Hebrew voice overs: what you need to know

Hebrew is a Northwest Semitic language, mostly spoken in Israel. Historically, Hebrew is regarded to be the language of Israelites. Today, the Modern Hebrew language has more than 9 million speakers, out of which 5 million speak it as a first language.

Modern Hebrew is the official language of Israel. However, it’s also spoken in Jewish communities around the world. The United States has the biggest expatriate Jewish community (5 million) so Hebrew is widely spoken there. France and Canada also have notable Jewish communities.

Language History

Hebrew is one of the oldest languages in the world that’s still in use in the present day. The history of this ancient language is extremely rich, unique, and spans over many centuries.

Hebrew history is usually grouped into four periods: Biblical, Mishnaic, Medieval, and Modern. Linguists agree that Hebrew emerged as a spoken language around 1200 BCE in the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah. First writings in Hebrew — Khirbet Qeiyafa Inscriptions — date back to the 11th century BCE.

The ancient language began to die out around 200-400 CE. It was revived and turned into an everyday spoken language only at the end of the 19th century. To this day, it’s the only language that was successfully revived and remains used.

Close Relations

Hebrew is closely related to other Semitic languages — Amharic, Tigre, Aramaic, and Maltese. However, it’s most closely related to Arabic.

While the two languages are not mutually intelligible, they share many similarities. For example, both Hebrew and Arabic have a system of three-letter roots, share some letters in the alphabet, and have some shared slang. Additionally, Hebrew vocabulary has many words of Arabic origin.

Modern Hebrew vocabulary had to be expanded to accommodate the contemporary lifestyle. Therefore, Hebrew is extensively borrowed from other languages. There are many loanwords in Hebrew of Polish, Russian, Yiddish, and German origins.

Accents and Voice Over Tips

Linguists distinguish two Modern Hebrew dialects: Standard Hebrew and Oriental Hebrew. Both of these dialects are mutually intelligible and are different mainly in pronunciation.

Standard Hebrew is used in Israel and serves as the official dialect in the country’s life — education, broadcasting, and official matters. Oriental Hebrew, on the other hand, is not as widely spoken and has more characteristics of Ancient Hebrew.

When it comes to recording a Hebrew voice over, it’s important to know that Hebrew has some sounds that might appear unfamiliar to the foreign ear. For example, the letter ‘r’ is pronounced from the throat, just like in French.

Additionally, Hebrew has grammatical gender so verbs and adjectives correspond to the noun gender. To avoid any confusion, it’s crucial to know the target audience of your recording. If the listeners are not native Hebrew speakers, make sure you’re speaking clearly and slowly.

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