Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Pere Casanellas <pere.casanellas AT btlink.net>]

At 11:28 28/11/2002 -0500, Matthew R. Miller wrote:
> Thanks to all for the wonderful suggestions on pronouncing the ayin. So, I
> have summarized below my understanding of aleph and ayin, and would
> appreciate any corrections from people who know better than I. Thanks!
>
> 1. Aleph: When non-quiescent, it acts as a glottal stop, from which a
> vowel is produced, thus acting as a silent, glottal consonant. When
> quiescent, it merely lengthens a vowel, much like the German "h" in gehen.
> No?
>
> 2. Ayin: Never quiescent, nor so much a glottal stop, but a fricative,
> glottal, voiced consonant.

The ayin is pharingeal, not glottal. ("Approximant" better than "fricative".)

--
Pere Casanellas
E-mail: pere.casanellas AT btlink.net
        pcasanel AT pie.xtec.es
Barcelona
CATALONIA (Spain)