[prowsnobswend]

You've just answered your own question. If you know the vocabulary, then you can easily tell which words are which. And Hebrew does sometimes have vowels or vowel-like sounds written (the yod or alef letters, e.g.).

Is ths sntnc hrd t ndrstnd wtht vwls? Prbbly nt.

Hebrew books that are intended for children or Hebrew learners, however, often use special marks for indicating vowels, which is convenient until you get used to reading without them.

Hebrew has a fairly simple grammatical structure. How hard it is to learn a language always depends primarily on the person in question, but Hebrew is somewhat simple to learn. Although it naturally has a somewhat frustrating start to learning it, as when you're just beginning, you can't read most words.

[KaterinaNJq]

[QUOTE] Originally posted by Brachy-Pride
"Is it like for example seeing

"wlcm"

and instantly knowing it is welcome?"

IIUC, people who speak the language have little difficulty telling the right vowelization from context, - Hebrew grammar makes it easier than one would think.


Written Hebrew vowels (nekudot) were invented in the 9th C CE, when most Jews no longer used Hebrew as a spoken language. Vowelized Hebrew is the standard in prayerbooks and other books aimed at less than fluent diaspora Jews. In Israel books and newspapers are printed without vowels, and the more "advanced" works of Hebrew language Judaica in the diaspora are also printed without vowels. (Yiddish is generally printed without vowels as well)

And Torah scrolls used in the synagogue never have vowels.

"Is it true that because of that they are not sure of how many old testament words were pronounced?"

IIUC, in some cases there are arguments among the rabbis about how to read a given word, that would not exist if the text were vowelized.


"Is it very complicated to learn hebrew?"

POTM doesnt think so

[nicktender]

Originally posted by Darius871


It was the same when I learned Arabic; when learning vocab the diacritic dash above a letter indicates the short vowel that follows it, and you simply remember the consonantal root from that point on. Of course one consonantal root might imply several different words, but you can almost always tell which from context. Reading it's a lot easier than one would think at first blush (speaking it, on the other hand, makes you want to jab a pencil into your temple). I find it hard to learn actually, simply because I need my teacher to say the written word before I know which vowels to use. I can't really read a text full of words I've never seen before!

Maybe I'm still just a noob eh?

[Xxmlqevq]

Not really, I think this school has a different way of teaching this. On occasions they are written yes, but we don't often use a textbook. Most of the time the teacher is talking to us, asking us questions and we're writing down various stuff. Not sure if I agree 100% with how they do it, but unfortunately I have no alternative around here

[VEGLAS - SPB]

Is there great mutual intelligibility between hebrew and arab like between portuguese, spanish and italian? or not?

[adverwork]

Originally posted by lord of the mark
IIUC, in some cases there are arguments among the rabbis about how to read a given word, that would not exist if the text were vowelized.

Yahweh vs Jehovah: The Cage Match

Two YHWHs enter, one leaves.

[idobestbuyonlinepp]

Originally posted by Solver

Is ths sntnc hrd t ndrstnd wtht vwls? Prbbly nt. Ths lttr s vwl.

[xADMlNx]

Originally posted by St Leo
Originally posted by lord of the mark
IIUC, in some cases there are arguments among the rabbis about how to read a given word, that would not exist if the text were vowelized.

Yahweh vs Jehovah: The Cage Match

Two YHWHs enter, one leaves.
Thats easy, and has nothing much to do with the rabbis. The YHWH was, at least by late 2nd temple times, only pronounced by the high priest on Yom Kippur. after the temple was destroyed it wasnt pronounced at all, and so nobody knew anymore how it was pronounced. When it came up in a prayer or bible reading, it was pronounced "adonai" - "lord". When the masoretes in the 9th c vowelized the bible text, they vowelized the YHWH with the vowels for "adonai" as a reminder to pronounce adonai, and NOT to try to pronounce the YHWH. They didnt anticipate that anyone outside their culture would read their hebrew texts, since good christians by this time relied on Greek and Latin translations.

Then along come Protestants, who decide to go back and read the Hebrew bible, using the texts the Jews have. And unaware of the above tradition, pronounce the name Jehovah.

[parishilton]

Originally posted by FrustratedPoet


Ths lttr s vwl.

As I said, vowels sometimes are written in Hebrew, the yod and alef letters being a point in case. So I typed the way I did intentionally.

[gMUVgw71]

Originally posted by Darius871


Bummer, that sounds like a really ineffective teaching method IMO. It sure is, and because everything in my textbook is rather vague and entirely in arabic it's not easy 'to get into it' if you catch my drift. There's not even a vocabulary so if I miss a few things I need to find out myself! On top of that, I even doubt very basic things.

Bleh I prefer oldskool teaching (with an enthusiastic teacher of course )

But like I said, there's no alternative here, unless I go and study arabic studies at university
At least I will be able to ask directions (a bit ) when I will be visiting Jordan early october