--- In
cybalist@egroups.com, "Mark Odegard" <markodegard@...> wrote:
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Piotr Gasiorowski
> There are many other Greek/Semitic equations regarded as
uncontroversial by linguists (including IEsts
>
>
> Since we know the Greeks adapted their letters from Semitic, and
specifically, Phoenician models, one might presume they also directly
borrowed a whole bunch of words from the Phoenecians as well.
>
> How well do Greek letters reflect the underlying loan words,
especially, the more ancient ones? Early Greek had additional
letters,
sade/san, qof/qoppa, waw/digamma, with what later became eta as a
real
H; there was also sampi, representing [ts], perhaps also based on
sade. Later Greek was rather inadequate for transliterating Semitic
languages (as with what we get in the Greek Bible).
One must not forget the "Orientalising" aspects of Greek art. Many
early classical greek statues show poses which show a clear Egyptian
copying. Greek mercenaries were in Egypt from late New Kingdom times
so it is hardly surprising that common features and loan words crop
up. This is different to supposing an Egyptian Adstratum in the
Aegean.
Regards
John