Why are Hebrew and Phoenician considered to be different languages when they're exactly the same?

Hebrew and Phoenician are sister languages of the Canaanite subgroup of the Semitic languages (some would say two dialects of the Canaanite language). Other sister languages of this subgroup (or: other dialects of this language) are Moabite, Edomite and Ammonite.

It is worth noting that the distinction between "language" and "dialect" is purely cultural and has no linguistic basis, as Max Weinreich said: a language is a dialect with an army and navy.

Phoenician Hebrew

Linguists have no accepted definition of what separates a "dialect" from a "language." That's a central problem in linguistics, and you'll find people saying that such-and-such is a language, and others who say such-and-such is a "dialect" of some closely related language. The term "dialect," by the way, is controversial in and of itself. I remember taking linguistics classes where we didn't use the term dialect, because it implied a subordinate relationship to some other "standard" language. The term we used instead was "language variety."

Phoenician and Hebrew are generally considered to be sister languages. They're both Canaanite languages from the Northwest Semitic subfamily of Semitic. But in "Remarks on the Classification of Northwest Semitic Languages," John Huehnergard calls Hebrew, Phoenician, and Moabite all "dialects," so the terms used depend on who you're referencing (285). Clearly, whatever the terms used, there is a very close genetic relationship between Hebrew and other Canaanite languages like Phoenician.

Phoenician is indeed a very close relative to Classical Hebrew, to which it is very similar. It's also a close relative to Aramaic. Both Phoenician and Classical Hebrew belong to the Canaanite languages, a subfamily of the Semitic languages.

the objective of the hot testomony replaced into to unfold the solid information of the dominion of Heaven to all the international locations (Matthew 24:14). Koine replaced into the language of administration and commerce used interior the eastern Mediterranean notably distributed by Alexander the super who had conquered Palestine in 332 BC. This Greek dialect flourished decrease than the Roman Empire: all the knowledgeable persons interior the ever-increasing Roman Empire have been waiting to envision it. actually many Jews had lost their ability to talk Hebrew after only approximately 2 centuries decrease than the Greek administration -- basically religious leaders and scribes have been nevertheless fluent interior the sacred language. it incredibly is why the creation of the Septuagint replaced into undertaken: because of the fact Jews ought to no longer examine Hebrew anymore. the comparable phenomenon had occurred in the time of the 8th century BCE, whilst Aramaic became the lingua franca of the close to East. it incredibly is why some parts of the Hebrew Bible have been written in Aramaic.

Here's an explanation for what it's worth.

http://giwersworld.org/ancient-history/phoenician/...

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