Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Barry" <nebarry AT verizon.net>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Isaac Fried" <if AT math.bu.edu>
To: "Garth Grenache" <garthgrenache AT hotmail.com>
Cc: "b-hebrew" <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Monday, August 02, 2010 11:43 AM
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.

With all due respect, is this even a point of discussion in any of the 
literature?  Most of my concern with Hebrew is simply being able to read and 
understand it, and some of the, ahem, arcana discussed on this list is quite 
new to me, but I think I would have noticed this if it were considered 
debateable.  The references I have on the shelf certainly don't question the 
existence of long and short vowels.  So, Isaac, are you alone in this, or is 
there some published literature on the subject?

N.E. Barry Hofstetter
Classics and Bible Instructor, TAA
http://www.theamericanacademy.net
(2010 Savatori Excellence in Education Winner)
Mentor, TNARS
http://www.tnars.net

http://my.opera.com/barryhofstetter/blog
http://mysite.verizon.net/nebarry