Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

b-hebrew - Re: [b-hebrew] Reflection on Randall's Statement

b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Biblical Hebrew Forum

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Kevin Riley <klriley100 AT gmail.com>
  • To: Hebrew <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Reflection on Randall's Statement
  • Date: Sat, 23 Jan 2010 23:10:20 +1100

There is a question which, while slightly off-topic, does have a bearing on
many of these discussions. What would you accept as evidence for a
knowledge of pronunciation that would allow these dead languages to be
taught with a reasonable degree of accuracy? If the only way we can know
for certain how a language is pronounced is to record a sample and run it
through sophisticated machinery, are we then left with having to say "We
don't really know, and therefore can say nothing about the subject"? Or is
there a point when the weight of evidence - from various sources and
disciplines - allows us to say "We are fairly sure that this is the case",
even if we are met with the question "But all the speakers are dead, so how
can you really know?"

On the issue of the Hebrew/Phoenician alphabet: how could we tell if the
originators/developers considered that a zero vowel was included in the
options for a syllable? If they did so, what would distinguish a sytem that
records only consonants from a system that recorded consonant + vowel,
including a zero vowel? If they were familiar with systems that used CV
symbols to represent C + zero vowel [like Akkadian], then it is not
impossible that they would see that as an option. I am not sure that the
originators having a knowledge of other systems of writings should be
excluded from the discussion.

Kevin Riley

On 23 January 2010 20:28, James Christian <jc.bhebrew AT googlemail.com> wrote:

> For the benefit of the layman who may read this and think Randall actually
> knows what he's talking about I would present this question to Randall so
> that the layman can see how and if he can even answer it:
>
> Akkadian being a dead language on what transliteration evidence are you
> basing your 'knowledge' of Akkadian pronunciation?
>
> James Christian
>




Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page