![]() In the pronunciations pertaining to the first category, the reading is based upon the vocalized text of the Bible, whereas in the second it is based, in many communities, upon an unvocalized text. The traditional pronunciations of Hebrew extant with most communities are of two major categories: (a) the pronunciations used in the reading of the Bible (b) the pronunciations used in the reading of the post-biblical literature, primarily the Mishnah. In Israel, however, the traditional pronunciations are disappearing at a fast rate, as a result of the mutual contact among the various communities, and of the influence of the current pronunciation of Hebrew. They still exist in Israel and in various Jewish communities of the Diaspora. The traditional pronunciations of Hebrew have been transmitted in the various communities over a long period. A "reading tradition" may be defined as a corpus of linguistic information, transmitted orally, upon which the correct reading of a text is based a "liturgical reading tradition" is a reading tradition that is used in the transmission of those parts of the literature which have particular religious importance. Another term used for "traditional pronunciation" is "reading tradition," or "liturgical reading tradition." A few words explaining these terms are in order here. This term denotes those pronunciations which have been used by the various Jewish communities in reading the Bible and the post-biblical literature and in prayers. It may be assumed, therefore, that the period in which the use of Hebrew was limited to literature and liturgy only began about the third century C.E.Īs a liturgical language Hebrew has been transmitted during this long period, and in fact up to the present day, in a number of forms which are known as the "traditional pronunciations" of Hebrew. Although the exact time when Hebrew ceased to be spoken is not known, there is no unequivocal evidence for the use of Hebrew as the ordinary spoken language of any Jewish community in a period later than the second century. ![]() The use of Hebrew as a spoken language became more and more limited, and finally it was superseded by Aramaic and Greek. It should be mentioned, however, that at that period, and for centuries before, other languages were spoken concomitantly by the Jewish communities of Palestine, mainly Aramaic and Greek. is also borne out by the Hebrew letters of Bar-Kokhba, some of the grammatical forms of which show that Hebrew was still a living language at that time (c. Evidence that Hebrew was spoken in the first half of the second century C.E. This is clear from the story in the Talmud about the maid of Rabbi Judah ha-Nasi who knew the meanings of some Hebrew words with which the scholars of that time were not acquainted (RH 26b Meg. There is evidence that Hebrew was spoken, at least in some parts of Palestine, in the second century C.E. This period in the history of Hebrew probably began around the third century C.E. Transmission of Hebrew as a Liturgical Language - Classification of the Traditional Pronunciations - Realizations of the Consonants, Vowels & Stress Patterns - Speciment Texts The Transmission of Hebrew as a Liturgical Languageīefore its revival at the end of the 19 th century, Hebrew existed, for a period of about 1700 years, mainly as a literary and liturgical language. This article is arranged according to the following outline: Hebrew: Table of Contents| The Aleph-Bet| Revival of Hebrewīefore its revival at the end of the 19 th century, Hebrew existed, for a period of about 1700 years, mainly as a literary and liturgical language.
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