 |
Paul WexlerIsraeli linguist, US-born, professor of linguistics
Date of Birth: 06.11.1938
Country:  Israel |
Content:
- Paul Wexler: A Controversial Linguistics With Unique Perspectives
- Academic Pursuits
- - Hebrew studies:The study of the Hebrew language.
- Challenging Orthodoxies
- The Non-Semitic Origins of Ashkenazi Jews
- Sephardic Jewish Origins
- Influence and Reception
- Anti-Zionist Views
- Current Work
Paul Wexler: A Controversial Linguistics With Unique Perspectives
Early Life and EducationPaul Wexler was born in the United States but subsequently moved to Israel, where he became a professor of linguistics at Tel Aviv University.
Academic Pursuits
Wexler's scholarly interests spanned a wide range of linguistic fields, including:
- Bilingualism:The study of individuals who possess proficiency in two or more languages.
- Slavic linguistics:The study of languages belonging to the Slavic language family.
- Yiddish studies:The study of the Yiddish language, a Germanic language with significant Slavic influences.
- Hebrew studies:The study of the Hebrew language.
- Romani (Gypsy) languages:The study of languages spoken by Romani people.
- Creole studies:The examination of languages that have emerged from a combination of different linguistic systems.
Challenging Orthodoxies
The Slavic Origin of YiddishIn the early 1990s, Wexler put forward a groundbreaking theory that challenged the traditional classification of Yiddish as a Germanic language. In his book "Yiddish: The Fifteenth Slavic Language" (1991), he argued that Yiddish should instead be considered a Slavic language.
The Non-Semitic Origins of Ashkenazi Jews
Wexler's most controversial work was "The Ashkenazic Jews: A Slavo-Turkic People in Search of a Jewish Identity" (1993). In this book, he proposed a radical revision of the history of Ashkenazi Jews, the Yiddish-speaking Jews of Eastern Europe. Wexler claimed that they were not descendants of Middle Eastern emigrants but rather indigenous Europeans with roots in Western Slavic tribes, such as the Lusatian Sorbs and Polabs.
Sephardic Jewish Origins
Wexler also published works on Sephardic Jews, arguing that they were descendants of North African converts to Judaism rather than Palestinian Jews.
Influence and Reception
Wexler's theories gained significant attention and generated heated debates. While they faced criticism from mainstream scholars in Jewish history and linguistics, they also found support among some scholars, such as Gilad Zuckermann. However, Wexler's work has been widely cited in popular literature and has influenced a large number of non-specialists.
Anti-Zionist Views
Beyond his research, Wexler was also known for his anti-Zionist views. He advocated for the boycott of Israeli academics by their European colleagues and supported the right of soldiers to refuse service in occupied territories.
Current Work
Currently, Wexler is working on a dictionary of historical Russian phonology.
