Tag Archives: Consonants

1. The Hebrew letters now in use, in which both the manuscripts of the O.T. are written and our editions of the Bible are printed, commonly called the square character (כְּתָב מְרֻבָּע‎), also the Assyrian character (כְּ׳ אַשּׁוּרִי‎), are not those originally employed. Old Hebrew (or Old Canaanitish) writing, as it was used on public monuments in the beginning of the ninth and in the second half of the eighth century b.c., is to be seen in the inscription of Mêšaʿ, as well as in that of Siloam.… Learn Hebrew

The changes which take place among consonants, owing to the formation of words, inflexion, euphony, or to influences connected with the progress of the language, are commutation, assimilation, rejection, addition, transposition, softening. 1. Commutation may take place between consonants which are either homorganic or homogeneous, e.g. עָלַץ‎, עָלַס‎, עָלַו‎ to exult, לָאָה‎, לָהָה‎, Aram. לְעָא‎ to be weary, לָחַץ‎ and נָחַץ‎ to press, סָגַר‎ and סָכַר‎ to close, מָלַט‎ and פָּלַט‎ to escape. In process of time, and partly under the influence of Aramaic, the harder and rougher sounds especially were changed into the softer, e.g.… Learn Hebrew