- Jahrgang 172 (2022)
- Vol. 172 (2022)
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- Ausgabe 1
- Nr. 1
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- Seiten 27 - 55
- pp. 27 - 55
Waw to Vav: Greek and Aramaic Contact as an Explanation for the Development of the Labio-dental [v] from the Labio-velar [w] in Biblical Hebrew
Seiten 27 - 55
DOI https://doi.org/10.13173/ZDMG/2022/1/4
Summary: In ancient times, the Hebrew consonant ו waw was originally pronounced as a labio-velar [w]. According to the medieval grammarians, however, the regular realization of this consonant in Tiberian Hebrew was as a labio-dental [v]. Therefore, at some point in the history of Hebrew, the pronunciation of ו waw changed from [w] to [v]. In this paper, we will argue (i) that this development (i. e., [w] → [v]) occurred during the Roman and/or Byzantine period(s) as a result of language contact with Greek and (ii) that pronouncing Hebrew waw as [v] is characteristic of the Palestinian origins of the Tiberian tradition.