Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Isaac Fried <if AT math.bu.edu>]

This is a modern song written in biblical Hebrew, and performed by a  
superb singer of Yemenite origin. The isolated Jews of Yemen are  
believed to have kept a very ancient pronunciation of Hebrew.
There is no evidence that anyone ever spoke (spoke!) Biblical Hebrew.
I believe that the NAQDANIYM had a well established tradition, or  
MASORAH, of how to read the Hebrew bible in general, and the TORAH in  
particular.

Isaac Fried, Boston University

On May 18, 2011, at 2:44 PM, K Randolph wrote:

> Isaac:
>
> What does this have to do with Biblical Hebrew?
>
> Modern pronunciation is not the same as Biblical Hebrew  
> pronunciation, and even Masoretic Hebrew, is known not to have been  
> the same as Biblical pronunciation.
>
> So what relationship does this modern song have with Biblical Hebrew?
>
> Karl W. Randolph
>
> On Wed, May 18, 2011 at 9:46 AM, Isaac Fried <if AT math.bu.edu> wrote:
> You may find this of some linguistic interest. Here is the rousing
> refrain SOBIY, SOBIY MAMTERAH, turn, turn sprinkler :
>
> סובי, סובי, ממטרה, הי
> סובי, סובי, ממטרה
> לפזר פניני אורה
> סובי והתיזי מים
> עץ יריע בשדרה
> אדמה תיתן פריה
> באין גשם משמיים
>
> from the popular Israeli song HORAH MAMTERAH. Here: http://
> www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRUyFyRJOUE you may listen to it being
> performed by the prima diva, the תימניה Shoshanah Damari. What
> is interesting in this is that I think I hear her sing SOVIY, SOVIY,
> with a soft B, and not SOBIY, SOBIY, with a hard B.
>
> Isaac Fried, Boston University