Ver. 17.0
June 22, 2010
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Lexicon
of Unmarked Consonantal Phonemes in Biblical Hebrew
1 Background and Approach
The work of Weavers and Blau (1982) supplemented by Steiner (2005) have proved that the Biblical Hebrew reading tradition of the translators of the Septuagint Torah (late 4th century BCE) distinguished between the sounds [ħ][2] and [x] both represented by the letter ח, and the sounds [ʕ] and [ɣ], both represented by the letter ע, in the PMT. It is clear that this distinction was phonemic (see Consonantal Minimal Pairs in Biblical Hebrew No Longer Valid in Later Hebrew). This clearly attests to the reality of Jerusalem Pre-exilic (EBHP) and early post-exilic (LBHP) literary Hebrew. This can be considered a proven fact to the extent that such a thing can be proved in the absence of ancient sound recordings. There is no longer any excuse for ignoring this phonetic and phonemic reality in reconstructing the pronunciation of Biblical Hebrew. There seems to be no reference work allowing the student to quickly distinguish between where ח represents /ḥ/ [ħ] or /ḫ/ [x] and where ע represents /c/ [ʕ] or /ġ/ [ɣ]. To fill this gap I have compiled the following from HALOT and, for the Septuagint readings, from Blau 1982.
2 Practical Application
Scholars, particularly when working on Biblical Hebrew poetry or wordplay, should make every effort to pronounce the text as closely as possible to the pronunciation of literary Hebrew in pre-exilic Jerusalem (EBHP).
In
general, I would recommend pronouncing PMT ע
as [ɣ] where either:
a) The Septuagint transliterates the ע in the Hebrew root with a Γγ Gamma; or,
b) clearly
cognate roots or words in other Semitic languages
exhibit [ġ]
rather than [c] . The order of
importance of the comparator languages is Ugaritic, Arabic, Old South Arabian languages, Ethiopic languages. This is often a balance of
probabilities type decision.
Since, as calculated by Blau
(1982 §9.1), the
frequency of [c] is much higher
than that of [ġ] in Semitic languages, in all other cases we should assume that ע = [c].
|
|
Root
or Word |
(c. 850-550 BCE) (? = uncertain whether the phoneme is /ġ/ or /c/)
|
Meaning |
Comments |
|
א |
אֲבִידָע |
personal
name |
Blau 1982 §8.2.3a |
|
|
אֲבַעְבֻּעֹת |
/ʾạbaġbuːˈġōt/? |
blisters, ulcers |
Unknown
whether ע in this word represents [c]
or [ġ] |
|
|
אֲחִימַעַץ |
/ʾạḫīˈmaġṣ/? [ʔɐxiːˈmɐɣsˁ] or [ʔɐxiːˈmɐɣәsˁ] |
personal
name |
See Blau 1982 §8.2.3c. |
|
|
אֶלְדָּעָה |
/ʾildaˈġaː/ [ʔɛldɐˈɣɐ:] |
|
Ελραγα Blau 1982 §7, 8.2.5a. |
|
|
אֶלְעוּזַי |
/ʾilġūˈzay/? [ʔɛlɣuːˈzɐy] |
personal
name |
See Blau 1982 §8.2.3c. |
|
|
אֶלְעָשָׂה |
/ʾilġaˈśaː/? [ʔɛlɣɐˈ ɬɐː] |
personal
name |
See Blau 1982 §8.2.3c. |
|
|
אֶפַע, אָפַע [√pġh] |
/ˈʾapġ/ [ˈʔɐpɣ] or [ˈʔɐpәɣ] |
chaotic,
void, illusion |
|
|
|
אֶצְעָדָה [√ṣġd] |
/ʾiṣġaˈdaː/ [ʔɛsˁɣɐˈdɐː] |
bracelet |
|
|
|
אֶשְׁעָן |
/ʾišˈġaːn/? [ʔɛ
ʃˈɣaːn] |
place
name |
See Blau 1982 §8.2.3c |
|
|
ב |
√בלע |
√blġ |
1. to
report, to announce 2. to be
confused |
Meaning
1) from √baluġa Meaning
