ARTICLE XXX.

SECONDE PARTIE du Projet d' une nouvelle Grammaire pour apprendre l'Hebreu & les anciennes Langues fans Points. Par Mr. MASCLEF Chanoine d'Amiens. Cette feconde Partie contient l'Explication de la nouvelle Methode.

That is,

THE SECOND PART of a Project of a New Grammar to learn Hebrew and the Ancient Languages without Points. · This Second Parts contains an Explication of the New Method.

ἐσ

I

Have given an Extract of the First Part of this "Project and now proceed to give a "Tranflation of the Second Part- This Discourse is "fo clear, that it may eafily be understood even by those who have no Skill in Hebrew".

ALL the Difficulties of reading Hebrew may be reduced to Two.. First to know how each Letter of the Alphabet ought to be pronounced; and then how Syllables and Words are formed. We pronounce each Letter, as one may fee in the following Table.

When two or •א הויח ע

I admit Six Vowels, as the Ancients did, Viz more Vowels meet together, I pronounce each of them feparately, in fuch a manner that they never make up a Diphthong.

"

If this way of pronouncing the Hebrew Letters does very much differ from the Pronunciation of the Mafforets, it comes nearer that of the Ancients. "Tis true, I might have come nearer it ftill; but my Rules would have been liable to fome Exceptions, which I defigned to avoid: And I thought I could do it fafely, fince I have made it appear, on the one fide, that 'tis impoffible to know how Hebrew was anciently pronounced, and, on the other, that the Thing is of no use.

I proceed to the fecond Difficulty, which concerns the Formation of Syllables and Words. Whereupon I must obferve, That it were an eafy thing to read Hebrew Syllables and Words, if the Hebrews had expreffed in writing all the Vowels, which they pronounced, and which made Part of Syllables and Words, as 'tis practised in Greek, Latin and French, and generally in all the European Languages that are known to us. But they had a different Cuftom. 'Tis true they fometimes inferted the Vowels, even in the middle of a Word; but they generally omit ted them, at least these Four, N. Nay, they have a great Number of Words, of two, three, or four Syllables, that are only made up of Confonants. It being therefore impoffible to form any Syllable, and confequently any Word, without a Vowel, the Diffi culty lies in knowing, firft, in what Place a Vowel ought to be inferted; and fecondly, what Vowels ought to be understood.

As for what concerns the firft Head, I fhall only lay down one Rule; and it will be fufficient. When ever two Confonants meet together in one and the fame Word, a Vowel ought to be understood between them. For Example, in this Word, a Vowel ought to be understood between the and the . In this Word 77, a Vowel ought to be underftood beeween the, and the , and another between the and the 4.0

Again, I fhall lay down but one Rule for the fe cond Head. Between two Confonants, the arti ficial Vowel of the firft Confonant ought to be un

derstood.

!

derstood. I call an artificial Vowel of a Confonant, that which follows that Confonant, and forms a found with it in its artificial Denomination.

The artificial Denomination of is beth, of ghimel,

of Tdaleth.

The Vowel, that follows in its Artificial Denomination is e; and therefore e is the Artificial Vowel of .

in its Artificial Deno

is the Artificial follows in its

The Vowel, that follows mination is ig and therefore Vowel of 3. The Vowel, that Artificial Denomination, is a; and therefore a is the Artificial Vowel of and fo with the

rest.

Wherefore in order to know what Vowel ought to be understood after a Confonant, one needs. only know the Name of that Confonant. The first Vowel of that Name is that very Vowel, that must be understood after a Confonant, that is immediately attended with another Confonant in one and the fame Word. For Inftance.

In the Word, according to the firft Rule, a Vowel ought to be understood, after the 2, another after the, and a third after; and, according to the fecond Rule, an e ought to be underftood after the , an a after the 5, and an i after the Thus that Word ought to be read Phelaffith. In this Word, according to the firft Rule, a Vowel must be understood after the, another af ter the 7, none after the, because there is one. And, according to the fecond Rule, i must be understood after the 3, and a after the 7: And therefore that Word ought to be read ghidalim. Thofe two Rules may be reduced to one, Whenever two Confonants meet together in the fame Word, the Artificial Vowel of the firft Confonant ought to be understood between thofe two Confonants. This fin-. gle Rule is fufficient to read Hebrew without Points with more Certainty, and Conveniency (the two Qualifications which Cappel defired) than by the ufual Method. This I fhall fhew, when I have given an Ex

ample

ample of the new Way of reading Hebrew, to render the use of it more eafy. I read the beginning of the first Chapter of Genefis thus.

Beraffith bera Aleim ath effimim, ouath carets; ou carets eithe theou ou beou, oueffich al pheni thecum: Ouroue Aleim merepheth, al pheni emim: Ouiamer Aleim iei aour quiei aour. Quira Aleim ath cacur chi toub ouibedal Aleim bin caour oubin ceffich: Ouikeura. Aleim laour ioum, ou lefsich koura lile. Ouiei areb, ouiei bekour iem aed.

I affirm, that this Way of Pointing, that is, of reading and pronouncing Hebrew, is more certain and convenient than that of the Mafforets

First, it is more certain. I call that Pointing certain, which reprefents the Original fuch as it is, fo that there is no Reason to fufpect any. Alteration in the Senfe. But the Pointing of the Mafforets is not certain. We cannot be fure that it represents the Original fuch as it is. That Pointing determines the Senfe of the Words; and one may very well doubt whether that Senfe be the beft; nay, 'tis agreed now that the contrary does frequently ap

pear.

What is ftill more obfervable, is, that this Imperfection being infeparable from that Method, can never be mended. It were in vain to fay, If the Mafforets have pointed fo, let us point, otherwise, but ftill according to their Principles: For if any one undertakes to do it, fince he is not infallible, the fame Objection that is raised against the Massorets, may be raised against him; and one may very well doubt whether he does not put a wrong Senfe upon the Words of the Scripture by his Pronun

ciation.

The fame cannot be faid of the new Method of Pointing and Pronouncing Hebrew. It represents the Hebrew Text in its Original Purity; and the Sense is not altered by any Human Invention.