Ver.
17.0
June
22, 2010
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Lexicon of Unmarked
Consonantal Phonemes in Biblical Hebrew
/ḫ/
[x]
(also
transliterated as kh or k)[1]
David Steinberg
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 It is clear that this distinction was phonemic (see Consonantal Minimal Pairs in Biblical Hebrew No
Longer Valid in Later Hebrew).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 ח as [x]:
a) where the Septuagint transliterates the ח in the Hebrew root with a Χχ
Chi; or,
b) where clearly cognate roots or
words in other Semitic
languages exhibit /ḫ/ rather than /ḥ/. 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
§14.1) the frequency of /ḥ/ is much higher than that of /ḫ/ in
Semitic languages, in all other cases we should assume that ח = /ḥ/.
|
|
Root or Word |
(c. 850-550 BCE) (? = uncertain whether the phoneme is /ḫ/ or /ḥ/) |
Meaning |
Comments |
|
א |
אֲבַטִּיחַ |
/ʾạbaṭˈṭῑḫ/ |
watermelon |
Arabic *ba/iṭṭīḫ |
|
אֲבִיחַיִל |
/ʾạbῑˈḫayl/ |
personal name |
Blau 1982 §13.2.4a,
c |
|
|
אֶזְרָח |
/ʾizˈraːḫ/ [ʾɪzˈɾaːx] or [ʾɛzˈɾaːx] |
native, full citizen |
αὐτόχθων |
|
|
אֹחַ |
/ʾuˈḫῑm/ (pl.) [ʾʊˈxiːm] or [ʾo̞ˈxiːm] |
howling
desert animals |
ἠ̂χος |
|
|
/ˈʾaːḫ/ |
brother |
Arabic ʾaḫ,
Ugaritic aḫ, iḫ 1. c.f. ʾaḥ an interjection of pain 2. Many names compounded with ʾaḫ/ʾaḫī
such as - אַחְאָב (ʾaḫˈab) Blau 1982 §13.2.4c אַחְבָּן (ʾaḫˈban) אֲחוּמַי (ʾaḫˈban) Blau 1982 §13.2.4c אֲחִיטוּב
(/ʾaḫīˈṭūb/) Blau 1982 §12,
13.2.4b,c |
||
|
אָח |
/ˈʾaːḫ/ |
brazier
made of metal |
From Egyptian ˓ḫ
|
|
|
אַחְבָּן |
/ʾaḫˈbaːn/? |
personal
name |
possibly
cognate to Arabic ḫābin strong Blau 1982 §13.2.6c |
|
|
√אחה |
√ʾḫh |
to
fraternize |
Denominative from אָח "brother" |
|
|
אָחוּ |
/ˈʾaːḫuː/ |
sedge |
αχει |
|
|
אַחֲוָה |
/ʾaḫˈwâ/ |
brotherhood |
Arabic
ʾuḫuwwat, ʾaḫḫawīyat,
Akkadian aḫūtu: brotherhood |
|
|
אֲחוֹחִי |
/ʾạḫōˈḫî/? |
gentilic |
Blau 1982 §13.2.6c |
|
|
אָחוֹר [√ʾḫr ] |
rear, back |
Arabic
ʾaḫīr
|
||
|
אָחוֹת |
/ʾaḫˈōt/ |
sister |
Ugaritic aḫt,
pl. aḫt
and aḫtt;
Arabic ʾuḫt,
Old South Arabian ʾḫt,
Ethiopic ʾeḫt;
|
|
|
√אחז |
√ʾḫz |
hold, seize, cover, settle in a country (niphal) |
Ugaritic ʾaḫd
