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  • From: "Karl Randolph" <kwrandolph AT email.com>
  • To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] yhwh pronunciation
  • Date: Mon, 25 Jul 2005 21:53:22 -0500

Peter:

As I wrote before, I know of an inscription written in
proto-Sinaitic script that has seven words, among which one
has a waw indicating third person singular possessive (if
I'm not mistaken, is that not a mater lectionis?) and one
has a yod in the second person singular perfect to replace
a hey. From this example, I suspect that the use of matres
lectionis well predates the Phoenician use of the alphabet.

Karl W. Randolph.

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

>
> 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.
>
...
>
> > 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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