2011-03-18

Evolution of Hebrew Dialects

(Vere, Stein Atle. ©2011. "Evolution of Hebrew Dialects". brakha.blogspot.com.)





Modern
Age
Medieval
Age
Classical
Age
Iron
Age
Bronze
Age

2000s
800s
200s
−00s
−500s
−600s
−2000s

Yisrelit
Tavranit
Glilit
Yhudait

Yhudit 
Shmit

ישְׂרֵאלִית
טַבְרָנִית
גְּלִילִית
יְהוּדָאִית

יְהוּדִית
שְׁמִית

(Israeli)

(Modern)

(New)
(Tiberian)

Masartit מָסָרְתִית
(Masoretic)
(Galilean)

Mishnait מִשְׁנָאִית
(Mishnaic)

(Early Rabbinic)
(Judean)
(Late Biblical)
(Judahite)

Mikrait מִקְרָאִית (Biblical)
(Proto-Semitic)


Vowel Points
Mishna
Dead Sea Scrolls

Tanakh

Plosive, Voiced







בּב
   b,v
[b][v]
[b][v]
[b][β] ≈ [b]

[b]
[b]
דּד
   d
[d][ð]

[d]

[d]
[d]
גּג
   g
[g][ɣ]

[g]

[g]
[g]
Plosive, Unvoiced







פּפ
   p, f
[p][f]

[pʰ]

[pʰ]
[pʰ]
תּת
   t
[t][θ]

[tʰ]

[tʰ]
[tʰ]
כּכ
   k, kh
[k][x]

[kʰ]

[kʰ]
[kʰ]
Plosive, Emphatic







ט
   t
[t‛]

[t‛]

[t‛]
[t’]
ק
   k
[q]

[q]
[q] ≈ [k‛]
[k‛]
[k’]
Coronal Fricative, Voiced







ז
   z
[z]

[z]

[z]
[ð]
ז
   z
[z]

[z]

[z]
[dz]
Coronal Fricative, Unvoiced







שׁ
   sh
[ʃ]

[ʃ]

[ʃ]
[s]
שׁ
   sh
[ʃ]

[ʃ]

[ʃ]
[θ]
שׂ
   s
[s]
[s]
[s]
[s]
[s] ≈ [ɬ]
[ɬ]
ס
   s
[s]
[s]
[s]

[s]
[ts]
Coronal Fricative, Emphatic







צ
   ts
[s‛]

[s‛]

[ts’]
[θ’]
צ
   ts
[s‛]

[s‛]

[ts’]
[tɬ’]
צ
   ts
[s‛]

[s‛]

[ts’]
[ts’]
Nasal







מ
   m
[m]

[m]

[m]
[m]
נ
   n
[n]

[n]

[n]
[n]
Liquid







ר
   r = [ʁ]
[ʁ][ʀ]

[ʁ] ≈ [ɾ]

[ɾ]
[ɾ]
ל
   l
[l]

[l]

[l]
[l]
Approximant







ו
   v
[w], [-]

[w], [-]

[w], [-]
[w]
י
   y
[y], [-]

[y], [-]

[y], [-]
[y]
Guttural Fricative, Voiced







ע
   −
[ˁ]

[ˁ] ≈ [ʁ]

[ʁ]
[ʁ]
ע
   −
[ˁ]

[ˁ]

[ˁ]
[ˁ]
Guttural Fricative, Unvoiced







ח
   kh = [χ]
[ħ]

[ħ] ≈ [χ]

[χ]
[χ]
ח
   kh = [χ]
[ħ]

[ħ]

[ħ]
[ħ]
Glottal







א
   −
[ˀ], [-]

[ˀ], [-]

[ˀ], [-]
[ˀ]
ה
   h
[h], [-]

[h], [-]

[h], [-]
[h]





The above table represents a rough approximation of the Hebrew dialects in the land of Yisrael, across time and locale. It derives from various conflicting opinions. Especially perplexing are the origins of the various -s- sounds and the possibility of a uvular -r- sound as early as the Tavranit dialect (Masoretic Pointings), or even as early as the Yhudait dialect (Dead Sea Scrolls).