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b-hebrew - Re: [b-hebrew] yhwh pronunciation

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  • From: Peter Kirk <peterkirk AT qaya.org>
  • To: Karl Randolph <kwrandolph AT email.com>
  • Cc: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] yhwh pronunciation
  • Date: Mon, 25 Jul 2005 12:19:55 +0100

On 25/07/2005 03:32, Karl Randolph wrote:

Peter:

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


I don't know, Karl. Do you? Obviously no later than the late ninth century because it is attested at that time. And there is very little written Hebrew earlier than that. There is older Phoenician, which apparently did not use matres lectionis at all. And there are no he matres lectionis in the Gezer calendar, which is Hebrew from the late tenth century, although there are final vavs which may well indicate long "u" sounds (in the repeated word YRXW which is understood as meaning "two months", a construct dual) - but this rather short work just may not include any words ending with a vowel other than "u". This suggests, but by no means proves, that use of final he as a mater lectionis was a ninth century innovation.

Here, for reference, is the entire text of the Gezer calendar, in a rather non-standard transliteration:

* L1: yrxw ’sp // yrxw z
* L2: r‘ // yrxw lqš
* L3: yrx ‘cd pšt
* L4: yrx qcr s‘rm
* L5: yrx qcr ??l(?)
* L6: yrxw zmr
* L7: yrx qc

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


Well, that depends on the pronunciation of the yod. If it marks a long "i" vowel, as for example in the 1st and 2nd person singular "perfect" forms of the qal of "lamed-he" verbs, it is a mater lectionis. But if it is a consonant, as in the qal passive participle, then it is not a mater lectionis.

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



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