Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

b-hebrew - Re: [b-hebrew] One question about Yonah

b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Biblical Hebrew Forum

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Peter Kirk <peter.r.kirk AT ntlworld.com>
  • To: Hebrew <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] One question about Yonah
  • Date: Mon, 18 Aug 2003 14:13:51 -0700

On 18/08/2003 14:02, Karl Randolph wrote:

Hi All:

I was wondering the same question, though not limited to the example in Jonah.

I noticed what I think are over 100 different nouns where they are sometimes
used a final hey as in the feminine, sometimes without, as in masculine. I
would have to go back to verify all the uses, but it is common enough to be
noticed.

I wonder what it portends. Is it a clue to ancient pronunciation that changed
long before the Masorites? Does it have a linguistic effect long since
forgotten?

Then there are many where the addition of a final hey changes the meaning,
usually akin to the English adding a -ness or -ice to a noun. Is there a
pattern to recognize which is which? I haven’t found it.

Has anyone else noticed this?

Karl W. Randolph.


One possible relevant point which has not been mentioned here is that authors sometimes used gender as a poetic device i.e. deliberately pairing or contrasting genders. This was of course much easier than it might have been because some nouns had both masculine and feminine forms. Now strictly these words are not in poetry, but that does not mean that the author could not have been using the gender contrast as a literary device.

--
Peter Kirk
peter AT qaya.org (personal)
peterkirk AT qaya.org (work)
http://www.qaya.org/






Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page