Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

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

b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Biblical Hebrew Forum

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: "Karl Randolph" <kwrandolph AT email.com>
  • To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] CV syllables, was music in Hebrew
  • Date: Fri, 27 Jan 2006 14:14:17 -0500

Peter:

I agree with you that the furtive patah is evidence for the
original pronunciation, but I suspect that what happened
was that the pharyngeal consonants were the last to lose
their following vowels. So, for example, rucha became
ruach, shome'a became shomea', and so forth.

Karl W. Randolph.

> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Peter Kirk" <peter AT qaya.org>
> ...
> 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.
>
>> --
> Peter Kirk
> peter AT qaya.org (personal)
> peterkirk AT qaya.org (work)
> http://www.qaya.org/

--
___________________________________________________
Play 100s of games for FREE! http://games.mail.com/





Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page