2) from √balaġa cf. √bl c = "to swallow" Blau 1982 §7. |
|
בֶּלַע בַּלְעִי [√blġ] |
/ˈbalġ/ [ˈʔbɐlɣ] or [ˈʔbɐlәɣ] /balˈɣī/ |
slander,
confusion, personal name “eloquent”" gentilic |
cf. בֶּלַע (EBHP /ˈbalc/)
√blc
"what has been swallowed " Blau 1982 §7. |
|
|
בִּנְעָא |
/binˈġaʾ/? |
place
name |
See Blau 1982 §8.2.3c |
|
|
1. √בעה |
√bġh < √bġy |
to
enquire, search for |
Ugaritic
√bġy
to wish and Arabic √bġy
to search |
|
|
2. √בעה |
√bġh < √bġw |
to bring to the boil (piel), to bulge out (niphal) |
Arabic
√bġw
swell up (wound) |
|
|
3. √בעה |
√bġh? |
to graze
bare |
Unknown
whether ע in this root represents [c]
or [ġ] |
|
|
בְּעוֹר |
/bịˈġōr/? |
|
Blau 1982 §8.2.3a |
|
|
בִּעוּת [√bġt] |
/biġˈġūt/ |
terrors |
|
|
|
בֹּעַז |
/ˈbuġz/ [ˈbʊɣz] or [ˈbo̞ɣәz] |
personal
name "liveliness" |
Arabic
baġz
liveliness |
|
|
√בעט |
√bġṭ? |
to kick |
Unknown
whether ע in this root represents [c]
or [ġ] |
|
|
בְּעֹן |
/bịˈġōn/? |
place
name |
Blau 1982 §8.2.3b |
|
|
בַּעֲנָא |
/biġġạˈnaʾ/? |
personal
name |
Blau 1982 §8.2.3c |
|
|
בַּעֲשֵׂיָה |
/baġśiˈyah/? |
personal
name |
Blau 1982 §8.2.3c |
|
|
√בעת |
√bġt |
gripped by fear |
Arabic
baġata
to come as a surprise |
|
|
בְּעָתָה [√bġt] |
/bạġaˈtaː/ |
terror |
|
|
|
בִּרְשַׁע |
/birˈšiġ/? |
personal
name |
Blau 1982 §8.2.3a |
|
|
בַּעְשָׁא |
/baġˈšaʾ/? |
personal
name |
Blau 1982 §8.2.3c |
|
|
ג |
בְּעֶשְׁתְּרָה |
/bēġaštaˈraː/? |
place
name |
Blau 1982 §8.2.3c |
|
גַּעַשׁ |
/ˈgaġš/? [ˈgɐɣʃ]
or [ˈgɐɣәʃ] |
place
name |
Blau 1982 §8.2.3c |
|
|
גַּעְתָּם |
/gaġˈtam/? |
personal
name |
Blau 1982 §8.2.3a, c |
|
|
ד |
דֶּמַע |
/ˈdamġ/? [ˈdɐmɣ] or [ˈdɐmәɣ] |
best |
Best
based on Arabic dimāġ marrow, brain >
best. It could also be a specialized meaning for דֶּמַע (EBHP /ˈdamc/) =
"tears" |
|
דְּעוּאֵל |
/dạġūˈʾeːl/ |
personal
name |
Blau 1982 §8.2.5b |
|
|
ה |
הֵנַע |
/ˈhinġ/? [ˈhɪnɣ] or [ˈhɪnәɣ] |
place
name |
Blau 1982 §7, 8.2.6c |
|
ז |
זִיעַ |
/ˈzīġ/? |
personal
name |
Blau 1982 §8.2.3c |
|
√זעה |
√zġh |
מְזַעְזְעֶיךָ [EBHP mụzaġzaˈġēka]
"those who bark at you" |
מְזַעְזְעֶיךָ |
|
|
זַעֲוָן |
/zaġˈwaːn/? |
|
Perhaps
root √zwġ (Blau 1982 §8.2.6a) |
|
|
זְעֵיר [√zġr] |
small, little, young |
|
||
|
√זעם |
√zġm |
to curse, scold |
Arabic
zaġama
to speak in anger |
|
|
זַעַם [√zġm] |
/ˈzaġm/ [ˈzɐɣm] or [ˈzɐɣәm] |
indignation |
|
|
|
√זער |
√zġr |
to be sparse, scanty |
By-form
of [ṣġr] |
|
|
ט |
√טעה |
√ṭġh |
to wander about, err |
Arabic ṭaġāw
to exceed proper bounds, ṭāġin one who deviates
from the right way, tyrant |
|
י |
יְהוֹעַדָּה |
/yạhōġadˈdaː/? |
personal
name |
Blau 1982 §8.2.3c |
|
יוֹעֵד |
/yōˈġeːd/? |
personal
name |
Blau 1982 §8.2.3c |
|
|
יַעְבֵּץ |
/yaġˈbeːṣ/? |
|
Blau 1982 §8.2.4c suggests original root √ġďb \√ġbď. (See
also Blau 1982 §7.) However, HALOT suggests
cognates Ugaritic cbṣ
satchel, Arabic cifāṣ
shepherd’s pouch, purse), hollow? |
|
|
יְעוּשׁ |
/yạˈġūš/ |
Personal name "may (God) help” |
Arabic
√yġṯ Blau 1982 §8.1 |
|
|
יָעִיר |
/yaˈġīr/? |
Personal name |
Ugaritic
√ġr
to protect. Blau
1982 §8.2.3c |
|
|
יַעְלָם [√ġlm] |
/yaġˈlaːm/ |
