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b-hebrew - Re: [b-hebrew] Ayin and Ghayin

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Subject: Biblical Hebrew Forum

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  • From: Peter Kirk <peter AT qaya.org>
  • To: Karl Randolph <kwrandolph AT email.com>
  • Cc: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Ayin and Ghayin
  • Date: Wed, 02 Nov 2005 12:31:23 +0000

On 02/11/2005 06:16, Karl Randolph wrote:

... Yitzhak, who made the claim as I understood him, that one can not claim to read Biblical Hebrew unless he uses points. Of course I found his claim untenable, and told him so.


I don't think Yitzhak made this claim, which is clearly untenable in this strong form. Those who read the scriptures in synagogues read from unpointed text, but they still read biblical Hebrew because they still read it more or less according to the Masoretic pronunciation, although they do this from memory rather than from written points. And the same is at least in part true of you: because you have read the text several times with points, you know many of the points and so at most places subconsciously read the text according to the Masoretic pronunciation even when you don't have the points in front of you.

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





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