3. MUSLIM CONTRIBUTION TO SCIENCE

~ 118 ~ That human languages have been the object of superstitions for thousands of years is a matter of historical record. It was supposed that certain languages had a divine origin, and that their speakers enjoyed a special status above others. For instance, for centuries the Greek language had been supposed to be superior to other languages, Greek being the language of the gods, while other languages were those of barbarians. The same was the case with Hebrew. In the JewishChristian world it was an age-old belief that Hebrew was God’s own language and that it was the first language to be used in the world. Wonderly and Eugene Nida, who have made a detailed study of the influences of Christian beliefs on languages, have made this analysis: One of the factors, which retarded linguistic progress, was the belief among early Christian writers, and persisting well into the Renaissance era, that all languages were derived from Hebrew.55 The concept of ‘divine’ language was wholly a product of superstitious beliefs, having nothing to