TIP OF THE DAY 10: Name > Pronunciation

link to next post: TIP OF THE DAY 11: Name > Source (esp. the Bible nameless) - Logos Forums

We are finally getting into the information that we need to know about a name, whether or not Logos/Verbum makes it available to us. From here on, I really need your feedback on data I have missed, uses that apply to methods I'm not particularly familiar with, unclear directions ... you get the idea. I will be making the editorial changes/additions/deletions in the shared .docx file.

TOPIC: Name.Pronunciation

QUESTION: What is transliteration?

SOFTWARE: I used a Books search against my library for “transliteration”.

ANSWER: A standard definition: TRANSLITERATION A character-by-character rendering of a word from one writing system into another.^[1] While the mapping of letters of one writing system to another tries to match sounds to the degree possible, it is letters not sounds that are mapped across writing systems. One needs to see the word in the International Phonetic Alphabet in order to know the pronunciation. See  https://www.internationalphoneticalphabet.org/ipa-sounds/ipa-chart-with-sounds/.

QUESTION: What is phonology?

SOFTWARE: I used a Books search against my library for “phonology”?

ANSWER: A definitions with example of use:

PHONOLOGY Phonology is the study that explains the underlying sound structure of a language, for example, how the different forms of a word within the language are related (like מֶלֶךְ and מַלְכָּהּ) and how sound indicates distinctive meanings (like the difference between בָּ֤אָה and בָּאָ֤ה) with the accent either on the first syllable (QĀTAL/PERFECT) or the last syllable (PARTICIPLE).^[2]

PHONOLOGY

The study of word sounds. Phonology also refers to the actual realization of sounds and sound patterns in speech. A knowledge of phonology can be useful in composing literary devices. In the study of the bible, word sounds can best be appreciated when pronounced in the original languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek). As in most languages, the biblical writers used a range of sound combinations for a variety of purposes. Experienced writers employ word sounds for emphasis, for aesthetic and lyric expression, for irony, or for didactic purposes. With stylistic devices, authors call the reader’s attention to some aspect of their message. The writers of biblical poetry used word sounds extensively for a variety of purposes. ^[3]

QUESTION: Did Hebrew pronunciation change between the earliest and latest Biblical Hebrew?

SOFTWARE: My library is weak on the topic of phonological changes in Hebrew. But for non-specialists like myself, this indicates dialectic differences as well as historical change.

It is widely assumed that there were different dialects of Hebrew during the biblical period. The biblical narrator at Judg. 12:6 notes a difference between the Gileadites and Ephraimites in pronouncing the sibilant (sh/s) in shibbolet/sibbolet. Scholars have suggested that stories that take place in the north (e.g., the Elijah and Elisha narratives in Kings) sometimes display dialectal forms that differ from the biblical norm, which is thought to reflect southern Hebrew, i.e., the Hebrew of the Judean kingdom. ^[4]

Biblical Hebrew is the name used for the Hebrew of the Old Testament. It includes some archaic forms, some late forms, and the stages of linguistic development between these extremes. This time-spread (at least as great as that between Chaucerian [14th cent.] and Modern English!) often causes the student difficulty with the so-called irregularities. Further complicating the problem is the fact that the vocalization of the Heb. Bible represents the pronunciation as of about the 7th cent. a.d., and includes several vocalic shifts that took place between the time of the Septuagint (3d cent. b.c.)—and in some cases even the time of the Vulgate (4th cent. a.d.)—and the Masoretes. The beginner should note these phenomena as he encounters them, but should not attempt to learn them during his introductory studies.^[5]

ANSWERr: Be suspicious of anyone who claims to know how ancient Hebrew sounded or claims that there was no change over time. Reading:

• Fassberg, Steven E. “Languages of the Bible.” In The Jewish Study Bible, edited by Adele Berlin and Marc Zvi Brettler. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004.
• Myers, Pete. “Septuagint Transcriptions and Phonology.” In T&T Clark Handbook of Septuagint Research, edited by William A. Ross and W. Edward Glenny, 37–62. T&T Clark Handbooks. London; New York; Oxford; New Delhi; Sydney: T&T Clark, 2021.

QUESTION: How does Biblical Greek pronunciation differ from Classical and Modern Greek?

