“Pointing to the Accents in the Scroll”: Functional Development of the Masoretic Accents in the Hebrew Bible
It is widely recognized that the accents developed by the Masoretes have three functions: they mark (1) stress, (2) musical notations, and (3) punctuation. However, the order in which these functions developed remains contestable. The present study demonstrates that indication of stressed syllables...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
The National Association of Professors of Hebrew
2014
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| In: |
Hebrew studies
Year: 2014, Volume: 55, Issue: 1, Pages: 73-88 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (JSTOR) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | It is widely recognized that the accents developed by the Masoretes have three functions: they mark (1) stress, (2) musical notations, and (3) punctuation. However, the order in which these functions developed remains contestable. The present study demonstrates that indication of stressed syllables was a secondary rather than primary function that became dominant at a relatively late stage. It is most likely that the punctuational function of the accents for recitation gave rise to other relational divisions of a unit. Then the accents came to be used for cantillation in addition to punctuation, although this never fully developed into a system of musical notation. The masoretic accents that we know are thus reflective of an unfinished transition to such notation, intended for singing, from punctuation designed for recitation. |
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| ISSN: | 2158-1681 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Hebrew studies
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1353/hbr.2014.0022 |