Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

b-hebrew - Re: [b-hebrew] Why Semitic languages had no written vowels?

b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Biblical Hebrew Forum

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: "Karl Randolph" <kwrandolph AT email.com>
  • To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Why Semitic languages had no written vowels?
  • Date: Fri, 29 Apr 2005 12:39:35 -0500


----- Original Message -----
From: "Vadim Cherny" <VadimCherny AT mail.ru>
>
> Why English speakers weren't inspired to add a symbol for ch, as in Chicago,
> and another - for ch, as in chaf?
>
By the time Chicago was written, spelling rules overruling pronunciation were
in place. If not, would there have been pressure to amend the spelling of one
or
the other? Probably.
>
>
> > Why not, if it is so inconceivable that a
> > vowelless writing system would work for a language that
> > differentiates vowels?
>
> *** I don't argue that vowelless system "does not work" for a language with
> differentiated vowels. Rather, "if" the vowels are differentiated before
> emerging of a writing system, then it is bizarre not to include them in
> writing. The vowelless writing might form at a stage of undifferentiated
> vowels, and then persisted. ***
>
Vadim: what if the ancient Hebrew writing was not letters as we use them in
modern languages (and even in some ancient languages such as Greek) giving
every sound, rather it was a syllabery? And that each syllable was a
consonant followed by a vowel?

We don’t know how Biblical Hebrew was pronounced. The answer to your question
may actually be in the fact that the ancients did not pronounce the letters
in the same manner as we do today. You are asking a question that cannot be
answered, then making assumptions based on pronunciations that we cannot
know.

Karl W. Randolph.
--
___________________________________________________________
Sign-up for Ads Free at Mail.com
http://promo.mail.com/adsfreejump.htm





Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page