SOFTWARE: Unless you have a large linguistic-oriented library on Greek, this question is best asked through an external chatbot.

ANSWER: The response from Perplexity:

Biblical Greek pronunciation differs from both Classical and Modern Greek in several key ways:

1 Comparison to Classical Greek

Biblical Greek (also known as Koine Greek) had some pronunciation shifts compared to Classical Greek:

- The distinction between long and short vowels was largely lost in Koine Greek[1].

- Some diphthongs that were pronounced as two distinct sounds in Classical Greek merged into single vowel sounds in Koine[1].

- The pitch accent system of Classical Greek transitioned to a stress accent in Koine[4].

2 Comparison to Modern Greek

The pronunciation of Biblical Greek differs even more significantly from Modern Greek:

- Many vowels and diphthongs that had distinct sounds in Biblical Greek merged to have the same pronunciation in Modern Greek. For example, η, ι, υ, ει, οι are all pronounced as /i/ in Modern Greek, while they had distinct sounds in Biblical Greek[3].

- The β (beta) shifted from a /b/ sound in Biblical Greek to a /v/ sound in Modern Greek[4].

- Voiced stops like δ (delta) and γ (gamma) became fricatives in Modern Greek[4].

3 Pronunciation Options for Students

When learning Biblical Greek, students typically have two main options for pronunciation:

1. Reconstructed historical pronunciation - This aims to approximate how Koine Greek was likely pronounced in the 1st century CE.

2. Modern Greek pronunciation - Some argue this connects Biblical Greek to the living Greek language tradition.

3. Erasmian pronunciation - A system developed during the Renaissance that is easier for English speakers but less historically accurate[2].

The choice often depends on the student's goals. Those focused on New Testament studies may prefer a reconstructed historical pronunciation, while those interested in connecting to modern Greek may opt for modern pronunciation[2].

In practice, most academic settings teach an Erasmian or reconstructed historical pronunciation rather than modern Greek pronunciation for Biblical Greek[2]. This helps distinguish the sounds that had merged in Modern Greek but were distinct in the Biblical period.

Citations:

[1] https://triviumpursuit.com/comparison-of-greek-pronunciation-systems/

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ar2NLc66T3g

[3] https://www.textkit.com/greek-latin-forum/viewtopic.php?t=12110

[4] https://www.reddit.com/r/linguistics/comments/5twkh9/how_different_are_ancient_greek_and_modern_greek/

[5] https://www.puritanboard.com/threads/koine-greek-vs-modern-greek-similar.92870/

https://www.polisjerusalem.org/koine-greek-pronunciation-/

[7] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2yRhnAsRW4

QUESTION: What is the difference between pronunciation of Biblical Aramaic and Biblical Hebrew?

SOFTWARE: Note that this reflects changes that occurred in Biblical Hebrew times among some dialects. Again this is a question best asked in a smart search. Based on my library, it is a question for an external chatbot not the internal Logos/Verbum smart search.

Answer: The answer provided by Perplexity:

Based on the search results, there are a few key differences in pronunciation between Biblical Hebrew and Biblical Aramaic:

1. Vowel shifts:

- Biblical Hebrew underwent the Canaanite Vowel Shift, where long A-class vowels shifted to O-class vowels. For example:

  - The word for "good" is "tov" in Hebrew but "tav" in Aramaic.

  - The word for "peace" is "shalom" in Hebrew but "shlom" in Aramaic[1].

2. Consonant differences:

- Some words that have "shin" (ש) in Hebrew have "tav" (ת) in Aramaic. For example:

  - The word for "snow" is "sheleg" in Hebrew but "talga" in Aramaic.

- Words with "zayin" (ז) in Hebrew sometimes have "dalet" (ד) in Aramaic. For example:

  - The word for "gold" is "zahav" in Hebrew but "dehav" in Aramaic[1].

3. Stress patterns:

- In Hebrew, stress is often on the final syllable of a word.

- In Aramaic, stress is typically on the penultimate (second-to-last) syllable[2].

4. Guttural sounds:

- Biblical Hebrew had more guttural sounds and a more complex consonant system compared to Aramaic[2].

5. Vowel distinctions:

- Biblical Hebrew maintained more distinctions between vowel sounds, while Aramaic had a simpler vowel system[2].

