[b-hebrew] Was Schewa really silent?

Yitzhak Sapir yitzhaksapir at gmail.com
Fri Sep 7 09:15:14 EDT 2007


On 9/7/07, James Christian Read wrote:
> Hi All,
>
> I'd like to thank everybody for their answers and offer
> apologies in advance if there is something I have
> missed but what I was really hoping to see was evidence
> based on raw data rather than explanations of theories of
> when the schewa should or should not be pronounced.
>
> e.g.
>
> i)   Do the Massoretes themselves say that some schewas
>      should not be pronounced?
> ii)  Is there any transliterational evidence that backs
>      up theories of when the schewa is silent?
>
> Thanks,

I sent the following reply immediately after your question:
http://lists.ibiblio.org/pipermail/b-hebrew/2007-August/033489.html

What does it lack in the way of evidence?

Note, regarding Khan's second point relating to the Karaite
manuscript BL Or. 2554, that this is a Karaite manuscript
apparently transliterating some of the Song of Songs (or all
of it) into Arabic, using at times Arabic vocalization.  The
sukun is an Arabic vocalization that looks like a small zero,
and means just that - no vowel.

Yitzhak Sapir


More information about the b-hebrew mailing list