Gotthelf Bergstrasser (1886-1933) was one of the great Semitic linguists
and philologists. This small volume encapsulates his learning, and every
page yields concise statements of remarkable insight. He intended the
book for elementary classes in Semitic linguistics, but only one
familiar with the material can begin to appreciate the achievement in
these brief chapters.
A translation seemed called for for several reasons: It is generally
agreed that Bergstrasser's "Einfuhrung" has not been superseded, and is
unlikely to be. In more than half a century, no similar work has
appeared either a chrestomathy or a succinct characterization of each of
the major Semitic languages that can be used in an introductory class in
Semitic linguistics.