How Do You Build a Hebrew Dictionary for a Language with Three Thousand Years of History? Shmuel Bolozky's 2026 Lexicographic Work

The Unique Problem of Hebrew Lexicography

Most languages have a recognizable history. Modern English draws from Old English and Middle English, but speakers typically distinguish between the history of the language and its current state. Hebrew is different. A Hebrew speaker today encounters Biblical Hebrew in liturgy, prayer and sacred text. Medieval Hebrew appears in philosophy, grammar treatises and religious poetry. Modern Hebrew evolved partly through deliberate revival, partly through organic development. All three layers exist simultaneously in contemporary Hebrew consciousness.

This creates a unique lexicographic challenge: How comprehensive should a Hebrew dictionary be? Should it include every Biblical word, even those that never appear in Modern usage? Should it document medieval philosophical terminology, or restrict itself to the living language? These are not merely academic questions—they shape what readers can actually find when they consult a dictionary.

The 2026 Lexicographic Publication

Shmuel Bolozky, Professor Emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a renowned scholar of Hebrew linguistics, has just published a new work addressing these decisions: Considerations and Challenges Facing a Hebrew Lexicographer, appearing through the Hebrew Language Academy in 2026.

The publication draws on Bolozky's decades of lexicographic experience, including work on Modern Hebrew dictionaries and his current Biblical Hebrew dictionary project. He examines practical questions that reveal deeper linguistic issues:

• How should frequency of use inform dictionary inclusion?
• What about archaic words that appear in classical texts but are unknown to living speakers?
• How should a dictionary treat Biblical forms and Modern inflections?
• Can a single dictionary serve both native speakers and foreign learners?
• How do morphological patterns shape what a dictionary should include?

Morphology and Lexical Selection

One of Bolozky's key insights concerns Hebrew morphology. Hebrew is a language of roots and patterns—a system where word formation follows predictable rules. This creates an interesting lexicographic question: should a dictionary include every theoretically possible form, or only those that actually occur in texts?

A user who encounters an unfamiliar Hebrew word might need to understand not just the word but the system that generated it. This suggests dictionaries should explain morphological patterns, not just list entries.

Biblical and Modern Integration

Bolozky's current Biblical Hebrew dictionary project attempts to integrate both Biblical traditions and Modern usage. Words that exist in Biblical Hebrew sometimes have different meanings or functions in Modern Hebrew. Some Biblical words have been revived with new meanings. Others have become archaic. A comprehensive lexicographic approach must account for this historical layering while remaining useful to contemporary readers.

The Institute for Hebrew Language and Literature shares Bolozky's conviction that rigorous work on Hebrew language and lexicography strengthens understanding of both Biblical Hebrew and linguistic tradition. Dictionary work is not merely reference-book production—it is deep engagement with how languages work.