Biblical Hebrew Forum

[David Kummerow <farmerjoeblo AT hotmail.com>]

> Pere,
>
> Do you really believe that the ancient Hebrews had something that we  
> are compelled to fancifully call today "energic nun"? 

Yes -- but I'd drop the words "are compelled to fancifully".


> You are saying  
> that this nun is inserted. 

Don't know what you mean by "inserted". If you mean something like that 
energic nun is a morpheme which is gradually dying out in BH and it is 
consequently somewhat "optional", then yes, it is inserted.

> But is it not the reverse, namely, that  this 
> nun was there in the first place and then over time dropped out  of the 
> form? 

Yes, the morpheme was there and was gradually dying out.

Should we then mark and call the vacated spot "the  dropped
> energic nun fault line", or something else to this effect?

No, of course not.

> Isaac Fried, Boston University

Regards,
David Kummerow.