Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Uri Hurwitz <uhurwitz AT yahoo.com>]

     <  "I have never heard the XATAP-PATAX being
 read "shorter"...


Isaac Fried" >

    This may be the twenty seventh time that
he states this on the b-hebrew list

   The fact that these markings were invented eleven,
twelve hundred years ago is irrelevant to him.

  If the Masoretes had not heard the Chatafim
differently they would not have invented different signs
for Patach, and Chataf Patach etc; nor, for other
 reasons, the Qamatz. 

 The next step for him is to state that he does not
 hear differences between Kaf and Quf etc. in
the contemporary spoken language.

  There is no sense to repetat here ad nauseum the
 reasons for the above.

   Uri Hurwitz                 Great Neck Estates