Orientalistics: Podcast on Language, Religion and Culture

n this podcast episode, we delve into the groundbreaking contributions of Sir William Jones, a pioneering figure in the field of historical linguistics. Born in London in 1746, Jones distinguished himself not only as a jurist but also as a linguist with an exceptional aptitude for languages including Greek, Latin, Hebrew, Arabic, and Persian. His journey into linguistics and Asian cultures began e...

Navigating Gender in German Grammar In this short video, conducted for students of German language and literature at BHLI in 2015, I tackle the sensitive topic of gender in German grammar. German, like many languages, assigns gender to nouns, which can be challenging for learners. The video explores the three grammatical genders in German— masculine, feminine, and neuter —and their implications fo...

Non-Muslims in the Iranian Context Iran's non-Muslim minorities, including Zoroastrians, Christians, Jews, and Bahá'ís, navigate a complex landscape within the predominantly Shiite Muslim context. Despite legal recognition for some, like Zoroastrians and Christians, they often face social and legal discrimination. The Bahá'í community, in particular, experiences severe persecution. The...

Iranian Languages and Modern Persian This is from my talk series on the history of Persian language and literature within the context of Iranian studies with my colleague Dr. Shahin Nezhad from Iranian Renaissance . This talk, conducted in Persian , took place on December 14, 2017. For more information, please click here to watch the full video

Georgia Revisited I visited my hostland, Georgia, after 25 years and participated in a discussion with Georgian poet and writer Geogi Lobzhanidze (გიორგი ლობჟანიძე) on the heritage of Kartvelian languages, particularly focusing on my Persian translation of the Classical Georgian National Epic " Knight in Panther's Skin " by Shota Rustaveli. This discussion took place at the Cultural...

Designation of the Persian Religious Minorities within the Corpus Linguistics of Iranian Literature This presentation adopts a s ociolinguistic and discourse analytic approach to examine the designation of religious minorities in the Persian/Iranian context, utilizing empirical data and corpus linguistics from classical and modern Persian literary works. The speech was delivered at the Persian lit...

Cyrus the "Babylonian" the Worshiper of Madrduk At this conference held at the Zoroastrian Center in California on October 30, 2019, I discussed Cyrus the Great, liberation of the Jews from Babylonian captivity, and the connections between his leadership and contemporary political figures from a historical-comparative perspective. The talk, delivered in English, can be viewed via the following dir...

In this episode titled "Persian Language in the Course of Time ," I elucidate the history of the Persian language, its structural shifts, and linguistic variations throughout history, from the Arab invasion to the present day. This discussion took place during a radio conversation with Voice of America (in Persian), broadcasted on October 19, 2018. You can find the direct link to this co...

On February 2, 2020, the Iranian American Jewish Federation (IAJF) commemorated the 50th anniversary of Soleiman Haïm's death, honoring his significant contributions as the first multilingual Iranian lexicographer, entomologist, and writer. During this event, I delivered a PowerPoint lecture, incorporating linguistic references from various lexicographic works, to highlight the unique features...

In this excerpt from my video conversation with Shahriar Afshar in November 2023 , I discuss the complex relationships between I ran, Israel, Palestine, and the broader Middle East . We explore Iran's intricate role in regional conflicts. The conversation is conducted in Persian. You can find the video at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2qYorUdwGU&t=716s .

The intersection of sociolinguistics and discourse analysis highlights how language operates within social contexts, bridging individual language usage and broader societal structures. Sociolinguistics examines language variation and change influenced by socio-economic status, ethnicity, gender, and age, while discourse analysis focuses on language beyond the sentence level, scrutinizing how texts...

LANGUAGE, DIALECT, ACCENT, SLANG, SOCIOLECT: AN INTRODUCTION In this episode, we'll explore sociolinguistics, the study of the relationship between language and society. We'll cover the differences between language, dialect, accent, pronunciation, and slang. A language is a system of communication, like English or Persian. A dialect is a regional or social variation of a language, includin...