and ʾaḫḏ
Verb, derivatives and names compounded with
the root such as יְהוֹאָחָז, אֲחַזְיָ
אַחְזַי
אֲחַזְיָה, אֲחֻזָּם, אֲחֻזַּת etc. |
|
|
אָחָז [√ʾḫz] |
/ʾaḫˈaːz/ |
personal name |
Αχαζ Blau 1982 §13.2.4c |
|
|
אֲחֻזָּה [√ʾḫz] |
/ʾụḫuˈzaː/ |
land holding |
|
|
|
אַחְזַי [√ʾḫz] |
/ʾaḫˈzay/ |
personal name |
Blau 1982 §13.2.4c |
|
|
אֲחַזְיָה אֲחַזְיָהוּ [√ʾḫz] |
/ʾạḫazˈyaːh/ /ʾạḫazˈyahuː/ |
personal name |
Blau 1982 §13.2.4c |
|
|
אֲחֻזָּם [√ʾḫz] |
/ʾụḫuzˈzaːm/ |
personal name |
Ωχαζαμ Blau 1982 §13.2.4c |
|
|
אֲחֻזַּת [√ʾḫz] |
/ʾụḫuzˈzat/ |
personal name |
Blau 1982 §13.2.4a |
|
|
אֵחִי |
/ʾiˈḫī/? |
personal name |
Blau 1982 §13.2.5c. |
|
|
אֲחִיחֻד |
/ʾụḫīˈḫu:d/?[4] |
personal name |
Blau 1982 §13.2.6c |
|
|
אַחְיָן [אָח] |
/ʾaḫˈyān/ |
personal name "little brother" |
Ugaritic
aḫyn
Blau 1982 §13.1 |
|
|
אַחְלָב [√ḫlb] |
/ʾaḫˈlaːb/? |
place name
“elevation in the forest” |
Blau 1982 §13.2.3c |
|
|
אַחְמְתָא |
/ʾaḫmta:/? [ʾɐxmtɐ:] or [ʾɐxmtɐʾ] |
Ecbatana Persian
place name |
Blau 1982 §13.2.3c |
|
|
אֲחַסְבַּי |
/ʾạḫasˈbay/? |
personal name |
Blau 1982 §13.2.3c |
|
|
√אחר |
√ʾḫr |
behind, tarry, be delayed etc |
verb,
adjective, adverbs from this root |
|
|
אַחַר [√ʾḫr ] |
/ʾaḫˈḫar/ |
behind, beyond etc. |
Ugaritic
aḫr
|
|
|
אַחֵר [√ʾḫr ] |
/ʾaˈḫeːr/ |
later,
following, another, personal name |
Blau 1982 §13.1, 13.2.7 |
|
|
אַחֲרוֹן [√ʾḫr ] |
/ʾaḫˈrōn/ |
last, in the future |
Arabic
ʾāḫir, ʾaḫīr
|
|
|
אַחְרַח |
/ʾaḫˈrāḫ/? |
personal name |
Blau 1982 §13.2.3c |
|
|
אַחֲרִית [√ʾḫr ] |
/ʾaḫˈrīt/ |
fate, destiny |
Ugaritic
iḫryt
fate, destiny |
|
|
אֲחֹרַנִּית [√ʾḫr ] |
/ʾạḫōraˈnît/ |
to go, fall,
turn backwards |
|
|
|
אֲחַשְׁדַּרְפָּן |
|
satrap |
Persian
word |
|
|
אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ |
/ʾạḫašwiro:š/ |
Persian king |
|
|
|
אֵחוּד |
/ʾayˈḫūd/? [ʾɐyˈxu:d] or [ʾɛyˈxu:d] or [ʾɪˈxu:d] or [ʾɛˈxu:d] |
personal name |
Blau 1982 §13.2.3c |
|
|
אֵחִי |
/ʾiˈḫī/? [ʾɪˈxiː] or [ʾɛˈxiː] |
personal name |
Αγχις Blau 1982 §13.2.6a |
|
|
√אלח |
√ʾlḫ |
to be morally corrupt (niphal) |
Arabic
ʾalaḫa
to turn sour (milk), to become confused |
|
|
אֶלְיַחְבָּא |
/ʾilyiḫˈbaʾ/ |
personal name |
Blau 1982 §13.1 |
|
|
אֱלִיחֹרֶף |
