Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Peter Kirk <peterkirk AT qaya.org>]

On 26/07/2005 16:20, Shoshanna Walker wrote:

> OK, so now I'm just bothering you with silly questions - what is  "a 
> mater lectionis"?
>
>  
Basically, it is a Hebrew letter which represents a vowel, rather than a 
consonant, in an unpointed text. The name means "mother of reading", and 
there is an equivalent Hebrew term which I forget. The letters used as 
matres lectionis are yod representing an "i" or "e" vowel, vav for "u" 
or "o"; also he for "e", "a" or "o" but only at the end of a word. In 
post-biblical Hebrew alef is also used for "a".

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



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