[b-hebrew] Geminates

Isaac Fried if at math.bu.edu
Mon May 18 19:36:42 EDT 2009


George,

Sorry, but your claim that the dagesh forte "doubles" the consonant  
has never been substantiated.

Isaac Fried Boston University

On May 18, 2009, at 7:15 PM, George Athas wrote:

> Let's take the 'theories and standards' thread on a meaningful  
> tangent. Karl wrote:
>
> "...I noticed
> that several of the triliteral roots were in practice biliteral (two
> letters) which were made into triliteral roots by the addition of a  
> medial
> waw or a doubling of the second letter. There are also a few  
> quadraliteral
> roots."
>
> The geminate roots are actually not three consonants, but rather  
> one normal consonant and a doubled second consonant. They often  
> look like purely biconsonantal because Hebrew does not permit  
> doubling (through the use of dagesh forte) of the first or final  
> consonant of a word. However, if you look at the cognate forms in  
> Arabic, which does permit doubling, you'll notice the phenomenon.
>
>
>
> Regards,
>
> GEORGE ATHAS
> Moore Theological College (Sydney, Australia)
> www.moore.edu.au
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