Institute of Semitic Studies Semitic Sound Archive

The Semitic Sound Archive of Heidelberg University is an academic collection of historical sound recordings of Semitic languages and dialects

The Semitic Sound Archive was founded in 2001 by the then chair holder, Prof. Werner Arnold. It preserves language recordings made since the 1920s in the context of Semitic and linguistic field research. To date, 2,000 recordings have already been digitized and made available online, including speech samples, narrated texts, songs, and liturgical pieces. Many of the documented language forms have since changed considerably or are no longer in use today. The recordings therefore constitute key sources for historical linguistics, dialect research, and the documentation of intangible cultural heritage.