Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Peter Kirk <peterkirk AT qaya.org>]

On 28/09/2003 17:22, Trevor Peterson wrote:

> Jason wrote:
>
>  
>
> > What if, rather than taking the VAV as a vowel, we take it 
> > consonantally and make the -u- vowel proceed from a kibbutz?
> >
> > YaHuWeH
> >    
>
> That still leaves open the question of whether the Greek transliteration
> fits. I'm not convinced that we can account for /uw/ with Greek OU.
>  
>
> > Then, the VAV doesn't lose its consonantal nature (as all 
> > seem to see it
> > need) if this is the case. I have read before a  suggestion 
> > that I had thought was in the Artscroll Siddur--consequently, 
> > I cannot now find the statement! What is said, however, is 
> > that YaHaWeH was a possible pronunciation. In this the first 
> > vowel is a full patach, the second is a chatef-patach and the 
> > third is a segol. Thus:
> >
> > YAHA:WEH
> >
> > What do you think?
> >    
>
> I would be surprised if you saw that in Artscroll, but I suppose it's
> possible. I don't see why the usual scholarly reconstruction couldn't be
> adjusted for a half-vowel under the he.
>
>  
If I remember rightly, there are quite a number of words where Hebrew 
texts vary between sheva and a hataf vowel under a word medial 
"guttural" consonant including he. So YAH:WEH and YAH:AWEH could be 
considered variant pointings and perhaps pronunciations of the same 
word. On the other hand, )AH:AROWN becomes AARWN in Greek (and hence the 
Englis Aaron), but we don't get a double alpha in Greek versions of the 
divine name, which suggests a sheva rather than a hataf patah in the 
Hebrew pronunciation.

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