/ʾilīˈḫurp/? [ʾɪli:ˈxʊɾp] or [ʾɛli:ˈxʊɾp] or [ʾɛli:ˈxo̞ɾәp] |
personal name |
Blau 1982 §13.2.3c |
|
|
אַמְתַּחַת |
ʾamˈtaḫt [ʾɐmˈtɐxt] or [ʾɐmˈtɐxәt] |
sack |
|
|
|
√אנח |
√ʾnḫ ? |
to groan etc. (niphal and hithpael) |
Ugaritic anḫ
groaning but Arabic ʾanaḥa
to pant, nāḥa
to wail |
|
|
אֲנָחָה [√ʾnḫ] |
/ʾạnaˈḫaː/ |
sighing |
Ugaritic anḫ
|
|
|
אֲנָחֲרַת |
/ʾạnaḫˈrat/ |
place name |
Αναχερεθ Blau 1982 §12, 13.2.4c |
|
|
אֵסַר)־(חַדֹּן |
/ʾisar-ḫadˈdo:n/ |
name of Assyrian king |
Blau 1982 §13.1 |
|
|
אֲפִיחַ |
/ʾạˈpīḫ/ |
personal name |
Blau 1982 §13.2.5c |
|
|
אֶפְרֹחַ [√prḫ] |
/ʾiprˈōḫ/ [ʾɪpɾˈoːx]
or [ʾɛpɾˈoːx] |
young of a bird |
Cognate
to Arabic farḫ, pl. ʾafrāḫ
nestlings |
|
|
אָרַח |
/ˈʾaraḫ/ |
personal name |
Ορεχ,
Akkadian arḫu cow, Ugaritic arḫ
ox, arḫt
cow, Arabic ʾarḫ
“bull” |
|
|
אֹרַח |
/ˈʾurḫ/ [ˈʾʊɾx] or [ˈʾo̞ɾәx] |
way |
Old South Arabian
ʾrḫ
military expediton |
|
|
אֹרְחָה |
/ʾurˈḫaː/ [ʾʊɾˈxɐː] or [ʾo̞ɾˈxɐː] |
caravan |
|
|
|
אֲרֻחָה |
/ʾụruḫˈḫaː/ |
allowance, sustenance |
Cognate
Akkadian arāḫu to consume, to destroy |
|
|
אַרְתַּחְשַׁסְתְּא |
/ʾartaḫšaš/ |
Persian king Artaxerxes II |
|
|
|
אַשְׁחוּר |
/ʾašˈḫūr/ |
Personal name |
Blau 1982 §12, 13.2.4c |
|
|
ב |
בְּדֹלַח |
/bụˈdulḫ/ [bʊˈdʊlx] or [bʊˈdo̞lәḫ] |
gum of a South Arabian tree |
Akkadian
budulḫu |
|
בָּחוּר |
/baˈḫuːr/? |
young man |
Mari (ṣābu)
beḫrum
member of the elite troops Cf. בָּחוּר (EBHP
/baˈḥur/) "chosen" |
|
|
*
בְּחוּרוֹת בְּחוּרִים |
/bạḫuˈrōt/?, /bạḫuˈrīm/? |
youthful condition |
|
|
|
√גוח √גיח |
√gwḫ √gyḫ |
to burst forth |
Arabic
jāḫa
to burst forth |
|
|
בַּחַן |
/ˈbaḫn/ [ˈbɐxn]
or [ˈbɐxәn] |
watch-tower |
Egyptian loan
word bḫn |
|
|
בַּרְחֻמִי, בַּחֻרְמִי |
/barḫūˈmî/? |
gentilic |
Blau 1982 §13.2.3c |
|
|
ג |
גַּחַר |
/ˈgaḫr/? [ˈgɐxɾ] or [ˈgɐxәɾ] |
Personal name |
Blau 1982 §13.2.3c |
|
גִּיחַ [√gyḫ] |
/ˈgīḫ/? |
“bubbling water” |
Blau 1982 §13.2.3c |
|
|
גִּיחוֹן [√gyḫ] |
/gīˈḫōn/ |
river of Eden |
|
|
|
גֵּ)י(חֲזִי |
/giḫḫiˈzî/? |
Personal
name |
Blau 1982 §13.2.3c |
|
|
ד |
דֹּחַן |
/ˈduḫn/ [ˈdʊxn] or [ˈdo̞xәn] |
millet Sorghum
vulgare |
Arabic duḫn |
|
ה |
הֲנָחָה [√nwḫ] |
/hạnaˈḫaː/ |
release from
taxes |
|
|
ז |
זוֹחֵת |
/zōˈḫeːt/ |
personal
name |
Ζωχαθ.
