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  • From: Uri Hurwitz <uhurwitz AT yahoo.com>
  • To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [b-hebrew] The vowels of אֶחָד
  • Date: Sun, 10 Apr 2011 10:32:06 -0700 (PDT)

  For many examples of an 'open' syllable of the first
consonant of a noun, please check the Segolites - Melekh,
Keter, Yeled, etc. In this case the stress is of course
on the first syllable. No need to discuss here again the
origin of this type of Heb. nouns.

As for the irregularity of 'Ehad', this may well be
because originally here too the stress was on the first
syllable. Notice the pronounciation of same word in
Arabic where the stress is on the first syllable.

   Segol and Tseire are not marked in in  ancient Semitic
systems, whether Akkadian or Ugaritic, nor do they appear
in the vocalization marks of Arabic. That this language
definitely has the vowel 'e' is abundantly clear from its
constant appearance on the colloquial pronounciations -see
for example 'El-Amarna' 'El - Arish' compared with the
formal 'Al-Arish'.

But to return the Hebrew Het : yes, of course it is
a guttural, and so if will be vowelled with a Hataf- Patah.
On the other hand,it does appear with a plain Sh'wa: e.g.
'I'll think' - 'Ehshob',similarly the (Ayin: Naga(ti.

  In short, exception, irregularities exist. All one needs
is to consult elemtary Heb. grammer books. Further,
ancients, like moderns, simply made mistakes. 

  Complaints should be directed to the masoretes twelve
hundred or so years ago. Their mistakes were noted of
course by other ancients who followed them. Since the
texts were canonized, and could not tempered with,
such mistakes were often corrected 'off text':'
'Tiqunei Sof'rim'.

Incidentally the term 'virtual' must have entered
the vocabulary of Heb. teachers in recent years,
as result of computer use.

  The current term for it in modern Hebrew is 'Hazuy'.

  Ezov Haqqyr,


  Uri Hurwitz                               
Great Neck, NY

 

 






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