Absolutely Unnecessary

Pardon the interruption for this public service announcement:

The use of "vis-à-vis" in any context whatsoever, in any media whatsoever only makes one sound pompous and uptight. It is absolutely unnecessary for clear and precise communication.

I advocate the total disuse of this phrase (though not all foreign phrases) from all forms of communication, unless of course you are speaking French in which case you have other issues.

Thank you for your time.

My infatuation with Aramaic

I took my Imperial Aramaic final yesterday confident of a good grade. It was the first final that I have taken when, after all of the long hours of study and stress followed by the exam itself, I came away wanting more! The final consisted of transliteration from manuscript photos, vocalization, and translation of a seen text, Kraeling 2, a marriage contract, and an unseen text, Driver 4, a response from a Persian official to a whiny general. There was also a series of philological questions after the seen text.

It is hard to tell what it is about Aramaic that appeals to me so much. The nearest I can tell, I think that the aesthetics of the language is what catches my attention. The pattern of vowel reduction of pretonic short vowels with reduction in alternating syllables creates a unique cadence to the language. The emphatic particle -ā at the end of many words adds to this cadence. Though there are many mispronunciations, the reconstructed Aramaic of Mel Gibson's film, The Passion of the Christ, is a good example of the language in action. For me, the sound of Aramaic is like the sound of my favorite music.

Aramaic is a language with many different forms. Old, Imperial, Biblical, Targumic, Talmudic, Nebataean, Palmyranian, Mandaic, Syriac, and contemporary Neo Aramaic sound differently, are spelled differently, and have different grammatical features, and each with its own set of challenges. One is never lacking in variety, who studies Aramaic.

The study of the language is a life-long pursuit. Given the amount of extant materials in each dialect, especially Syriac, a scholar would never run out of new material to read. The academic discipline of Aramaic studies is not a path well-trodden as is Biblical Hebrew, for example. There is still much to do, including many ground-breaking studies and even unedited texts to publish.

So, while many Semitic philologists may regard Aramaic as rather boring and prefer more glamorous work in Hebrew, Arabic, or Akkadian, my love is Aramaic. After all, it's the native language of God Himself.

The Handmaiden of God, Mary

I learned tonight that my dear grandmother, who has been afflicted with dementia for the past nine years, has agreed to follow her family and become Orthodox. She will be given baptism and Chrismation this Saturday, when I will be home.

Ever since my own conversion I have fervently prayed that this might happen. Her state is little better than a child, unable to understand the complexities of the Orthodox faith. For a long while she has been resistant to it as the unfamiliar liturgical worship was strange and upsetting to her.

Though I had every confidence that God would save my grandmother even if she was never Orthodox (for she was a very godly woman full of love for Christ and in constant prayer for her family), it is a great comfort to know that before she reposes, she will receive the Holy Mysteries, Holy Unction and then an Orthodox funeral, and the benefits of the prayers for the reposed.

God has opened her heart as he did for her husband, my grandfather 20 years ago when he was completely under the sway of Alzheimer's. I am beyond words to describe how grateful I am.

Coptic Chant

I picked up this CD from Liturgica.com a few weeks ago. It was a bit of a risk since there were no sample tracks, and I was a bit unsure if I would really like Coptic chant. Fortunately, the CD turns out to be a great recording of some great examples of Coptic chant. From this album, I have come to like Coptic chant, which has a distinct rhythm to it and is even accompanied by a light use of cymbals and a triangle to keep the rhythm. On top of this, the natural cadence and aesthetic of the Coptic language (the last stage of the ancient Egyptian language) creates a very unique and beautiful style of chant. It only makes me more anxious to learn Coptic. Classes may have to wait until my fourth year, but I hope to be able to study on my own.