From: "George Athas" <george.athas AT moore.edu.au>
To: <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Was Schewa really silent?
Date: Tue, 4 Sep 2007 14:24:20 +1000
Fascinating discussion, folks. I have a question relating to the following
quote:
> The most useful article I have read on the shewa is
> by William Chomsky: "THE PRONUNCIATION OF THE SHEWA".
> I can email a copy to anyone interested in reading
> it. In it, he argues principally against the notion
> that shewa is vocal after a long vowel. It IS vocal,
> according to the article:
>
> * at the beginning of a word
> * after another shewa
> * under a consonant doubled by a dagesh
> * under the first of two like consonants
>
> However, it is not vocal in the middle of a word,
> not even even after a long vowel.
If the shewa is silent within a word, why the need to mark some gutturals
with a composite shewa, but not others? What is the governing factor there?
Best Regards,
GEORGE ATHAS
Moore Theological College (Sydney)
1 King St, Newtown, NSW 2042, Australia
Ph: (+61 2) 9577 9774