Blau 1982 §12. |
|
|
√זנח |
√znḫ |
to become foul-smelling (water) (hiphil) |
Arabic zaniḫa to be rancid (butter). Cf. זנח(EBHP znḥ) "to exclude from"
cognate to Arabic
zanaḥa to be remote, to repel |
|
ח |
√חבא |
√ḫbʾ |
to hide |
Arabic ḫabaʾa,
Old South Arabian ḫbʾ,
Eth. ḫabʾa |
|
|
√חבה |
√ḫbh |
||
|
|
חָבוֹר |
/ḫaˈbōr/ |
a river |
(Χ)αβωρ.
Blau 1982 §12. |
|
|
√חבט |
√ḫbṭ |
to beat out |
Arabic
ḫabaṭa
to stamp |
|
|
חֳבַיָּה |
/ḫụbˈyah/ |
personal
name |
Blau 1982 §13.2.7 |
|
|
√חבל |
√ḫbl |
to seize a thing as a pledge; to destroy |
Arabic ḫabala
to lend, borrow. Arabic ḫabala
to confound. Cf. √ḥbl
"to be in labour; tie together" cognate Arabic
Eth. ḥabala to tie together.
|
|
|
חֶבֶל [√ḫbl] |
/ˈḫabl/ [ˈxɐbl] or [ˈxɐbәl] |
injury |
Cf. חֶבֶל (EBHP /ˈḥabl/) "flock of birds",
"rope" |
|
|
חֲבֹל [√ḫbl] |
/ḫụˈboːl/ |
pledge,
which is taken when the debt is due but remains the property of the debtor |
Arabic
ḫabl
debt, loan |
|
|
חֲבֹלָה [√ḫbl] |
/ḫụbuˈlaː/ |
to pay off one’s
debt |
|
|
|
חֲבַצֶּלֶת |
/ḫạbaˈṣilt/ |
a flower |
From
Akkadian ḫab(a)ṣillatu
stalk |
|
|
חֲבַצִּנְיָה |
/ḫạbaṣinˈyah/ |
Personal name |
Χαβασιν Blau 1982 §13.2.5c |
|
|
חֲבַקּוּק |
/ḫạbaqˈqūq/? |
Personal
name |
Blau 1982 §13.2.3c |
|
|
√חבר |
√ḫbr/
√ḥbr |
|
Both these root are represented in EBHP - Blau 1982 §12. |
|
|
חֶבֶר [√ḫbr/ḥbr] |
/ˈḫabr/? [ˈxɐbɾ] or [ˈxɐbәɾ] |
Personal name |
Blau 1982 §12, 13.2.3c |
|
|
חֶבְרוֹן חֶבְרֹ)וֹ(נִי [√ḫbr/ḥbr] |
/ḫabˈrōn/ /ḫabrōˈnî/ |
place name gentilic |
Χεβρων Blau 1982 §13.2.5a |
|
|
√חבת |
√ḫbt |