now ideas,
must orig ginate new roots or compound old
ones, tho Semitic takes a primary root of
two consonants and modifies its original
meaning by inserting q oOnsOnant, prefixing
a consonant or afixing 1t. By softening
hard cOnsonants or substituting related
ones of another class, it modities roots al
most indefinitely, at every modification
giving new shade to the primary idea.
Tho Semitic root exists only in the form
of words. It Is vowelless and unprO-
nounceable, while In the Aryan the vowel
constitutes firm centre, around which
the consonants gather. Nouns like last,
list, lust, in English, of similar cOnsOnants,
but utterly different meanings, would be
impossible in Hebrew, where the funda-
mental meaning lies in the radical consO-
nants, notifications being effected by
changes within their limits. Verbs, nouns
and adjectives are not formed by external
additions to the root, but by internal
changes within the body of it. Thero pro-
walls phonetic law, forming words main
ly by changes of sound within the limits
Of tho rOot-either changes of vOwels or
doubling of consonants. The cOnsOnants
are the hard body of the word, the vowels
it's living soul. Tho primary vowel is
the symbol of activity, the vowels of the
! and u classes symbols of passivity. Tho
repetition of consOnants expresses in
tensity or repetition of the action signi-
fled by the root.
Another characteristic of the Semitic
language is its conjugational forms,
which by modifying the root externally
or internally, or both, add to its significa-
tion the ideas of intensity, frequency, ccs-
sation, effort, reflexiveness or reciprocity.
The tense system of the Semitic Ian
guage pays no regard to tho time when
action is performed, but views the verbal
idea as to ite realization or generalization
whether actual or ideal that conceived of
rs compieted-whether in the past, present
or future-being expressed by the perfect,
and that which is unfinished in the imper-
feet.
These characteristics arc q reflex of the
Semitic mind. The Semitic is the child of
nature, vehement, passionate and i'm
pulsivc rather than deliberate. His Ian
guage in its roots, word-stems, inflexions
and syntax, is of the primitive type, simple
and unpublished. It is imaginative, and,
viewing all things as instinct with life,
lacks the neuter gender. Spiritual things
are invested with sensible forms, strength
being symbolized by the hand, and anger
by the nostril. The peculiarities of its
tense system, perpetually shifting the
point of view, gives to narration all the
effects of painting. Languages lying SO
near tho heart of nature arc not only in
teresting but of the highest importance
when considered with reference to Bible
study.
Hebrew was formerly regarded as the
primitive, God-given tongue. What a
wonderful thought that Adamic speech
thus expressed itself! Not only Jewish
pride, but the early church fathers main-
tanned this. Philology has discredited this
idea as effectually as it has disproved Gero-
ming whO maintained that Dntch uoS