The diagram of Aitchison’s linguistics starts from pragmatics, which means using language contextually. This can also look like social rules or phrases that shape a language’s meaning and culture, beyond just the words themselves. For Hebrew, I think of words like “Yalla,” which means something like “come on” or “let’s go,” or “Sababa,” which means “that’s good.” Right now, I am not at the level of using metaphors in Hebrew, but I have definitely heard them before. It is interesting that different languages have different slang words and phrases that create different cultural meanings for them.
Next on the diagram is semantics, which is how meaning is created. There is so much that goes into semantics, like how words and phrases convey meaning, as well as relationships between words and how different words can mean similar things. The other day, my friends and I were talking about how the word serve has so many fun meanings. There is serving a tennis ball, serving food, serving your country, and serving a good outfit. There is a lot of semantic study when it comes to Biblical Hebrew. Modern Hebrew comes from the Afro-Asiatic language family, specifically the Canaanite branch of Northwest Semitic. This language family has effects on how Hebrew words are structured and how they carry meaning. I am still early in my learning, so I do not yet know many Hebrew words that have multiple meanings, but I am excited to learn more.
Syntax is the arrangement of words. I have noticed that Hebrew sentences are structured much differently from English sentences. For example, in English we say “good night,” but in Hebrew it translates back to “evening good.” So the sentence in Hebrew does not follow the same format as English. Also, what is interesting about reading and writing Hebrew is that it goes from right to left.
From my understanding, phonology is the sound pattern of a language and how it can change depending on context. We can look at words and syllables in relation to each other to better understand meaning. While I do not often think about phonology when I am talking or listening, I have realized that a large portion of language involves making assumptions. I do not have to read a whole sentence and am able to skip words because I can infer meaning through the words and phrases around them. Again, I am really not at the point in Hebrew to be doing that yet.
In the middle of the circle is phonetics, which is the study of speech sounds. When I think about this definition, I think about learning the alphabet. While learning each letter of the alphabet, you learn how to identify the letter and which sound corresponds to it. I am currently learning the Hebrew alphabet and working to identify each letter with its sound. This has been pretty challenging, but I think with enough practice, I will start stringing together very simple sentences or at least be able to write my name.
All components of the diagram will help me develop a more holistic understanding of the Hebrew language and guide me in learning it effectively. I do find it funny that I know a little Hebrew slang, which is the outermost circle of the diagram, but I do not know much about the alphabet. This definitely shows me where I need to focus most of my energy.
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