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b-hebrew - Re: [b-hebrew] comparative historical linguistics was Re: Nun-Tav-Vet root

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  • From: "K Randolph" <kwrandolph AT gmail.com>
  • To: B-Hebrew <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] comparative historical linguistics was Re: Nun-Tav-Vet root
  • Date: Sat, 25 Nov 2006 04:36:24 -0800

Isaac:

On 11/25/06, Isaac Fried <if AT math.bu.edu> wrote:
You say: "Biblical Hebrew may have had the spoken structure of CVCVCV
where each
consonant was followed by a vowel". The designation of V for a vowel
is appropriate in the Indo-European languages where a vowel is a mere
sound. It is patently misleading in Hebrew. You my liberally add the
A sound to a Hebrew word, but not the U and I sounds since they stand
for personal pronouns. You need also to make a distinction in this
respect between nouns and verbs.

I did not specify which vowel was specified by the V above, and I
don't know enough about your theory to say yes or no to what you say,
but if you are correct, that U and I sounds may have been chosen to be
that V based on your theory.

All I say is that if the BGDKPT letters originally had only one sound,
then many words would be unpronounceable unless each consonant is
followed by a vowel. Examples include Rebecca (modern Hebrew Rivkah)
and Capernaum (Kfar Nachum).

One must beware of applying the crude terminology of Indo-European
linguistics (actually Englishtics) to Hebrew.

Of course.

Karl W. Randolph.




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