An Introduction to

For further information 
Contact the Department of Linguistics at (617) 495‐4054, or visit us on the 3
rd
floor of Boylston Hall. For questions about the undergraduate concentration in 
Linguistics, contact our Head Tutor, Professor Kathryn Davidson ([phone], 
[e-mail]
) or our Assistant Head Tutor, Dorothy Ahn 
([phone], 
[e-mail]
). For information about our graduate 
program, please contact our Director of Graduate Studies, Prof. C.-T. James 
Huang ([phone], 
[e-mail]
). Our website can be found at: 
http://linguistics.fas.harvard.edu.
 
Near Eastern Languages 
Have you ever considered studying the archaeology of the ancient Near East, or 
reading the Gilgamesh Epic in the original Akkadian? Have you considered 
exploring the richness of Medieval Islamic and Judaic civilizations through 
Arabic, Hebrew, and Persian sources? Are you interested in comparing religions, 
literatures, and politics of the varied and complex areas of North Africa, the 
Middle East, and Central Asia? 
The Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations offers a large 
number of ancient and modern languages that cover a vast historical, 
geographical, and disciplinary area: Akkadian, Arabic (Classical, Modern 
Standard, and Syrian and Egyptian dialects), Aramaic, Armenian (not offered in 
2016-17), Hebrew (Classical and Modern), Iranian, Persian (Classical and 
Modern), Sumerian, Turkish (Ottoman and Modern), and Yiddish. 
Language study at NELC has always been distinguished by small classes and 
close contact between student and teacher. Undergraduate concentrators in 
NELC may elect to study one or several languages as a component of their 
chosen area of focus: 

The Middle East in Antiquity

Histories and Cultures of Muslim Societies

Jewish Studies

Modern Middle Eastern Studies
Undergraduates may study one or more NELC languages in conjunction with 
another department or discipline
. 
NELC currently offers a joint concentration 

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with the History Department allowing students to combine the study of a Middle 
Eastern language with grounding in History. It is also possible to pursue 
language study informally, or upon petition
, 
through a combined
concentration 
with Anthropology, Comparative Literature, History of Art and Architecture, 
Government, Linguistics, Philosophy, the
Study of Religion, and Sociology. 
Students interested in combining their language study with a wider geographical 
or cultural area of specialization may consider studying a NELC language within 
one of the following university centers:

Center for Middle Eastern Studies: Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, Turkish 

Inner Asian and Altaic Studies: Armenian, Iranian, Persian, Turkish 

Center for Jewish Studies: Hebrew, Yiddish 

African Studies: Amharic, Arabic, Swahili 
Undergraduates may earn a foreign language citation in Arabic (Classical and 
Modern), Hebrew (Classical and Modern), Persian, Turkish, and Yiddish. For 
details, please consult the “Handbook for Students.”
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The Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations encourages its 
students to pursue summer language study at programs established in Israel, 
Turkey, Morocco, Egypt, Jordan, and Yemen. Graduates in NELC languages 
have gone on to rewarding careers in teaching and research, archaeology, 
international law, finance, and diplomacy.