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  • From: Bearpecs AT aol.com
  • To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] matres lectionis
  • Date: Tue, 26 Jul 2005 16:54:33 EDT




In a message dated 7/26/2005 12:44:49 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
K0434995 AT kingston.ac.uk writes:

I personally find it difficult to
believe that the hebrews would decide to start writing in
some vowels but not form a complete system of vowelling.


Yes, the matres lectionis started out as consonants. They still are
consonants in many words. But we can trace epigraphically their development
as
matres lectionis. For instance, we see the same words in inscriptions
spelled
with consonants and then with added matres lectionis; for example 'ish
spelled
)$ and at a later date spelled )Y$. Also, when a word is the same in Hebrew
and Phoenician, we can see that it is spelled with consonants in Phoenician
(which never developed matres lectionis) and with added matres lectionis in
Hebrew.


In a Semitic language, it made perfect sense to first create letters for the
consonants. Why? because they are the sounds most readily perceived, as
well as bearing the most linguistic information.
As time went on, it made sense to indicate long vowels, which are more
readily perceived than short vowels, and carry more linguistic information.
It
made sense to use the available resources, i.e. the letters which already
existed. Hence matres lectionis, much more logical than "a complete system
of
vowelling".

There is substantial concrete evidence for the development of matres
lectionis as indicating vowels and not necessarily consonants.
Hayyim





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