Biblical Hebrew Forum

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

Karl,

The two suppositions are, of course, not symmetrical. If two letters  
merge the evidence is lost, but if a letter splits, the splinters are  
left with us.

Isaac Fried, Boston University

On Oct 29, 2007, at 10:46 PM, K Randolph wrote:

> Isaac:
>
> On 10/29/07, Isaac Fried <if AT math.bu.edu> wrote:
> > Karl,
> >
> > I think I start to understand you now. You are wishing for a witness
> > or an attestor to "accurately indicate what Hebrew was like before
> > Hebrew was written down". What about circumstantial evidence, will
> > this not do?
> >
> > Isaac Fried, Boston University
> Or more accurately, a written record, yes.
>
> Cognate languages already make up one sort of circumstantial evidence,
> and it is one that I treat as secondary at best. As far as I
> understand your position, you reject it. Without a written record, we
> don't know if the cognate languages split, or did Hebrew combine? Many
> modern scholars teach that Hebrew combined phonemes. As I understand
> you, you teach that Hebrew split, and the other languages split more.
>
> So the answer is, circumstantial evidence is not enough, therefore No,
> it will not do.
>
> Karl W. Randolph.
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