And of course the fact that confusing shin and sin was considered a
distinctive feature of the Ephraimites means that other people did
distinguish between them. At least this is what would have been "normal" to
the intended audience of Judges, whenever it was written.
Yigal Levin
-----Original Message-----
From: Chavoux Luyt
It would appear from Judges 12: 5-6 that at least some Israelites (the
Ephraimites) pronounced Shin/Sin the same as samech, at least for some words
(and this was still in the time of the judges, long before the "standard"
biblical Hebrew of the Kingdoms of Judah and Israel). This would imply that
Shin and Samech could not have been too different.
What do you think are the implications for your idea of a voiceless alveolar
lateral fricative?
וַיִּלְכֹּד גִּלְעָד אֶֽת־מַעְבְּרֹות הַיַּרְדֵּן לְאֶפְרָיִם וְֽהָיָה כִּי
יֹאמְרוּ פְּלִיטֵי אֶפְרַיִם אֶעֱבֹרָה וַיֹּאמְרוּ לֹו אַנְשֵֽׁי־גִלְעָד
הַֽאֶפְרָתִי אַתָּה וַיֹּאמֶֽר לֹֽא׃ וַיֹּאמְרוּ לֹו אֱמָר־נָא שִׁבֹּלֶת
וַיֹּאמֶר סִבֹּלֶת וְלֹא יָכִין לְדַבֵּר כֵּן וַיֹּאחֲזוּ אֹותֹו
וַיִּשְׁחָטוּהוּ אֶל־מַעְבְּרֹות הַיַּרְדֵּן וַיִּפֹּל בָּעֵת הַהִיא
מֵֽאֶפְרַיִם אַרְבָּעִים וּשְׁנַיִם אָֽלֶף׃