The term "Palestine" originates from "Philistia," used by Greek writers to describe the land of the Philistines along the southern coast between modern Tel Aviv–Yafo and Gaza during the 12th century BCE. The Romans revived the name in the 2nd century CE as "Syria Palaestina" to designate the southern part of the province of Syria, a strategic move to undermine Jewish identity. The name transitione...

The lecture provides a comprehensive analysis of Iran's geopolitical significance and historical evolution, highlighting its role in regional conflicts and global relations. Iran's ambitions for regional influence, demonstrated through support for proxy groups and its nuclear program, have drawn international scrutiny and shaped its relationships with major world powers. The narrative delves into...

Jews And Israel in Arab / Palestinian Intellectual Discourse ‎Part IV The lecture provides a detailed historical overview focusing on key figures and events in Palestinian history, particularly emphasizing the emergence of nationalist ideas and responses to British imperialism and Zionist aspirations. It highlights figures like Haj Amin Al-Hussaini, who framed the struggle against Jews as a fight...

The lecture explores the Israeli-Arab conflict, tracing back to events like the Russian pogroms in the late 19th century that led to significant Jewish migration to the United States. Restrictive immigration laws reduced Jewish immigration to the U.S. by 1935. The subsequent discussion delves into post-World War II events, including the establishment of Israel in 1948 and the influx of Holocaust s...

The lecture delves into a complex historical narrative surrounding Jewish experiences and the evolution of Zionism within the broader context of European and Russian history. It addresses the violent pogroms and discriminatory policies against Jews in Russia, particularly during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, which precipitated mass Jewish emigration to countries like the United States. T...

The lecture introduces a discussion on the intellectual narratives surrounding the Arab-Israeli conflict or Judeo-Arab conflict over the past century. It emphasizes the complexity of the topic, the need for attention due to numerous citations and references, and the expectation of hearing new perspectives. The goal is to shed light on this historical context and influence through scholarly analysi...

In this discussion, we explore the evolution of innovation and creativity, reflecting on our species' remarkable trajectory from primitive tools to cutting-edge technologies. While intelligence is often credited as the driving force behind our progress, instances of seemingly irrational behavior challenge this notion. We recognize the prevalence of copying over independent innovation, evident in b...

This episode (i.e., On the Origin of Human Language, Part V) explores the significant role language has played in human evolution, contrasting it with genetic adaptations and cultural developments. Language, deemed more influential than genetic makeup in recent human evolution, enabled planning, cooperation, and information sharing. Unlike other animals, humans, driven by language, have inhabited...

In this episode, I'm shifting to a more casual tone as I address questions from listeners around the world about my podcast, ORIENTALISTICS. Despite covering niche topics, the global engagement has been remarkable, with listeners from diverse regions. I encourage listeners to share their thoughts and questions for future episodes, aiming to delve deeper into topics like language evolution, the ric...

In this episode, the focus is on the necessity and application of human language, exploring its origins, functions, and essential components. It discusses the connection between language and thought, emphasizing vocabulary, articulation, and syntax. The episode highlights linguistic variability, dialectal variations, and the dynamic nature of language evolution. It rejects misconceptions about lan...

In tracing the origins of human speech, we deal with the distant past where early communication likely ‎involved simple sounds indicating objects, individuals, and events. As Homo erectus evolved, their ‎communication advanced into structured strings of words, resembling modern polysynthetic languages. ‎This progression laid the groundwork for grammaticalized language, characterized by the combina...

The intriguing origins of human language, often shrouded in myths and speculation. From biblical tales like the Tower of Babel to scientific inquiries into paleontology, psychology, and historical linguistics, the quest to understand language's genesis spans across disciplines. We explore theories ranging from onomatopoeic approaches to the complex interplay between genetics, brain evolution, and...

For today's discourse, I focus will be on Johannes Gutenberg , an individual of profound significance, ‎recognized for effecting a transformative revolution in the field of printing.‎