Ibn Janah

Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: Ibn Janah

(born c. 990, Córdoba — died c. 1050, Zaragoza, Spain) Spanish scholar famed as a Hebrew grammarian and lexicographer. A practicing physician and a devout Jew, he founded the study of Hebrew syntax, establishing the rules of biblical exegesis and clarifying many difficult passages. His principal work was the two-volume Book of Exact Investigation, a Hebrew grammar and lexicon. All his writings were in Arabic, and he made extensive comparisons of Hebrew and Arabic words.

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