"The revival of Hebrew in Israel during the last century is a unique phenomenon: a language used for over 1700 years by Jews around the world solely in liturgy or writing came alive as a spoken, everyday language used for all purposes. Although those spearheading the movement to revive Hebrew tried to impose the norms of classical Hebrew on the rapidity evolving language, they were, in many respects, unsuccessful in this effort. Adapting to the circumstances in which it was used, Modern Hebrew developed independently, reflecting the previous linguistic background of the speakers, foreign influences and natural linguistic evolution. Modern Hebrew has taken its own unique course as revealed through its phonology, morphology, syntax, and lexical structure. This book examines the unique features of this dynamic language."--Book cover.