Biblical Hebrew Forum

[ben.crick AT argonet.co.uk (Ben Crick)]

On Sat 12 Sep 98 (20:32:57), jonathan AT texcel.no wrote:
> Is there a document that explains the transcription scheme for
> B-Hebrew? 

 Jonathan:

 Not as far as I am aware. As Biblical Hebrew is a consonantal text with
 Massoretic pointing added, I prefer to use BLOCK CAPITALS for the
 consonantal text, and lower case for the pointing. The vowel letters
 He Yodh and Waw are also capitalised when /plene scripta/.

 Waw is Waw not Vav (my preference merely); Shin is Sh; Samech and Sin are
 both S. Teth and Taw are both T; Tsodhe is Ts. Cheth is Ch. The vocal shewa
 and Chateph vowels are denoted by the appropriate lower case letter; the
 silent shewa is omitted.

 The letters BeGhaDhKePhaTh are written B G D K P when with daghesh lene or
 forte; otherwise Bh Gh Dd Kh and Th when softened. 'aleph is ' (apostrophe)
 and `ayin is ` (ascii 96).

 This scheme helps me to remember how the Hebrew words are actually spelt,
 when I can't use the Hebrew characters in 7-bit ascii. BeReYShiYTh BaRa'
 'eLoHiYM 'eTh HaShShaMaYiYM We'eTh Ha'aReTs:  (A colon : is Soph Pasuq;
 Athnach is a comma , except the caesura in poetry, where I use a semicolon
 ;). Lesser pauses are omitted.

 If in doubt, one can always look up the verse under discussion in the BHS
 or in one's Hard-Disc-resident BHS.   8-)

 HTH
 Ben
-- 
 Revd Ben Crick, BA CF
 <ben.crick AT argonet.co.uk>
 232 Canterbury Road, Birchington, Kent, CT7 9TD (UK)
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