Personal name |
Ιεγλομ
(Blau 1982 §8.2.4a,c) |
|
|
יַעֲנָה |
/yaġˈnaː/? |
ostrich |
Possibly
cognate to Arabic waġana to be bold in battle or Arabic
wacnat
stony country (the ostrich as a desert animal) |
|
|
√יעף |
√yġp |
|
Arabic
√wġf
to run, hurry |
|
|
יַעֲקָן |
/yaġˈqaːn/? |
personal
name |
See Blau 1982 §8.2.3b. |
|
|
יַעֲשִׂיאֵל |
/yiġśīˈʾeːl/? |
Personal name |
Blau 1982 §8.2.3c |
|
|
יַעֲרֶשְׁיָה |
/yirġašˈyah/ |
Personal name |
Blau 1982 §8.1 |
|
|
כ |
כְּדָרְלָעֹמֶר |
/kụdurlaˈġumr/ [ˈzɐɣm] or [ˈzɐɣәm] |
Personal name |
Χοδολλογομορ. Blau 1982 §8.2.5a |
|
ל |
√לעד |
√lġd? |
|
Arabic
luġd
earlobe, flesh on the throat. |
|
לַעְדָּה [√lġd] |
/laġˈda:/? |
Personal
name “someone with a fleshy
throat” |
Blau 1982 §8.2.3c |
|
|
לַעְדָּן [√lġd] |
/laġˈdaːn/? |
|||
|
√לעז |
√lġz |
to speak an uncomprehensible language |
Arabic
laġaza
to speak ambiguously, speak in riddles |
|
|
√לעט |
√lġṭ? |
to swallow |
Unknown
whether ע in this root represents [c] or [ġ] |
|
|
לַעֲנָה |
/laġˈnaː/? |
wormwood |
Unknown
whether ע in this word represents [c] or [ġ] |
|
|
√לעע |
√lġġ |
to stammer |
Arabic
laġāw
chatter Cf. √לעע (EBHP √lcc)
"to drink avidly" |
|
|
לֶשַׁע |
/ˈlašġ/? [ˈlɐʃɣ] or [ˈlɐʃәɣ] |
place
name |
Blau 1982 §8.2.3a |
|
|
√לתע |
√ltġ |
|
Arabic
lataġa
and ladaġa
bite, sting |
|
|
מ |
מַגְפִּיעָשׁ |
/magpīˈġaːš/? |
personal name |
Blau 1982 §8.2.3c |
|
מִזְעָר [√zġr] |
/mizˈġaːr/ |
something small |
|
|
|
מַלְתָּעוֹת [√ltġ] |
/maltaˈġōt/ |
jaw-bone |
|
|
|
מָעוֹן [√ġwn] |
/maˈġōn/ |
hidden lair, of lions, dwelling |
Cf. מָעוֹן (EBHP
/maˈcōn/)
"assistance" |
|
|
מַעֲטֶה |
/maġˈṭê/ |
outer
garment, mantle |
Arabic
ġiṭāc
item of clothing |
|
|
מָעַי |
/maġˈay/? |
personal name |
Blau 1982 §8.2.3c |
|
|
מְעִיל |
/mạˈġīl/ |
sleeveless,
cloak-like outer garment |
Arabic
ġilālat
veil, shawl (√ġll) |
|
|
מַעֲכָה |
/maġˈkaː/? |
personal
name |
Blau 1982 §8.2.3a, c |
|
|
מַעֲכָה מַעֲכָת |
/maġˈkaː/? |
place
name |
Μααχα,
Μωχα,
Μαχατι/θι
|
|
|
מַעֲכָתִי |
/maġkaˈtî/? |
gentilic
of מַעֲכָה |
Blau 1982 §8.2.3b, c |
|
|
מַעֲרָב [√ġrb] |
/maġˈraːb/? |
west,
sunset |
Ugaritic
mcrb
but Arabic maġrib |
|
|
מְעָרָה |
/mạġaˈraː/ |
cave,
animal den |
Μααραγαβα.
Ugaritic mġrt;
Arabic
maġārat
Cf. מְעָרָה (EBHP /macaˈrā/)
"cleared field" |
|
|
מַעֲרָת |
/maġˈraːt/? |
place
name |
Blau 1982 §7 root √crw
or √ġrw |
|
|
מַעְשַׂי |
/maġˈśay/? |
personal name |
Blau 1982 §8.2.3c |
|
|
מַעֲשֵׂיָהוּ מַעֲשֵׂיָה |
/maġśiˈyahū/? /maġśiˈyah/? |
personal name |
Blau 1982 §8.2.3c |
|
|
מִצְעָד [√ṣġd] |
/miṣˈġaːd/ |
step |
|
|
|
מִצְעָר [√ṣġr] |
/miṣˈġaːr/ |
something small |
|
|
|
מַרְעֲלָה |
/marġạˈla:/? |
place
name |
Sept.B
Μαραγελλα,
Sept.AL Μαρι/αλα.
Arabic racl but see Blau 1982 §7, 8.2.6c |
|
|
מִשְׁעָם |
/mišˈġaːm/? |
personal name |
Blau 1982 §8.2.3c |
|
|
מִשְׁרָעִי |
/mišraˈġî/? |
gentilic
of unknown * מִשְׁרָע |
Blau 1982 §8.2.3c |
|
|
נ |
√נבע |
√nbġ? |
to gush forth |
Unknown
whether ע in this root represents [c] or [ġ] - Arabic nbc/ġ
to bubble |
|
נֹעָה |
/nuˈġaː/? |
personal name |
Blau 1982 §8.2.3b |
|
|
נֵעָה |
/niˈġaː/ |