Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Karl Randolph" <kwrandolph AT email.com>]

Peter:

Just out of curiosity, what time frame do you determine for 
the invention of matres lectionis?

Do you include where the final he in a verb is changed to a 
yod as an example of matres lectionis?

Karl W. Randolph.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Peter Kirk" <peterkirk AT qaya.org>

> 
>...
> 
> Thank you, Uri and also Bryan. So, it seems that the final he on the
> Mesha stele does not predate the first use of he as a mater lectionis.
> And it seems that none of these other examples are significantly older
> than than that stele. So, unless someone can provide such an example, I
> think we can safely conclude that the final he may very well have been a
> mater lectionis, and so silent.
> 
> It is interesting that a spelling YHW on a very early inscription,
> predating matres lectionis, is likely to be evidence for a pronunciation
> like Yahwe or Yehowa, whereas the same spelling in a later inscription
> would probably be intended to be pronounced Yahu or Yaho.
> 
> --
> Peter Kirk
> peter AT qaya.org (personal)
> peterkirk AT qaya.org (work)
> http://www.qaya.org/

-- 
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