Marlys Beider

Paul Wexler, an American-born Israeli linguist and Professor Emeritus at Tel Aviv University, has proposed unconventional theories regarding the origins of Jewish languages, particularly Yiddish and Modern Hebrew. His research spans historical linguistics, bilingualism, Slavic, creole, Romani, and Jewish languages. Wexler's most debated hypothesis suggests that Eastern Yiddish is not derived from Germanic languages but from a Judaeo-Slavic base, a view largely rejected by mainstream linguists and geneticists. He argues that the structure of Yiddish points to early, intimate contact between Jews and Slavs in Central Europe as early as the 9th century. Wexler also controversially posited that Modern Hebrew is essentially a Slavic language, relexified with Hebrew vocabulary, rather than a direct descendant of ancient Hebrew. He views Jews not primarily as a Semitic people but as a religious community with diverse ethnic backgrounds, including significant proselyte groups. While his work has faced substantial criticism for methodological inconsistencies and speculative conclusions, Wexler has continued to refine his hypotheses, exploring creolization and diverse ethnic origins for Jewish populations.

Paul Wexler's academic career is marked by a series of provocative hypotheses that challenge established linguistic theories, particularly concerning the genesis of Yiddish and Modern Hebrew. Moving away from the traditional view of Yiddish as a Germanic language with Slavic influences, Wexler proposed that Eastern Yiddish originated from a Judaeo-Slavic base. He further argued that Modern Hebrew itself is fundamentally a Slavic language, relexified with Hebrew terms, a concept drawing on minority scholarly opinions and suggesting a departure from its Semitic roots. These ideas position Jewish languages and by extension, Jewish ethnogenesis, within a broader, more diverse historical and cultural framework, emphasizing proselytism and the adoption of languages by various ethnic groups rather than a singular Semitic lineage.

Wexler's theories diverge significantly from mainstream understanding. He posits that Yiddish may have begun as two distinct languages: Judeo-French and a Judeo-Sorbian dialect in eastern Germany. He suggests the latter formed the basis for later Yiddish, with Sorbian playing a crucial role in its development. This contrasts sharply with theories placing Yiddish's origins in the Rhineland or Bavaria. Furthermore, Wexler proposed that Ashkenazi Jews might be ethnically Slavic, and Sephardic Jews could be descendants of Berber proselytes, rather than originating from Spain. His approach often incorporates the concept of creolization and views Jewish languages as arising from proselyte groups who adopted new vocabularies while retaining the grammar of their original non-Jewish languages.

Paul Wexler's hypotheses have been met with considerable skepticism and criticism from many specialists in linguistics and genetics. Critics often point to methodological flaws and a lack of empirical support for his claims, with some suggesting his work borders on unsupported speculation. For instance, a study co-authored by Wexler and geneticist Eran Elhaik in 2016, which used DNA analysis to suggest a Northeastern Turkish origin for Yiddish speakers, faced strong criticism from other geneticists. Despite the widespread rejection of many of his core ideas, Wexler has continued to refine his theories, exploring Afro-Eurasian influences on Yiddish and re-evaluating the role of the Khazar Empire in Jewish linguistic history, suggesting it was a significant venue for language creation and conversion rather than a direct source for Yiddish itself.

“Sometimes I even wonder if he himself believes in what he writes. If he does not believe, but merely wants to provoke, his writings of the last 20 years are oriented just to prove that Jews are not Jews. In this case, there is nothing to discuss.”