Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

b-hebrew - Re: [b-hebrew] weak verb reference

b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Biblical Hebrew Forum

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: "Maurice A. O'Sullivan" <mauros AT iol.ie>
  • To: "Karl Randolph" <kwrandolph AT email.com>
  • Cc: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] weak verb reference
  • Date: Sat, 26 Feb 2005 00:47:54 +0000

At 21:44 25/02/2005, Karl Randolph wrote:

I personally ascribe to the third theory. As a result, I prefer to read Tanakh in unpointed Hebrew,

By coincidence, the Feb 25 edition of "Ha'aretz" carries the news that Aron Dotan has been awarded this year's Israel Prize.
The story notes that " One of Dotan's prominent achievements was the publication of the Leningrad Bible Codex
more than 30 years ago.", and in an interview with him reports -- under the heading "Don't touch the markings" --

>> Aron Dotan is a strong opponent of the revolutionary proposal raised several months ago by
some scholars to do away with all of the diacritical markings and to only leave one mark for
the "A" sound (instead of the kamatz and patach) and one for the "E" sound (instead of tzere
and segol). "I think that if we give up two of these marks we are liable to undermine the entire
Hebrew grammar system," he stresses, "and this would have serious consequences for the
language."

Dotan recognizes that there is a problem with the multitude of vocalization marks and that
most Hebrew speakers do not know how to use them correctly. In his view, the methods of
teaching must be improved. However, he adds, revolutions should not be fomented due to
difficulties or to make things easier. As he puts it: "This can be said about clothing that is not
comfortable or about things pertaining to our behavior, but not about language that is part of
the nation, of the cultural heritage - this is not something that one changes out of
convenience. Nothing good would come from this type of change. On the contrary, in another
few generations, school children would have difficulty reading a Bible." <<





Maurice A. O'Sullivan [ Bray, Ireland ]
mauros AT iol.ie






Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page