While there are these differences, it's important to note that Biblical Hebrew and Biblical Aramaic were closely related Semitic languages with many similarities in vocabulary and grammar. The differences in pronunciation reflect their distinct historical developments within the broader Semitic language family.

Citations:

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRKv1GW1BDM

[2] https://christianpure.com/learn/hebrew-vs-aramaic/

[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biblical_Hebrew

[4] https://forum.duome.eu/viewtopic.php?t=26094

[5] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFNZ4aojgv8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ar2NLc66T3g

[7] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2yRhnAsRW4

https://triviumpursuit.com/comparison-of-greek-pronunciation-systems/

QUESTION: Where do I set my default pronunciation for Hebrew/Aramaic?

SOFTWARE: Logos/Verbum offers a choice of pronunciation only for Greek. Aramaic lemmas, English Factbook entries, and Hebrew lemmas have only one pronunciation available.

QUESTION: Where do I set my default pronunciation for koine Greek?

SOFTWARE: Remember that if your toolbar is on the left side, you can use the caret at the bottom of the tile line to expand the toolbar so that you see names of the icons. Or you may hover over the toolbar icons to see their names.

1. On the application toolbar, select tools.
2. Either enter pronunciation in the search box OR scroll down to Lookup > Pronunciation
3. Click on the Pronunciation tool. If will open a narrow tile on the right.
4. The first line has a drop-down select box allowing you to choose among the Greek:

• Greek lemmas (Erasmian)
• Greek lemmas (Koine)
• Greek lemmas (Modern)

QUESTION: How can I make it easier to access a tool e.g. Pronunciation?

SOFTWARE: pronunciation is being used as an example. Change it to the tool of your choice.

1. On the application toolbar, select tools.
2. Either enter pronunciation in the search box OR scroll down to Lookup > Pronunciation.
3. For all methods except drag and drop, right click on the tool icon or name to open the context menu.

Method 1: Drag and drop. The top of the Tools menu has a pinned area for easy access to your tools. Grab the tool (icon or name) with a left click and drag it into the pinned area.

Method 2: Pin. From the Context menu, select “Pin to top”. The result is the same as method 1.

Method 3: Shortcut. From the Context menu, select “Make a toolbar shortcut.” This shortcut may be edited and used like any other shortcut on the application toolbar.

Method 4: Favorite. From the Context menu, select “Add to Favorites.” This will add it to the end of Favorites; you will need to move it to comply with your organization of Favorites. It behaves like any other Favorites entry.

QUESTION: How do I hear the pronunciation of a Biblical word (Aramaic, Greek, Hebrew)?

SOFTWARE: There are many ways to access the pronunciation. I have deliberately omitted the Read aloud option here as we a focused on a single word (or lexical unit as some names are compound).

Method 1: Pronunciation tool. If this looks complicated, it is only because I have taken into account the various ways you can save the tool for quick access listed above.

1. Select Tool menu from the application toolbar

• OR type “show pronunciation” into the command line of the program icon and select it in the dropdown selection menu. Skip to step 3.
• OR select from the application toolbar short cut area, if you have saved it as a shortcut. Skip to step 3.
• OR select from Favorites, if you have saved it as a Favorite. Skip to step 3.

1. Open the Pronunciation tool by:

• Clicking on it from the top pinned area
• Entering Pronunciation into the search box and click on the name/icon to open the tool
• Scroll to find Pronunciation i.e. Tools > Lookup > Pronunciation and click on the name/icon to open the tool.

1. Select language and pronunciation from the dropdown selection menu at the top.
2. Enter your lemma into the Find box and select it from the dropdown selection menu
3. Hit enter.
4. Listen to pronunciation.

Method 2: Word by Word section of exegetical guide

1. Guides > Bible Reference Guide > Word-by-Word OR type “open Word by Word” into the command line of the program icon and select it in the dropdown selection menu.
2. Click on the pronunciation icon which appears between the lemma in its natural alphabet and its transliteration into the Roman alphabet.

Method 3: Important Words section of passage guide

1. Guides > Bible Reference Guide > Important Words OR type “open Important Words” into the command line of the program icon and select it in the dropdown selection menu.
2. Click on the pronunciation icon which appears between the lemma in its natural alphabet and its transliteration into the Roman alphabet.

