Biblical Hebrew Forum

["R. Lehmann" <lehmann AT uni-mainz.de>]

> Date: Sat, 22 Aug 2009 14:48:20 +0300
> From: Vadim Cherny <him AT vadimcherny.org>
> Subject: [b-hebrew] Dagesh - a different sound or aspiration?
> To: B-Hebrew <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
> Message-ID: <4A8FDB04.3090809 AT vadimcherny.org>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
>
> What is the consensus opinion of the original functioning of  
> begedkefet
> pairs:
>
> 1. A difference in aspiration b/bh, or
> 2. Completely different sounds b/v ?
>
> The first supposition is problematic in many environments. It is  
> rather
> impossible to pronounce, say, yeshobhebh with long tzere vowel.
>
> The second supposition runs against our understanding of alphabet.
> Presumably, letters were introduced to reflect sounds, and it is  
> rather
> unlikely that two very different sounds, b/v, were recorded with the
> same letter.
>
> If we take dagesh as post-LXX phenomenon, we're still faced with the
> same questions, whether it denoted an often unpronounceable aspiration
> change or two completely different sounds.
>
> There seems to be a valid argument against the supposition of two
> different sounds. A "completely different" dagesh-ed version of caf
> would be indistinguishable from het, and of tav - from sin. At  
> least caf
> and tav seems to be aspirated in un-dageshed form, kh and th,  
> respectively,
>
> So, a problem is this:
>
> - presumably, dagesh always means the same thing, whether a change of
> aspiration or a new sound (sibilant?)
> - at least some begedkefet pairs only differ by aspiration  
> depending on
> dagesh, and it seems to follow that all begedkefet pairs must  
> differ by
> aspiration
> - in some environments (yeshobhebh), the aspirated versions are nearly
> unpronounceable.
>
> Could it be that dagesh means something else, perhaps a vocal stop,
> rather than lack of aspiration or sibilance?
>
> Vadim Cherny

Whatever the consensus might be (and I do not agree with Kevin  
Riley), there is still a general problem with dageshes and single  
points in the middle of letters at all, i.e. including dagesh lene/ 
forte, Shureq and Mappiq:
Simply, a point in the middle of a consonant denotes forced,  
amplified or accelerated pronounciation of that consonant. Depending  
on A. kind of consonant, and B. phonemic environment, and maybe C.  
syntactical environment, this amplification has different effects,  
which we are familiar with by the wellknown dageshing rules, Shureq(- 
u) pronounciation of Waw, or viceless laryngal of final He (which is  
the rule at the beginning and middle of a word).

Thus, yes:
> - presumably, dagesh always means the same thing, whether a change of
> aspiration or a new sound (sibilant?)

but with different effects, depending on … (see above).

And this:
> - in some environments (yeshobhebh), the aspirated versions are nearly
> unpronounceable.

By no means it is. At least not for a German native speaker ;-)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dr. Reinhard G. Lehmann
Academic Director
Research Unit on Ancient Hebrew & Epigraphy
FB 01/ Faculty of Protestant Theology
Johannes Gutenberg-University of Mainz
D-55099 Mainz
Germany
lehmann AT uni-mainz.de
http://www.hebraistik.uni-mainz.de
http://www.ev.theologie.uni-mainz.de/297.php