Re: The status of the glottal stop in Hebrew

On 6 July, Outo Otus wrote:

> Sorry to bother you again, but do modern Hebrew speakers pronounce the
> germinate consonants?
    (I'm assuming that you mean "geminate consonants".
If not, please correct me.)

    Well, there is one announcer who is always called upon
to read a psalm or short text at the main ceremony on
every holiday or day of remembrance. _He_ always
carefully pronounces any geminate consonants,
not to mention all the pharyngeals!
    I remember a discussion we once had on this list about
how the type of lang used at a previous stage of development
can take on poetic, ceremonial, or even mystic overtones ---
the farther removed from current speech patterns, the better!
Well, in this regard, Hebrew is no different.
By obeying all kinds of grammar rules that most people
ignore these days, his speech sounds antiquated
and thus, very dignified and ceremonial! ( His polished voice
and slow reading also add to the effect, no doubt!  ;-)   )
    Other than him, I've never heard any Israeli geminate
consonants in ordinary speech.

Dan Sulani
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likehsna rtem zuv tikuhnuh auag inuvuz vaka'a.

A word is an awesome thing.

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