The state of stop–fricative alternation in Modern Hebrew

Bibliographic Data

ID23024389
AuthorsAviad Albert (0000-0002-2428-5587, University of Cologne, corresponding author)
Year2019
Volume11
Issue1
Pages135-161
Publication date2019-06-12
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueBrill's Journal of Afroasiatic Languages and Linguistics (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1876-6633 • E-ISSN: 1877-6930
PublisherWalter de Gruyter GmbH (PUBLISHER • DE)
DOI10.1163/18776930-01101010
OpenAlexW2955421897
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited17

The stops [p, b, k] often alternate with respective fricatives [f, v, χ] in Modern Hebrew ( MH ). This general pattern was designed to follow the spirantization process of Biblical Hebrew as it was depicted in the Masoretic orthography. While this orthography is retained in MH , its phonological infrastructure is very different from that of Biblical Hebrew, and it cannot support a phonological process of spirantization. This problematic state of affairs has been a source of confusion for many language users, as well as a source of interest for many language researchers. This paper overviews the current state of affairs with respect to the stop-fricative alternation in MH , emphasizing cases of systematic stability and instability. The apparent patterns seem to reflect speakers’ limited yet impressive ability to recruit their native knowledge of morphology and orthography to generalize a pseudo-phonological rule.

Algorithm · Alternation (linguistics) · Confusion · Hebrew · Linguistics · Orthography · Phonological rule · Phonology · Reading (process) · State (computer science) · Computer Science · History · Natural Language Processing Techniques · Philosophy · Phonetics and Phonology Research · Psychology · Syntax, Semantics, Linguistic Variation

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