Biblical Hebrew Forum

[K Randolph <kwrandolph AT gmail.com>]

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