2: Vowels

Question 1

What are the three phases of the history of hebrew vowels?

Answer 1

1. Before king David (1,400 - 1,000 BC)
   
   • written without any vowels
2. After King David (1,000 - 300 BC)
   
   • insertion vowel letters (like vav and yod)
3. Final phase (700 - 1,000 AD)
   
   • vowel signs (“dots”)

Question 2

How do we know the Masoretes were not making up the sounds of the vowels?

Answer 2

• For native Hebrews, the vowel sounds were intuitive.
• With the use of the vowels, the Masoretes were making explicit the tradition that they had received from previous scribes.

Question 3

Answer 3

qamets (long “ah” sound)

Question 4

Answer 4

patach (standard “ah” sound)

Question 5

Answer 5

chatef-patach (short “ah” sound)

Question 6

Answer 6

Tsere (“ey” sound)

Question 7

Answer 7

Segol (standard “eh” sound)

Question 8

Answer 8

chatef-segol (short “eh” sound)

Question 9

Answer 9

chireq (short, “e” as in she)

Question 10

Answer 10

chireq-yod (long, “e” as in she when followed by a yod)

Question 11

Answer 11

cholem (“o” sound)

Question 12

וֹ

Answer 12

cholem-vav (“o” sound)

Question 13

Answer 13

qibbuts (short, “u” as in rule)

Question 14

Answer 14

shureq (“u” as in rule)

Question 15

Answer 15

qamets-chatuf (“o” as in odd)

Question 16

Answer 16

chatef-qamets (“o” as in odd)

Question 17

What are the four lengths of vowels?

Answer 17

• long & medium = long
• short
• very short, can also be called:
  
  • half vowels
  • chatef vowels

Question 18

אָב

Answer 18

father, ancestor

Question 19

אֵם

Answer 19

mother

Question 20

אָח

Answer 20

brother

Question 21

אָחוֹת

Answer 21

sister

Question 22

בֵּן

Answer 22

son, descendant

Question 23

בַּת

Answer 23

daughter

Question 24

אָכַל

Answer 24

he ate

Question 25

זָכַר

Answer 25

he remembered

Question 26

כָּבֵד

Answer 26

he was heavy

Question 27

שָׁלַח

Answer 27

he sent

Question 28

Mention the different classes and lengths of the vowels. (Table)

Answer 28