Re: Hebrew spelling

Katav David H:

> I also have a few problems regarding the spelling of vav...for example,
> when vocalised the word "me'od" (very) does not contain a vav, but I have
> seen it written with and without in unpointed text, the same for "hodu"
> (India).
> Is it more common to write vav's in unpointed text, even when they are not
> used in vocalised?
There are two types of spelling: "incomplete" - as written in the Bible -
that uses additional consonant characters to denote vowels (called "matres
lectionis" - mothers of reading) inconsistently, and "complete" (the modern
one since 1968), where *all* [o] and [u] are spelt as vavs, and all [e] and
[i] (except that originates from two schwas in line) are spelt as yods.

> Also, The word "rosh" (as in rosh chodesh) is
> spelled "resh alef shin", but I've never seen this with a vav.
Although, if there is already a m.l. in the word (as alef here), you need no
vav any more ;)

-- Yitzik