Re: Biblical Hebrew or Modern Hebrew?

Steg Belsky wrote:


> On Oct 3, 2004, at 12:23 AM, David H wrote:
> > Well, I know how to pronounce the vowel points when I see them, but is
> > it
> > necessary to learn how to actually spell the words using the correct
> > vowels?
>
> Well, if you're ever planning on writing words with vowel points for
> disambiguation purposes, it'd be a good idea. And it's easier to do if
> you're learning Biblical Hebrew with some kind of reconstructed
> Classical pronunciation.  But if you're just reading everything Modern
> Israeli style and keeping up with the vowels is a hassle, then don't
> worry about it.  Just make sure you remember how to recognize them when
> reading :) .
I would add my 2 kopecks. To know exact vowel pointing is rather important,
since knowing it makes easier to understand many phonological processes in
weak verbs (how to derive them from strong paradigms), and smtimes helps you
to decide, if the word is a verb or a noun (e.g. |za:khar| 'to remember' ~
|za:kha:r| 'male'), or some word forms (e.g. |midba:r| 'wilderness.ABS' ~
|midbar| 'wilderness.CONSTR').

I recommend a good primer in BHe:

Kelley, Page H. Biblical Hebrew: an introductory grammar. ISBN 0-8028-0598-I
(pbk.)
Published by William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan,
© 1992

I systematized my random knowledge using this textbook, and now give lessons
based on it.