My linguistics professor Fr.Dr. von Raffler-Engel laid great stress (to
what end I no longer remember) on the methodological distinction between
the absence of a vowel and the presence of the Null-vowel. The Masoretes
seem to have inclined toward the latter.
-----Original Message-----
From: b-hebrew-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:b-hebrew-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Dr. Joel M.
Hoffman
Sent: Tuesday, March 14, 2006 9:47 AM
To: VadimCherny AT mail.ru
Cc: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] shwa
>> But once you come to the realization that a shwa represents the lack
>> of a vowel --- no more, no less --- everything because eaiser and
more
>> sensible.
>
>What vowel is lacked in nizcar? Interconsonantal schwa represents not a
What do you mean, "what vowel is lack[ing]"? There is no vowel.
That's what lacking means. (It's like the absurd question in _Catch
22_ about someone who never did something. He is asked WHEN he didn't
do it. He is forced to answer that he always didn't do it....)