Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Isaac Fried <if AT math.bu.edu>]

Yigal,

You write:

"Although the sounds of Het (X in the trasliteration used on this  
list) and Khaph seem similar to most western ears, and are in fact  
pronounced the same by many Israelis as
well, historically they are not, and the two letters are NEVER  
interchangeable".

Could you tell us, please, what does it mean that letters are  
"interchangeable", and how you decide which letters are  
"interchangeable" and which are not?

Isaac Fried, Boston University

On Oct 20, 2007, at 4:17 PM, Yigal Levin wrote:

> 2. However in this case - your suggestion does not work. Although  
> the sounds
> of Het (X in the trasliteration used on this list) and Khaph seem  
> similar to
> most western ears, and are in fact pronounced the same by many  
> Israelis as
> well, historically they are not, and the two letters are NEVER
> interchangable. So there is no way in which anyone would use Melax  
> (salt)
> and Melekh (king). As far as Mal)akh (messenger/angel), the Aleph  
> is part of
> the root (Lamed-Aleph-Kaph), and not just a "vowel-like letter"  
> that can be
> ignored, although a pun here might work.