Biblical Hebrew Forum

["James Spinti" <JSpinti AT Eisenbrauns.com>]

Professor Blau is one of the leading Semitists in the world. If he says
something, it is worth pondering for more than a few minutes. This book
is his attempt to put all of his life's learning into written form.

James

________________________________
James Spinti
Marketing Director, Book Sales Division
Eisenbrauns, Good books for more than 35 years
Specializing in Ancient Near Eastern and Biblical Studies
jspinti at eisenbrauns dot com
Web: http://www.eisenbrauns.com
Phone: 574-269-2011 ext 226
Fax: 574-269-6788 

-----Original Message-----
From: b-hebrew-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:b-hebrew-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Isaac Fried
Sent: Monday, August 02, 2010 11:44 AM
To: Garth Grenache
Cc: b-hebrew
Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Blau's explanation for how ultimate stress
became inHebrew

I don't believe in short and long vowels. They don't exist now, and  
there is no reason for them to have existed before. Prof. Blau seems  
to have a lively imagination.

Isaac Fried, Boston University

On Aug 2, 2010, at 11:22 AM, Garth Grenache wrote:

> >>Would you like me to give Blau's explanation for how ultimate  
> stress became in Hebrew?
> Isaac Friend>What is it?
>
> Blau suggests four stages of stress from ProtoHebrew/ProtoSemitic  
> to Hebrew:
>
> i. Perhaps second-last syllable (penult) is stressed in words  
> containing only short vowels; otherwise the last long vowel was  
> stressed, which was often also the penult.
> ii. General penultimate stress.
> iii. Loss of final short vowels in most verbs and nouns leaves the  
> stress on last syllable (ultima).
> iv. Some words with penultimate stress which retained long final  
> vowels, had their stress also moved to the ultima, e.g. sha:-mA-ra:- 
> >sha:-ma-rA: -> sha:me-rA:  (pausal retains original vowel and its  
> penultimate accent shamA:ra: because it was lengthened in pause)
>
>
> Garth Grenache, Australia

_______________________________________________
b-hebrew mailing list
b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/b-hebrew