Biblical Hebrew Forum

[fred putnam <fred.putnam AT gmail.com>]

Dear Rivkah,

Here are two readings, from the standard UBS editions (Rahlfs, Gryson):

*LXX*: nu-omega-epsilon-mu-iota-nu (which supports the *qamets-gadol*reading);
Nwemin
*Vulgate*: *Noemi* (which may or may not support the *qamets-gadol* reading,
but which is centuries closer to the masoretic period than LXX)

Peace.

Fred

On Sun, Mar 15, 2009 at 2:04 PM, Yodan <yodan AT yodanco.com> wrote:

> Question: Does anyone on this list know what was the LXX, Vulgate, or
> another ancient transliteration of the name Nun-Ayin-Mem-Yud (the name of
> the mother-in-law of Ruth)? Or can anyone point me to a source where the
> answer can be found?
>
> The reason for the question:
>
> According to the rules set by medieval Sephardi grammarians, the Kamatz of
> Nun is Kamatz Gadol (because the syllable is open), hence Na`omi. However,
> this Kamatz is a Kamatz Katan according to modern-era Biblical Hebrew
> scholars (hence also in modern Hebrew). It is conceivable that the etymology
> of this Kamatz is OH (if the name is "derived" from No`am), supporting the
> transliteration No`omi. However, Tanakh translations show this name as
> Naomi.
>
> Because LXX, Vulgate, and other ancient translations preceded medieval
> Sephardi grammarians, perhaps they provide a clue to how this name was
> pronounced by those who used different vowel-sounds (AH and OH) for the two
> different types of Kamatz.
>
> More background related to the question:
>
> If the transliteration was based on a Hebrew pronunciation that did not
> differentiate between the two Kamatz vowel sounds (as was the case with the
> Tiberians), the transliterations may not be informative. However, because
> even during the era of the Tiberian Masoretes there were Hebrew
> pronunciations (e.g. Babylonian Jews and others who lived in the Land of
> Israel) who did differentiate between the two sounds (which the Tiberian
> calls by a single name Kamatz), it's possible (likely?) that early Tanakh
> translations (which preceded the Tiberian Masoretes by centuries) were
> doneb  y people who used different vowel sounds for what ended up as the
> same vowel sound in the Tiberian pronunciation.
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> Rivka Sherman-Gold, Ph.D.
>
> *********************************
> YODAN Publishing
> P.O. Box 60655
> Palo Alto, CA 94306-0655
> 650-494-6994
> Rivka AT Yodanco.com
>
> **********************************
>
> _______________________________________________
> b-hebrew mailing list
> b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/b-hebrew
>

--)---------------
"We are not yet what we already are" (J. Pieper).

215-393-9683 (home)
www.fredputnam.org (website)

Frederic Clarke Putnam | Faculty
Philadelphia Biblical University | 200 Manor Avenue | Langhorne, PA
19047-2990
http://pbu.edu | 1215-702-4502 | Fax: 1-215-702-4533