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b-hebrew - Re: [b-hebrew] CV syllables, was music in Hebrew

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  • From: Peter Kirk <peter AT qaya.org>
  • To: Herman Meester <crazymulgogi AT gmail.com>
  • Cc: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] CV syllables, was music in Hebrew
  • Date: Fri, 27 Jan 2006 17:21:11 +0000

On 27/01/2006 14:15, Herman Meester wrote:

...

And the fact that our European languages are not reported to have an
`ayin doesn't mean certain Semitic languages don't. The `ayin was not
pronounced anymore by the Masoretes by the way, it was "replaced" with
an /a/ sound, hence רוח is written with a "patach furtivum",
pronounced [rua], not *ruach.


Possibly, but it is more probable that the furtive patah was inserted at a time when `ayin and het were pronounced as proper pharyngeals. For it is well known that pronunciation of a pharyngeal consonant, by withdrawing the tongue root, lowers the centre of the tongue and so changes a close vowel (i,e,u) into an open one, more of an a sound. At a later stage some speakers dropped the `ayin and started to pronounce the het differently. But the furtuve patah is evidence of the original pronunciation.

...

Even Dutch offers a parallel to Hebrew. In Hebrew, *malk(u) ~> *malk
~> melekh. In Dutch, the word /melk/ (=Engl. milk) has led to the
pronounciation [mèluk] (not written this way, only pronounced).
Exactly the same thing. In several Arabic dialects, the "segolates"
develop the same thing: a word like /dars/ is often pronounced
[dárus].


In some regional varieties of British English (not the glottal loving ones you described so well) "film" is pronounced like "fill 'em".

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





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