Method 4: Lemma in Passage section of passage guide

1. Guides > Bible Reference Guide > Lemma in Passage OR type “open Lemma in Passage” into the command line of the program icon and select it in the dropdown selection menu.
2. Click on the pronunciation icon which appears between the lemma in its natural alphabet and its transliteration into the Roman alphabet.

Note that the section is also available in a Bible word study.

Method 5: Lemma section of a Bible word study

1. Guides > Word Guides > Lemma OR type “open Lemma” into the command line of the program icon and select it in the dropdown selection menu.
2. Click on the pronunciation icon which appears between the lemma in its natural alphabet and its transliteration into the Roman alphabet.

Method 6: Root section of a Bible word study

1. Guides > Word Guides > Root OR type “open Root” into the command line of the program icon and select it in the dropdown selection menu.
2. Click on the pronunciation icon which appears between the lemma in transliteration and the gloss.

Method 7: Senses section of a Bible word study

1. Guides > Word Guides > Root OR type “open Root” into the command line of the program icon and select it in the dropdown selection menu.
2. Click on the pronunciation icon which appears after the lemma in its standard alphabet.

Method 8: Grammatical Relationships section of a Bible word study

1. Guides > Word Guides > Grammatical Relationships OR type “open Grammatical Relationships” into the command line of the program icon and select it in the dropdown selection menu.
2. Click on the pronunciation icon which appears between the lemma in transliteration and the gloss.

Method 9: Word list document

1. Documents > Word list > title you assigned.
2. Set to grid view.
3. If an audio column does not show:

• Right click in heading line.
• Turn the toggle for Audio on i.e. so a check mark is shown for it.

1. Click on the pronunciation icon which appears in the audio column.

Method 10: Factbook

1. Open Factbook to a lemma – either enter to lemma or use the Context menu lemma link to Factbook.
2. The pronunciation icon is on the right side of the Header.

Method 11: Context menu

1. Right click on a name in a Bible to open the context menu. For this example, I am using an English translation with a reverse interlinear (NRSV).
2. When I select any of these tabs on the left side, the pronunciation function appears on the right side:

• lemma

QUESTION: How do I hear the pronunciation of a Biblical word (Latin, Syriac?

SOFTWARE: Logos does not support this feature.

QUESTION: As a liturgical reader, how do I find the expected pronunciation of names?

SOFTWARE: This resource gives a dictionary style phonetic spell and a spoken pronunciation:

• Severance, W. Murray, and Terry Eddinger. That’s Easy for You to Say: Your Quick Guide to Pronouncing Bible Names. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1997.

QUESTION: Why do I need to know the pronunciation of a word?

ANSWER: Uses vary based on your interests and knowledge:

• To understand puns and other wordplay in the original languages.
• To appreciate/analyze the artistry of poetry
• To understand the translation of Biblical names across the major traditions: Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, Syriac, and Latin.
• To understand textual differences as potentially simply different dialects.
• To understand the rules behind the phonological changes in the languages.
• To discuss original language words with others doing the same.

^[1] W. Randolph Tate, Handbook for Biblical Interpretation: An Essential Guide to Methods, Terms, and Concepts (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2012), 460.

^[2] Christo H. J. van der Merwe, Jacobus A. Naudé, and Jan H. Kroeze, A Biblical Hebrew Reference Grammar, Second Edition (London; Oxford; New York; New Delhi; Sydney: Bloomsbury; Bloomsbury T&T Clark: An Imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, 2017), 536.

^[3] W. Randolph Tate, Handbook for Biblical Interpretation: An Essential Guide to Methods, Terms, and Concepts (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2012), 322–323.

^[4] Steven E. Fassberg, “Languages of the Bible,” in The Jewish Study Bible, ed. Adele Berlin and Marc Zvi Brettler (New York: Oxford University Press, 2004), 2064.

cent. century

Heb. Hebrew

cent. century

cent. century

cent. century

^[5] William Sanford LaSor, Handbook of Biblical Hebrew: An Inductive Approach Based on the Hebrew Text of Esther, vol. 2 (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1988), 3.

 [MS1]Still looking for the options