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b-hebrew - Re: [b-hebrew] w sound in Hebrew

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  • From: "Yitzhak Sapir" <yitzhaksapir AT gmail.com>
  • To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] w sound in Hebrew
  • Date: Mon, 15 Jan 2007 02:57:00 +0000

On 1/15/07, Oun Kwon wrote:
Please clarify for me. Someone wrote:

There is no "w" in Hebrew. The so called waw to which so many
non-Hebraicists make reference is pronounced vav, and should, in fact,
be written that way, and usually is. Yahweh is not even a possible
pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton.

In the Tiberian tradition, w is pronounced [w] only when it occurs before
or after an [u] vowel. Elsewhere, it is to be pronounced [v], the same as
a bet without dagesh.

For example, Gen 1:9 should have:
[vaj-'jo:-mɛr]
[yiq-qɔ:-'wu:]
and Gen 1:10:
[ul-miq-'ve:]

However, [v] is most likely a later development from an original *[w] which
was realized in all situations.

Yitzhak Sapir



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